Call Abbreviation: GEOHER

 

Objectives of the Competition

• Identification, research, and—where necessary—digitization of Georgian cultural heritage preserved in the Vatican archives, in line with research objectives;
• Support for interdisciplinary and innovative approaches to the study of Georgian cultural heritage;
• Capacity building of young researchers in the field of studying Georgian cultural heritage preserved in the Vatican;
• Promotion of research results and increased accessibility and visibility of Georgian manuscripts and other cultural heritage materials, as well as raising international awareness while respecting ethical, legal, and institutional frameworks.

 

Project proposal type: Individual

Major terms and conditions of the Call:

• Both individual and group projects are funded within the competition;
• Applicants must hold written permission to work in the Vatican archives or submit an official document confirming that the permission is in process;
• Individual projects: may be submitted by a Georgian citizen holding a PhD or an equivalent academic degree;
• Group projects: may be submitted by a team of Georgian citizen researchers consisting of no more than three members. A group project must have a project leader.

 

The duration of the research project is maximum 6 months.

Maximum funding requested from the Foundation:

• Individual project: up to 30,000 GEL
• Group project: up to 60,000 GEL

 

Funding required from the SRNSFG includes the following expenditure categories:

• Researcher’s grant funding;
• Research activity costs;
• Publication costs.

 

Call Administration Timeline:

4 May– May 29 (16:00) - Registration in the Grants Management Unified System (GMUS).

online group consultations

May 20 – deadline for sending questions via email

June 5, 18:00 – Deadline for submitting the application document to the SRNSFG chancellery

June 2026 – Eligibility review of submitted proposals

July – August 2026 – projects` evaluation

September 2026 - Approving winner projects

 

Regulatory Documents

• Order of the Minister of Education, Science and Youth of Georgia, No. 55/n (April 16, 2026)
• Order of the Director General of the Foundation, No. 524502 (May 4, 2026)
• Evaluation criteria

 

Required Documents and annexes:

Call terms and conditions – Annex 1

Cover page (sample) – Annex 2

Project proposal – Annex 3 (GEO/ENG)

CV (sample) (GEO/ENG) – Annex 4

Letter of commitment of mentor/adviser - Annex 5 (GEO/ENG)

Project timeframe (sample) - Annex 6 (GEO/ENG)

Project budget and budget justification (sample) - Annex 7 (GEO/ENG)

Letter of co-funding commitment (if applicable) - Annex 8 (GEO/ENG)

Letter of support on providing access to research infrastructure (if applicable) - Annex 9 (GEO/ENG)

Statement of participation in the call - Annex 10, generated from GMUS after the project`s submission.

 

Note: The regulatory documents and annexes related to the Call are available on the Georgian version of the website.

 

Important:

• Please carefully review the Minister’s decree №55/N, the decree of the SRNSFG Director General, the call conditions, and all annexes.
• Only group consultations will be conducted.
• All inquiries should be directed to the following email address: geoher@rustaveli.org.ge.

 

 

Call coordinators:

Nino Abuselidze
Tel: +995 32 2 200 220 (ext. 4016)
(Please call during working hours: Monday–Friday, 09:00–18:00)

 

Financial Consultants:

Ana Koberidze
Irakli Iashvili

 

The Foundation wishes you success!