2006-2008

Member of the multi-disciplinary research program „ Cultural and linguistic contacts”, funded by the German Research Foundation , Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz; fieldwork about Islam in Burkina Faso

1997-2002

Member of the multi-disciplinary research program „West African Savannah“, funded by the German Research Foundation, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt/Main; fieldwork about settlement history, land rights, and gold mining in Burkina Faso

1993-1996

Dissertation writing scholarship, Evangelisches Studienwerk Villigst e.V.

1992-1994

Individual research project about Muslim women in northern Nigeria, funded by the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service), Research Affiliate at Bayero University Kano and Kano State History and Culture Bureau

1990

Hausa language course in Nigeria, DAAD

1988

Swahili language course in Kenya, DAAD