One- to Three-Month Research Fellowships, Leibniz Research Alliance in "Historical Authenticity"
Looking for time to develop that article, that second book idea, that conference proposal? If your topic fits under the rubric of historical authenticity, then consider applying for a fellowship from the Leibniz Research Alliance Historical Authenticity. A recent call for applications invites interested parties to apply for one of up to three research fellowships that can be spent at one of several Leibniz-affiliated research institutions in Germany.
The call explains in more detail:
The work of the Leibniz Research Alliance Historical Authenticity is based on the observation that society's engagement with the past is increasingly determined by a striving for historical authenticity. The value placed on "tradition", "contemporary witnesses", "authentic locations" and "authentic objects" reflects a new desire for historical experience. These subject- and object-related claims of authenticity are accompanied by a desire for things regarded as "genuine", with a wish to reconstruct or preserve the "true" and "original". The research alliance seeks to explore how contemporary conceptions of authenticity affect the way we deal with our cultural heritage by examining the reconstruction and conservation of historical artefacts, by studying the function of language as a cultural repository and instrument, by tracing the development of school textbooks and maps, and looking at the conception of museums, archives, monuments and memorial sites. In four main topics, we will examine how the discourse on authenticity has changed over the centuries, how museums identify, (de)construct and communicate authenticity, and look at the role of authenticity in constructions of space, as well as in political conflicts and power relationships.
The Leibniz Research Alliance Historical Authenticity includes historical, educational, social sciences and spatial research institutes as well as research museums. It spans a wide range of disciplines from cultural studies to science and technology. Eighteen Leibniz institutes and four external partners are currently involved.
The fellowships are intended to promote academic research that fit into the alliance's research profile. Fellowship holders can, for example, use the stipend to research in the field of the alliance's research areas, to develop a research project in cooperation with the host institution or to write an article or chapter of a book. The project should be presented in a seminar or colloquium or at one of the alliance's meetings. Applicants must have a PhD and an outstanding academic record. Holders of Leibniz Research Alliance Fellowships receive a monthly grant of 2,000 €. The funding should cover all expenses including travel, housing, and insurance. The host institutes will provide office space and other relevant research facilities where possible.
If this sounds of interest, then consider applying – no later than April 15, 2016 for an announcement on the decision one month later. Your application (written in either English or German) should include:
- a letter of interest including details about the chosen Leibniz-Institute and the length of the stay (from one to three months);- a curriculum vitae (including a list of publications); - a project proposal not exceeding 1,500 words; - a letter of recommendation.
The application may be sent to Dr. Achim Saupe (saupe at zzf-potsdam.de) as an e-mail with one PDF attachment; the letter of recommendation should be sent as a separate e-mail.
The list of institutions at which one may take up the fellowship is long, allowing for plenty of flexibility in terms of projects. For more invitation on potential hosts or affiliations, please consult the individual institutions below:
Deutsches Bergbau-Museum (DBM), Bochum Deutsches Museum (DM). München Deutsches Schiffahrtsmuseum (DSM), Bremerhaven Georg-Eckert-Institut für internationale Schulbuchforschung (GEI), Braunschweig Germanisches Nationalmuseum (GNM), Nürnberg Herder-Institut für historische Ostmitteleuropaforschung – Institut der Leibniz-Gemeinschaft (HI), Marburg Hessische Stiftung Friedens- und Konfliktforschung (HSFK), Frankfurt am Main Institut für Deutsche Sprache (IDS), Mannheim Institut für Zeitgeschichte (IfZ), München-Berlin Leibniz-Institut für Europäische Geschichte (IEG), Mainz Leibniz-Institut für Länderkunde (IfL), Leipzig Leibniz-Institut für Raumbezogene Sozialforschung (IRS), Erkner Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien (IWM), Tübingen Museum für Naturkunde (MfN), Berlin Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum (RGZM), Mainz Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung (SGN), Frankfurt am Main Zentrum für Zeithistorische Forschung (ZZF), Potsdam Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig (ZFMK), Bonn
The following institutions external to the Leibniz Research Alliance may also host the fellowship:
Deutsches Historisches Museum (DHM), Berlin Herzog August Bibliothek (HAB), Wolfenbüttel Institut für Museumsforschung - Staatliche Museen zu Berlin – Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz Zentrum Moderner Orient (ZMO), Berlin