The AIWG’s research formats connect scholars at the various institutions where Islamic-Theological Studies are pursued both with one another and with researchers in neighbouring disciplines. The AIWG thus facilitates cross-locational, interdisciplinary research on Islam-related topics and promotes the continued establishment of Islamic-Theological Studies in the German academic system.
AIWG Research Fellowship
For the first time, the AIWG is inviting applications for Research Fellowships to support scholars researching Islam-related topics. The new AIWG Research Fellowship is aimed at postdoctoral scholars and professors in Islamic Theological Studies and related disciplines from Germany and abroad who wish to pursue a specific research question on Islam in academia and society.
Additional Information
Who is eligible to become an AIWG Research Fellow?
Postdoctoral scholars and professors of Islamic Theological Studies and relevant disciplines in Germany and abroad are eligible to apply for the AIWG Research Fellowship. Ideally, candidates are members of a university or have an academic institutional affiliation; however, applications from those without an institutional affiliation will also be considered.
What are possible research projects?
The AIWG Research Fellowship supports research projects of particular relevance to the AIWG’s themes and working fields. Fellowships can be awarded on a broad scope of topics involving Islamic Theological Studies and its areas of application and transfer. The main focus areas of the AIWG are:
- Development and consolidation of Islamic theological studies in the academic system.
- Islamic-theological approaches to normative texts
- The relationship between law and ethics
- Further development of Islamic religious education
- Involvement of Muslims in civil society
In particular, the anticipated substantive, theoretical or methodological impulses of the project for Islamic Theological Studies as well as the relation to the AIWG’s research focuses should be clearly presented in your application. Moreover, please describe the expected output, ie the form in which the scientific results will be made available to the research community and an interested public (eg publication, conference, exhibition, online formats).
How does an AIWG Research Fellowship work?
The AIWG provides a grant to Research Fellows to work on their research project for up to six months as a visiting scholar of the Goethe University. Professors can receive a fellowship for up to 12,000 euros, and postdocs can receive a fellowship up to 8,000 euros. The fellows are responsible for both getting insurance and all matters related to the taxation of the remuneration.
The research projects are independently organised and carried out by the Fellow in connection with the AIWG. Collaboration with the AIWG’s research groups is possible.
What is the application procedure?
Interested candidates should submit their written application with a letter of motivation, CV, list of publications and project outline (max. 3 pages) in German or English. The scientific qualification and expertise of the applicants as well as the quality and importance of the project are key factors in the selection process, which will be decided by an AIWG selection committee.
When is the application deadline?
The AIWG invites applications for up to ten fellowships, each of which can be awarded for up to six months.
You can submit your application to the AIWG at the following e-mail address no later than 30 April 2021: antrag@aiwg.de.
If you still have questions about the AIWG research fellowship, please contact:
Gülbahar Erdem
Coordinator Science Formats and Research Fellowships
Email: erdem@aiwg.de
Tel: 069-798 22 448
Researching, networking, interacting:
Our Long-term Research Groups
The AIWG’s Long-term Research Groups bring together academics from different Islamic-Theological Studies institutions affiliated with the AIWG to cooperate on topics of fundamental relevance to the subject. The Long-term Research Groups aim to enhance cross-locational knowledge of subject-specific, transferable topics and issues relating to Islamic-Theological Studies. They thus help to develop the subject outside the immediate region, cement its interdisciplinary status and promote interaction with practitioners and the general public.
Additional information:
Long-term Research Groups are funded for a period of four years (but no later than the end of the AIWG’s initial funding phase in August 2022). They are designed to generate insights that will decisively further Islamic-Theological Studies. To this end, the topics selected are addressed in the context of cross-locational collaborations and should also have interdisciplinary potential beyond the subject itself. At the same time, through the interaction between researchers and practitioners, the research groups should generate knowledge by addressing questions from the application fields of Islamic-Theological Studies and examining them with reference to real-world perspectives. Actors in the social fields of relevance to the respective topic, particularly from Muslim civil society, would be potential partners for this interaction.
