First CSMC Mobile Lab Project Call
Now open
We are excited to announce that the 1st CSMC Mobile Lab Project Call (MLPC1) is now open.
Registration is required by 30 November 2026 and projects can be submitted by 18 December 2026.
Here you can access the dedicated online form:
Our laboratory welcomes project submissions involving advanced material analyses of Written Artefacts, defined as any artificial or natural object with visual signs applied by humans. Please consider that all projects must follow our guidelines for Ethical and Responsible Research.
We offer access to state-of-the-art analytical equipment, technical expertise, and research support to advance the understanding, documentation, and conservation of written artefacts. Through these collaborations, we aim to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and generate new knowledge about historical materials, techniques, and objects.
Project Categories
Collaborative Research Projects
- You collaborate with us on an open research question, and the results are intended for joint publication.
- You are expected to cover part of the project costs (if applicable through 3rd party-funding), ideally corresponding to the direct costs of the analytical campaign (e.g., transport, travel, accommodation, and full board/per diem).
- Applicants from low- to upper-middle-income economies may cover a smaller share of the costs.
- In exceptional cases, we may cover the full direct costs of the analytical campaigns.
Service Projects
- You commission a defined set of measurements, and we provide the resulting data and a technical report, while responsibility for interpretation remains with you.
- You are expected to cover the full project costs, including the direct costs of the analytical campaign (e.g., transport, travel, accommodation, and full board/per diem) as well as indirect costs associated with the use of our analytical infrastructure and personnel (working time) during data capture and evaluation.
- Please note that this requires a legal contract with University of Hamburg.
We do not provide official authentication services.
Costs mainly depend on the analysis location, duration, scope, and equipment used. We can provide individual cost estimates during consultation and welcome you to schedule consultations before the submission by contacting us at mobile-lab.csmc"AT"uni-hamburg.de.
Eligible Applicants
- Academic researchers and scholars
- Supervisors of students conducting research (with institutional affiliation)
- Museum professionals and curators
- Collection managers and employees
- Private object owners
Commercial applicants, including professional conservators operating in a for-profit capacity, must select the Service Project category.
How to Apply
Please use the MLPC1 online form for registration and project submission:
- Registration by 30 November 2026 is required prior to project submission and only takes a few minutes.
- Upon registration approval, you will receive a personal access code for project submission.
- You may submit up to 3 projects by 18 December 2026.
Project submissions require the following basic information:
- Brief description and intended output of the project
- Current location(s) and description of the artefact(s) to be analysed
- Status and conditions of analysis permission
- Possible location(s) for analysis (on-site or in-house)
- Timeline requirements and deadlines for final results/reports
- Contribution to the project budget
Selected applicants will be invited to an online meeting before the final decisions are made.
Important Dates
Mobile Lab Project Calls – Preparation Guide (PDF)
This document lists every question of the online submission form so that you can gather the required information in advance. Submissions are accepted via the online form only – this document is not a submission form. How to read it: question and instruction texts are reproduced from the online form. Questions marked Shown only if appear in the online form only when the stated condition applies. The online form asks location-specific questions once for each artefact location you specify (up to three); here they are listed once.