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Humanities in the European Research Area (HERA)

Humanities in the European Research Area (HERA) is a partnership between 26 Humanities Research Councils (funding agencies) across 25 European Countries, together with the European Science Foundation (ESF) and the European Commission (EC). HERA aims to promote Humanities research within the European Research Area and in the EC Research Framework Programmes. 

HERA's main activity is to provide funding opportunities for transnational and multidisciplinary research projects which focus on the Humanities. Funding is administered through Joint Research Programmes (JRPs). JRPs are mechanisms which combine national funding from HERA partners with top-up EC funding, via instruments such as ERA-NETs. 

Current calls

At the present time there are no open calls under the 2019-2022 JRP: HERA Public Spaces: Culture and Integration in Europe. 

HERA is currently working with NORFACE on a joint call: CHANSE  (Transformations: Social and cultural dynamics in the digital age). This call will fund projects together with €10m from the EC’s Horizon 2020 programme. The call for applications closed in May 2021. 

Type of projects funded, eligibility criteria & reimbursement rates

Each HERA JRP funds different types of collaborative projects with specific eligibility criteria and reimbursement rates.  National (country-specific) eligibility criteria are set by each funding agency participating in the call.

Only HERA JRP countries* are eligible for funding. JRP countries are those whose national funding agency contributes money to the Joint Research Programme. For UK-based applications, eligibility criteria is set by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). The AHRC has contributed money to all the JRPs to date. 

*HERA JRP Countries: Austria, Belgium (Wallonia), Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. 

Evaluation Process

All previous JRPs included a two-phase proposal submission: an outline proposal and full proposal phase. For more information please see the guide for applicants and evaluation criteria used in the last JRP call. 

HERA Resources

On the HERA resources page you can view and download a range of publications including reports, past call brochures and toolkits.

Here you can also find the Public Engagement, Knowledge Exchange and Impact Toolkit which has been developed based on the experiences of participants in the three previous HERA JRPs (2010-2019).  

Successful HERA Projects@Leeds

Below you can find links to two HERA projects coordinated by University of Leeds academics:

Arctic Encounters: Contemporary Travel/Writing in the European High North, coordinated by Professor Graham Huggan (School of English). 

The Enterprise of Culture: International Structures and Connections in the Fashion Industry since 1945, coordinated by Professor Regina Lee Blaszczyk (School of History). 

Useful contacts