Sur-Place-Scholarship Programme Russia

Sur-Place-Scholarship Programme Russia

Since 1994, the Heinrich-Böll-Foundation supports Russian undergraduate and postgraduate students through its Sur-Place-Programme for this region. Particular focus lays on the promotion of young academics and researchers from less developed regions – 70% of all scholarship holders are women, 2/3 come from cities outside the centres of Moscow and St. Petersburg. The programme wants to contribute to the establishment of a new science community with a revised understanding of science. This way it aims at promoting a democratic Russian society and Russia’s further integration into the international community.

Background
The current unstable situation of the Russian society has been highly disadvantageous for the development of new research directions and initiatives within the Social Sciences and Humanities. Particularly young scholars often have to give up their research projects due to a lack of financial support and missing professional expertise. The further away these projects are located from the metropolises of Moscow and Saint Petersburg, the more difficult is usually their situation.

The programme, therefore, aims at supporting young scholars and their research projects, particularly those who want to contribute to the democratisation of Russia’s political and social system and the legal implementation of human rights.

The Sur-Place- Programme has been created in 1994, as a joint initiative, by the Heinrich-Böll-Foundation and Memorial. Since 1995 the St. Petersburg Centre for Independent Social Research is another partner.

About the Programme
The programme targets undergraduate and postgraduate students in Humanities and Social Sciences (history, political science, law, sociology) with an interest in Russia’s history of repression; the implementation of human rights in the Russian political and legal system and problems of the democratic system in Russia as well as the issue of women within the current transition process.

Scholarships are awarded for the period of 18 months. The selection of the successful applicants (max. 28 per period) is based on a national competition. Selection criteria include the actuality and socio-political importance of the research proposal, its thematic and methodological novelty as well as the candidate’s socio-political interest and engagement.

Support Programme
Besides financial support, the Sur-Place-Programme also offers academic promotion of the scholarship holder through a one-week-conference in Moscow or St. Petersburg. During this week, the programme participants are given the opportunity to present and discuss their research projects with colleagues and invited experts from Germany.

Furthermore, 8 to 10 scholarship holders can be invited to stay for two months as visiting researchers at a German university of their choice.

Contact
For further information on the application process, please refer to the Memorial website.