Provenance Research Fund: Two new open calls for projects for 2025
November 20
On January 19th 2024 the Franco-German Research Fund on the provenance of cultural objects from sub-Saharan Africa was officially launched at the Centre Marc Bloch. Museums, cultural, scientific and academic institutions in both Germany and France hold substantial collections of cultural objects with great symbolic, artistic, historic or societal significance for the countries and societies of origin. The joint initiative of the governments of France and Germany is dedicated to support research on these objects. As such, it is an integral part of the countries broader objectives of making sub-Saharan cultural heritage more accessible as well as seeking to strengthen and renew partnerships with sub-Saharan Africa.
First cohort of projects and opening of the second call for projects
Less than one year after the funds’ creation the selection of three research projects can be announced for the first annual funding phase. During the Scientific Council’s selection meeting, its Chairman Souleymane Bachir Diagne emphasised “the close alignment with the principles of provenance research and the importance of balanced trilateral partnerships between German and French universities and museums as well as partners from Sub-Saharan Africa” as decisive criteria. In line with the Fund’s interdisciplinary ambitions, the three projects will cover a wide range of research topics: the acquisition practices of German and French colonial research missions between 1880-1914 in French Sudan (present-day Mali) (PROBAMA); questions of restitution and the symbolic reconnection of objects to a broad public and the specific role of women in the production and use of cultural objects (ReMatriation); the history of colonial museum collections in German-French border regions and the origin of collections of human remains (ProHumStra). For more information please refer to the list of funded projects and summaries on our website.
The second funding phase will be opened with the publication of the second edition of the annual call for projects. Project proposals can be submitted from November 20th 2024. For information on the calls’ eligibility criteria and application process please refer to the call for projects and the submission form online. Applications can be submitted until Tuesday, 15th April 2025 at 11.59 p.m.
New funding opportunity to reinforce research networks
In addition to the regular call published yearly, the Franco-German Fund introduces the Networking and Partnership Funding. This call is specifically designed to encourage the emergence of international research teams and to reinforce already existing collaborations on provenance research between France, Germany and Sub-Saharan Africa. It also aims to support initiatives by early-career researchers, museum professionals and by civil society actors and their implication within networks of provenance research. The new international project teams and partnerships can be the basis for follow-up projects within the annual regular call for projects of the Franco-German Fund. To this end, the call offers a flexible funding to support networking activities of projects of a maximal duration of 12 months. All further information can be found on the Funds’ website. Applications can be submitted until Friday, 28th February 2025 at 11.59 p.m.
For more information on the Franco-German Research Fund on the Provenance of Cultural Objects from sub-Saharan Africa please contact Dr. Julie Sissia, Scientific Head of the Fund (julie.sissia@cmb.hu-berlin.de)
For any press inquiries please contact Philon Griesel (philon.griesel@cmb.hu-berlin.de).
Contact:
Julie Sissia
julie.sissia ( at ) cmb.hu-berlin.de