Integration of research groups in the AIWG
A special feature of the AIWG’s research groups is that they facilitate cooperation between various actors from universities, departments and social fields of practice. For their core activities, they can draw on the resources of the AIWG Office. The research groups’ academic work is largely conducted at the university institutions involved, which receive the necessary human and material resources. In addition, however, the AIWG Office provides the funding and locations required to ensure the closest possible coordination and collaboration amongst the academics and practitioners involved; it also actively supports the research groups’ work and helps to secure their academic output. In agreement with the project participants, moreover, the Office regularly conducts public outreach for the research groups and their topics. This assumes that the research groups are prepared to be integrated into the AIWG as a supra-regional, supra-university research and transfer organisation for Islam-related subjects. Thus, the research groups are expected to liaise in a spirit of trust with the Academic Coordinator and other AIWG staff and to agree to partial results being regularly published by the Academy.
Addressing topics together:
Our Collaborative Projects
Collaborative Projects allow actors in Muslim civil society and other societal fields of action to cooperate transregionally with researchers in Islamic-Theological Studies or other subjects. The Collaborative Projects aim to:
- pave the way for solution- and transfer-oriented cooperation as well as joint consideration of Islam-related topics that are of relevance to the German context
- amalgamate existing academic and practical expertise
- generate concrete output on transferable topics of relevance to the field
The subject matter must be of relevance to Islamic-Theological Studies and address practical issues relating to Islam in Germany.
Focusing on research:
Our Project Workshops
Our research Project Workshops enable Islamic-Theological Studies scholars to conduct a short-term project over a period of approximately 12 months together with specialist colleagues from other universities or departments. Clearly manageable projects that require interaction or collaboration with researchers outside of your own university or subject area are particularly suitable for this format.
One weekend, one topic:
Reading Weekends
Reading Weekends allow Islamic-Theological Studies scholars to intensively grapple with authors, works, theories and methods that are relevant to the fundamental fields of research and discourse on the subject. These could be authors and works in the Islamic tradition or from the present day, or from disciplines neighbouring Islamic-Theological Studies. After the event, the discussion leaders are to write a short essay on the texts discussed, focusing on the issues and particular interests of Islamic-Theological Studies. This summary text will then be published online.
Additional information
For Reading Weekends, up to ten participants can benefit from rooms at the AIWG for three days as well as accommodation and travel expenses. The AIWG also takes on organisational and administrative responsibility for the event. The applicants usually lead the Reading Weekends and are responsible for running them.
Who is eligible to apply?
- Professors, academic staff, doctoral candidates and other researchers at German universities are eligible to apply.
- Applications must be submitted by two people jointly. At least one of the applicants must belong to an Islamic-Theological Studies institution. If both applicants are Islamic-Theological Studies scholars, they must be based at different institutions.
When are the application deadlines?
The closing dates for 2019 are:
- 31 January
- 30 June
- 31 October
Applications should be sent by the respective closing date to: antrag@aiwg.de
Selection criteria
The selection criteria relate to the information included in the application, indicating to what extent:
- the author or work to be discussed is relevant to Islamic-Theological Studies
- the author or work is not yet sufficiently well known in the field
- the selected texts can be viably read and discussed within the time frame
- the potential participants can be drawn from different institutions and/or disciplines
Contact
Gülbahar Erdem
Coordinator for Research Formats and Research Fellows
E-Mail: erdem@aiwg.de
Tel.: 069-798 22 448
Connecting young researchers:
Our Forum for Doctoral Candidates
This conference, which lasts several days, is held annually at the AIWG and creates an arena for doctoral candidates of Islamic-Theological Studies in the German-speaking countries to meet and share their thoughts and ideas. The aim of the forum is to promote academic interaction and networking amongst doctoral candidates at the various institutions both amongst themselves and with established researchers.
Additional information
The Forum is divided into joint framework panels and specialist sections, which are drawn up and organised by the doctoral candidates themselves. It targets all doctoral candidates of Islamic-Theological Studies in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Additional information on ways of participating, dates and programmes will appear here shortly.
Contact
Dr Rida Inam
Coordinator for Research Formats and Events
E-Mail: inam@aiwg.de
Tel.: +49 (0) 69-798 22447
Well done:
The AIWG awards for outstanding dissertations
An academic selection committee grants two awards to junior researchers in the field: an award of € 3,500 for an outstanding doctoral thesis and a printing subsidy of € 2,000 for an outstanding Master’s dissertation. The award ceremony is held during the annual Doctoral Forum.
Focus on format
MENTi -
The AIWG's mentoring programme
The AIWG’s mentoring programme MENTi aims to help junior researchers in Islamic-Theological Studies as well as involved individuals in Muslim civil society to continue developing their qualifications and potential and engage with society.