Ideas contest “Religion and Politics”

Cluster of Excellence calls for proposals to establish new projects at the WWU

The Cluster of Excellence “Religion and Politics” has advertised an ideas contest at the WWU to establish new research projects. Within the framework of the new Excellence Strategy of the Federal Republic and the Federal States, the Cluster of Excellence is applying for funding in the period between 2019 and 2025. The ideas contest aims at a potential first project phase from 2019 until 2022. The project proposals within the research field of “Religion and Politics” should fit well into the new research programme developed by the Cluster of Excellence for its application under the title “Religion and Politics. The Dynamics of Tradition and Innovation”.

Interested scholars of the WWU may apply with a short draft proposal until 30 June 2017. The assembly of the Principal Investigators (PIs) of the Cluster of Excellence will make a pre-selection of project proposals at the end of the summer semester 2017 and asks the successful applicants to submit their project proposals in elaborate detail by the beginning of the winter semester 2017/18. Should the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG) invite the Cluster of Excellence within the framework of the Excellence Strategy to submit a full proposal, the selection of the projects will take place in November 2017. The final confirmation of the project participation at the Cluster of Excellence will follow as soon as the DFG has sent out the official funding notification in September 2018.

Requirements for application

Participation in the competition is open to all professors and staff holding a doctorate degree who are employed at the WWU and belong to one of the following faculties: 01 (Faculty of Protestant Theology), 02 (Faculty of Catholic Theology), 03 (Faculty of Law), 06 (Faculty of Educational and Social Science), 07 (Faculty of Psychology/Sport and Exercise Sciences), 08 (Faculty of History and Philosophy) and 09 (Faculty of Philology) . In addition to that, professors and employees holding a doctorate degree are entitled to apply if they work for the following centres involved in the Cluster of Excellence, CRS (Centrum für religionsbezogene Studien – Centre for Religious Studies), CRM (Centrum für Religion und Moderne – Center for Religion and Modernity), CMF (Centrum für Mittelalter- und Frühneuzeitforschung – Centre for Medieval and Early Modern Studies), GKM (Centrum für Geschichte und Kultur des östlichen Mittelmeerraums – Centre for Eastern Mediterranean History and Culture) and ZIT (Zentrum für Islamische Theologie – Centre of Islamic Theology, CIT).

Detailed information on funding requirements, funding phases, funded formats and the selection process can be found in the call for proposals. Anyone interested in reading the full text of the call and looking at the research programme may contact the Head of Management of the Cluster of Excellence “Religion and Politics” of the WWU, Dr. Iris Fleßenkämper. (vvm/ill)