Franziska Heil
Democracy needs knowledge – knowledge needs to be transferred.
Franziska Heil is an Associate Researcher in Research Department Transnational Politics and a member of the Research Group Radicalization, Terrorism, and Extremism Prevention. For several years, she has been conducting in-depth research on extremist strategies and potential prevention approaches. At the intersection of academia, professional practice, and politics, she is currently researching current developments in evaluation and quality assurance in the fields of extremism prevention, democracy promotion, and diversity management. She also designs educational programs on extremism and radicalization and shares her expertise with prospective police officers at HöMS.
In addition, she works as a freelancer in outpatient youth services and is currently in training to become a trauma counselor.
Press photo
CV
| since 2026
Researcher in the project “ErgEval – Supplementary Evaluation of the Federal Program ‘Demokratie leben!’”, Hessian University of Applied Sciences for Public Management and Security (HöMS)
| since 2026
Training to become a systemic trauma educator and trauma-focused consultant (DeGPT/FVTP)
| since 2024
Lecturer on extremism in the Department of Police, Hessian University of Applied Sciences for Public Management and Security (Mühlheim campus)
| 2023-2026
Knowledge Transfer Officer in the research project PrEval 2 at PRIF
| 2022
Specialist for political extremism (with a focus on Islamism), jugendschutz.net
| 2021–22
Research assistant in the research project “Monitoring System and Transfer Platform Radicalization” (MOTRA), Kriminologische Zentralstelle e.V.
| 2021
Trainee in the research project PrEval 1 at PRIF
| 2019–2022
M.A. Criminology and Violence Research at the University of Regensburg
| 2018
Blickwechsel coach for radicalized young people and those at risk of radicalization, Denkzeit-Gesellschaft e.V.
| 2017
Scholarship holder of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) at the University of the Western Cape, Cape Town (South Africa)
| 2015–18
B.A. in Rehabilitation Sciences at the Humboldt University Berlin
Publications
- Rechts-alternative Onlinestrategien und ihr Gefahrenpotenzial für demokratische Gesellschaften
| 2023
Heil, Franziska (2023): Rechts-alternative Onlinestrategien und ihr Gefahrenpotenzial für demokratische Gesellschaften, in: Rüdiger, Thomas-Gabriel/Bayerl, P. Saskia (eds), Handbuch Cyberkriminologie, Wiesbaden: Springer VS.
Publication
- PrEval Monitor 2024: Extremismusprävention, Demokratieförderung und politische Bildung durch Evaluation stärken. Ergebnisse und Empfehlungen aus dem PrEval-Netzwerk
| 2024
PrEval Monitor 2024: Extremismusprävention, Demokratieförderung und politische Bildung durch Evaluation stärken. Ergebnisse und Empfehlungen aus dem PrEval-Netzwerk, PrEval Monitor, 1. Auflage, Frankfurt/M. DOI: 10.48809/PrEvalMon24
Publication - Queerfeindlichkeit online
| 2023
Heil, Franziska (2023): Queerfeindlichkeit online. Hass, Hetze und Gewalt gegen LGBTIQ* im Netz, Jugendschutz.net.
Publication - Bericht 2021 2022 Islamismus im Netz
| 2022
Binzer, Isabel; Hebeisen, Michael; Heil, Franziska; Hofmann, Ingrid; Ipsen, Flemming; Zywietz, Bernd (2022): Bericht 2021 2022 Islamismus im Netz, jugendschutz.net.
Publication
Further Activities
- “LGBTQ+ im Fokus islamistischer Onlinepropaganda”, November 29, 2022, online lecture as a specialist for political extremism for jugendschutz.net
- “Hass im Netz – Wissen, Erkennen und damit umgehen”, November 19, 2022, lecture at the Digital Education Day in Cologne as an expert on political extremism for jugendschutz.net