A. Collections and Libraries

The GHI has established a research library that includes a reference section; finding aids of German and American archives; a collection of periodicals, focusing especially on German Americana, German regional and local history, and recent publications on German and American history, with emphasis on German-American relations.

B. Programs

The GHI provides a permanent basis for historical research in the fields of German history, North American history, global and transregional history and digital history. It lends support and advice to German and North American historians and scholars in related fields and advances scholarly cooperation by organizing conferences, lecture series and other academic formats.

C. Publications

The GHI maintains an active publication program in English and German as part of its effort to foster international scholarly dialogue. It publishes important contributions to the fields of German, North American, and transatlantic history. The GHI has several ongoing peer-reviewed book series, as well as its own journal: Publications of the German Historical Institute (with Cambridge University Press), Transatlantische Historische Studien (with Steiner Verlag), Studies in German History (with Berghahn Books), the bi-annual bulletin, and a bulletin supplement on special themes. In addition, the GHI manages the History of Knowledge blog, a venue for the exchange of ideas and information on the history of knowledge.

D. Fellowships and Awards

Each year, the institute awards the Steiner Prize for Transatlantic History, the Friends of the GHI annually award the Fritz Stern Dissertation Prize for the best North American dissertation in German History. The GHI also offers fellowships to fund the research of German and North American doctoral students and postdocs. Since 2015 the GHI has also been granting two German-American binational tandem fellowships for scholars at various academic levels. In 2017 it added another binational Tandem fellowship at its Pacific Regional Office, GHI West. In addition, the GHI is part of the Max Weber Foundation's travel grants network. To further promote scholars in the early stages of their career, the GHI organizes an annual Transatlantic Doctoral Seminar, an Archival Seminar, the Seminar in Jewish History, a Medieval History Seminar (with the GHI in London) and a Young Scholars Forum (at GHI West).