Fellowships

The Helmuth Plessner Gesellschaft has set up a fellowship for researchers who wish to study the archive of the German philosopher and sociologist Helmut Plessner which is managed by the Department of Special Collections in the University of Groningen Library. Applications for reimbursement of travel and accommodation expenses by researchers from outside Groningen can be submitted to the Gesellschaft.

The Helmuth Plessner-Fund

The main purpose of the Helmuth Plessner Fund is to support research into the Plessner archives in the Special Collections at the University of Groningen Library. Research into other archives in Groningen holding Plessner-related material may also be considered.

The aim of the Fund is achieved by:
1) paying for travel to Groningen (i.e. the sum of tickets at a reasonable rate, for example second-class train-tickets and economy-class flights);
2) paying for lodging in Groningen for up to one month at a reasonable price.

With regard to an application, a research proposal of up to two pages has to be submitted to the president of the Helmuth Plessner Society. The president circulates applications among the members of the Executive Commitee and reaches a decision concerning the acceptance or decline of applications together with the other members of the Committee. Applicants’ proposals should outline the purpose of their research (in content and form) and include an estimate of the costs of travel and accommodation.

During or after their research stay, grant holders are expected to present their findings to an interested public in Groningen by means of a lecture, a blog-post or in any other way agreed upon by the Curator of Special Collections in the University of Groningen Library. In addition, grant holders have to publish their findings to a broader academic audience in a suitable way (e.g. by means of a book, an article in a journal or—if this should not be possible—a text for the page of the Helmuth Plessner Society). Grant holders are required to mention the support received from the Plessner-Fund in the acknowledgments in compliance with general academic custom and to submit their publication to the president of the Helmuth Plessner Society, who will pass it on to the Curator of Special Collections in the University of Groningen Library and who will inform the members of the Executive Commitee.

The Plessner-Fund contributes limited sums to translations of Helmuth Plessner’s
works, in cases when:
1) a qualified translator has been found and the price asked by that translator is
reasonable;
2) the major part of the money needed for the translations is provided for and only a comparatively small amount is missing to reach the total sum required;
3) there are no other obvious ways to provide for the required sum.

For the application, a proposal of up to two pages has to be submitted to the
president of the Helmuth Plessner Society. The president circulates applications
among the members of the Executive Commitee and reaches a decision concerning the acceptance or decline of applications together with the other Committee members. If the application is accepted by the members of the Committee, the president forwards that application to the Curator of Special Collections (UB Groningen), informs him of the decision the Executive Commitee has taken, and asks him for his opinion. If the Curator supports the decision the Committee has reached, he will disburse the appropriate sum to the applicant, once the applicant has finished his/her studies and has submitted the relevant invoices. If the Curator does not agree with the decision of the Committee, he will get back to the President of the Helmuth Plessner Society, lay out his reasons and reach a common decision with the members of the Committee.

Applications should give the necessary details concerning the criteria mentioned above, explain the calculation for translation and publication, and name all bodies that were approached to contribute to the financing. Appropriate documentation of all relevant aspects is required. Applicants have to ensure that the support received from the Fund is mentioned in a suitable way in the acknowledgments in compliance with general academic custom. As a proof for the completion of the translation, applicants have to submit a copy of the translation to the president of the Helmuth Plessner Society, who will pass it on to the Curator of Special Collections in the University of Groningen Library and who will inform the members of the Executive Commitee. If—within a reasonable amount of time and without good reason—no copy is submitted, the president of the Helmuth Plessner Society will ask for a refund of the grant.