Call for applications

The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation invites Germany-based early- and mid-career researchers from various disciplines to apply to participate in a symposium organised jointly with the British Academy on the broad theme of “Humans and nature: More resilient towards the future”.

The symposium will take place from (Wednesday) 21 April 2027 to (Friday) 23 April 2027 in Bonn, Germany and aims to stimulate and establish international engagement and collaboration between early career researchers in Germany and the United Kingdom working in a broad range of disciplines. It is designed to encourage the exchange of ideas across both disciplinary and national boundaries by adopting a format that will allow for extensive discussion and debate, with considerable time set aside for this and other networking opportunities.

Thematic focus

The relationship between humans and nature has always been contested. While some argue that humans stand above nature and are positioned to ‘manage’ it, others rather perceive humans as being part of nature and hence stress the need to co-exist, questioning excessive human interference into natural habitats. In times of polycrises and increasing systemic risks, the need to rethink this relationship appears more urgent than ever. Impacts of e.g., technological advancement, population growth, economies based on growth and consumption, constant loss of biodiversity, increasing hydro-climatic variabilities/extremes and ever-increasing demand for natural resources shape this human-nature relation. We can only understand what makes natural, social, political and economic systems more resilient by reconsidering human-nature relations in terms of balancing societal needs and ecological integrity in more sustainable ways.

Such a critical rethinking exercise, necessary to find alternative pathways to a more resilient future, could span the whole cycle from philosophical, ethical and artistic considerations, to social, political, economic and geographical challenges, and to designing concrete policymaking solutions. Accordingly, participants from a large variety of disciplines could contribute, ensuring the symposium’s interdisciplinary and forward-looking character. Themes and questions to be addressed could include, but are not limited to:

Contested (?) Society and Nature Conceptualisations

• What are different philosophical ideas underpinning the relationship and possible differing interpretations thereof?
• How is the relationship portrayed in artistic productions, in literature, art or in music? What does that tell us about this relationship?
• How do these society-nature conceptualisations serve specific visions for transformative change?

Social and Environmental Justice Perspectives 

• How can we create the conditions for justice, for instance between generations, between social groups, or between spatial entities, e.g., the Global South and the Global North?
• How can we protect vulnerable groups, including local and indigenous communities?
• Do humans have the ethical duty to sacrifice and adapt their individual lifestyles to increase justice?

Norms and Values

• Should the right to an intact environment be considered and treated as a human right (to ensure younger generations’ future self-realization, for instance)?
• Should ecosystems (such as rivers or lakes) have rights? Why for instance is it normal for companies, to have rights as legal entities/objects but for ecosystems it is still the exception?
• Which role can and should local initiatives and social movements play? How can they be made agents in decision-making?

Sustainability and Resilience in coupled Human-Nature Systems

• How do human-nature relations undermine the resilience of societies and ecosystems? 
• How can we improve political decision-making under conditions of extreme uncertainty?
• How can we design sustainable habitats and living spaces (e.g., green cities)? 
• How can we, more generally, make local communities more resilient?

Knowledge generation and narrative development

• How have local and indigenous communities interacted with nature? Can their ideas help finding more sustainable solutions?
• What can we learn from different civilizations throughout history?
• Who creates and owns the knowledge and sets the agenda?

Seed Funding / CONNECT

To encourage and support long-term collaboration and networking, participants may apply for seed funding provided by the British Academy. These collaborations must be international and take the form of either partnerships or groups. The funding is designed to facilitate collaborations that arise directly from the symposium.

Participants are also eligible to apply for CONNECT, a follow-up programme for participants of Frontiers of Research Symposia offered by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. It provides grants for short working visits to Germany or the United Kingdom that can be taken up at any time following the symposium.

Eligibility requirements for researchers from Germany

Researchers at all career stages are eligible to apply provided that they 

• are based in Germany,
• work in Germany at a research institution,
• have completed a PhD within the last 10 years (by the time of the symposium), 
• are fluent in spoken and written English.

Participants are expected to attend the entire symposium. Attending the full event is mandatory to meet the requirements to apply for BA’s seed funding or the Humboldt Foundation’s CONNECT programme.
 

Application process

Applications may be submitted online until 02 August 2026. Only applications received by the deadline will be considered.

Applicants should provide:

• the completed application form (accessible via the link)
• link to their personal scientific profile or CV
• link to their list of key publications (max. one page)

Applications must be in English. Please click “submit” after completion of the online form to make sure your application will be transferred.

Applications will be assessed according to the following criteria:

• proven research interest in and/or experience in at least one of the session topics of the symposium
• commitment to and experience with interdisciplinary research projects
• added value of the symposium for the applicant’s academic career development

Applicants will be notified of the final decision in September 2026.

Logistics

Duration: afternoon of (Wednesday) 21 April 2027 to evening of (Friday) 23 April 2027 

Conference venue: Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Jean-Paul-Str. 12, 53173 Bonn

Hotel: (tba)

Accommodation: The Alexander von Humbolt Foundation will make room reservations for all participants at the conference venue and will cover hotel expenses for three nights from 21 to 24 April 2027. Expenses for meals for the duration of the symposium will also be covered by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. Any additional costs must be paid individually.

Travel expenses: The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation covers the travel expenses for outward and return journeys between the home institutes and the conference venue for all participants from Germany. The reimbursement of travel expenses is generally based on the Deutsche Bahn 2nd class fare for the shortest route between the participants' place of work and the conference venue.

Contact

If you have any questions, please contact the UKGFOH programme coordinator, Ms. Stephanie Dill (stephanie.dill[at]avh.de).