Call for Proposals 2025

“Small Gender Projects”

Gender Studies Projects

Once a year, Goethe University Frankfurt funds projects in the field of gender studies – known as “Small Gender Projects”. Up to €3,000 can be applied for via this funding. The departments add their own funds in the same amount. This means that projects up to a maximum of €6,000 can be applied for, half of which is financed by the department and half by the Small Gender Projects.

Criteria

Project proposals should be related to gender studies in terms of content.

The criteria are:

  • Gender studies focuses on questions of the social construction of gender; associated with this is systematic reflection on binary categorisations such as nature and culture, but also on modern binary distinctions. Critical handling of the essentialisation of gender is crucial: studies of gender and gender relations should not simply follow the everyday understanding of gender but instead include theoretical reflection.

  • The aim of gender studies is to examine asymmetrical gender relations, taking into consideration the following levels: structures (e.g. social structures, interaction structures, social norms) and processes (e.g. performativity, habitualisation, doing gender).

  • Gender studies adopts two viewpoints: it looks at the gendering of terms and concepts that appear neutral or universal and/or it looks at structures, processes or concepts that contain or produce specific gender relations.

  • Today, gender is predominantly understood as an interdependent or intersectional category, also supplemented by the perspective of queer feminist research. This means that "gender" is reflected in its entanglement with other power and domination relations.

  • Feminist gender studies also includes the question of the possibility and nature of “knowledge” in the sense of a feminist critique of science. 

Application requirements

  • An application (please use the form linked here) describing the research question, objectives, methods, approach and timing of the project. This also includes positioning the project in the current state of research in gender studies and indicating a desideratum.

  • A cost plan showing the requested funds from the gender projects (max. €3,000) and the additional departmental funds (max. €3,000). A commitment from the dean's office for departmental funding must be enclosed with the application. The departmental funding cannot be provided by third-party funds. The project is intended in particular to serve the scientific qualification of Early Career Researchers (ECR) in gender research at Goethe University. The term ECR is understood as broadly as possible, including advanced Master's students, doctoral students, postdocs, first-time professors and tenure-track professors at Goethe University. 

  • In principle, no applications for printing cost subsidies will be approved. 

  • When submitting your application, please indicate a cost centre (federal states funds, i.e. starting with 23...or 1...) for processing project funding.

A university committee decides on applications. 

Applications evaluated positively are subject to reporting and cost accounting obligations. 

If you have any organizational or content-related questions in advance, please contact: Dr. Katrin Springsgut.

Applications can be submitted via the dean's office until August 15, 2025. Please send applications as a PDF by email to: Dr. Katrin Springsgut, Equal Opportunities Office.