The Margherita von Brentano Center for Gender Studies is offering seed funding for interdisciplinary research projects in the field of gender studies

All members of the MvBZ are eligible to apply, including researchers at all career stages and professors. Students cannot become members and are therefore not eligible to apply. Each application must be submitted by two members from different institutes or units (FB, ZI, ZE) at FU Berlin. Those who are not yet members may join by the end of the call for proposals. To do so, please use the form on the MvBZ website: https://www.mvbz.fu-berlin.de/mvbz-mitgliedschaft 

The seed funding of up to 5,000 euros is intended to support the preparation of applications for third-party funding. Projects are selected through a competitive process if they

1. demonstrate a compelling interdisciplinary focus and

2. are innovative, i.e., projects in which new research questions and methods are tested or new theoretical approaches to gender studies are developed.

Funding may be provided, for example, for workshops aimed at intensive preparation of a grant proposal or a publication, small-scale preliminary studies, data collection, data analysis, or feasibility studies. The funds may be used, for instance, to prepare and carry out joint publication projects, provided that these serve as evidence of preparatory work for a planned research grant proposal.

We expect applicants to be willing to cooperate with the Margherita von Brentano Center. Upon expiration of the funding period, proof of the grant proposal outline or a joint publication project—which demonstrably serves a joint research project—must be submitted, along with a timeline and proof of how the funds were spent.

Application and Selection Process:

Submission: The following documents must be submitted with the application:

• A clearly written project proposal for the planned project (in German or English) of no more than 5 pages
• Curriculum vitae of the applicants
• Time, work, and financial plans (please observe the requirements of the Federal Travel Expenses Act and the Free University of Berlin’s hospitality guidelines)
• List of participating researchers
• Information on collaborations in the field of gender studies at Freie Universität Berlin as well as with the Margherita von Brentano Center
• Information on the cost center (the applicant’s own cost center or written confirmation from a professorship at FU regarding the project’s affiliation and use of the cost center)

Applications should be submitted electronically, along with all supporting documents (in PDF format), to: bewerbungen@mvbz.fu-berlin.de 

Deadlines: The call for proposals is open until October 30, 2026. Selection, notification, and disbursement of funds will take place by the end of November. The funding period runs through the end of 2027.

Selection: The Margherita von Brentano Center will decide on the submitted applications, consulting external experts if necessary.

Contact: Dr. Sabina García Peter will answer any questions regarding the call for proposals: sabina.garcia.peter@fu-berlin.de