We are delighted to announce the opening of seven new fellowship application calls for the academic year 2026-2027 aimed at researchers, journalists, and translators. You can find more information on the various programs below.
Milena Jesenská Fellowship for Journalists
The call for applications is open to professional journalists. The Fellowship offers journalists from across Europe (including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey) time off from their professional duties to pursue in-depth research on a topic of their choice.
Milena Jesenská Fellowships are intended as an award for excellence and are directed at cultural journalists, with the term cultural being interpreted in a broad sense to encompass a wide variety of intellectual and artistic fields. However, applicants' work may also be related to one of the IWM's main research fields.
Deadline for applications: 16 January 2026
More information can be found here.
Lesia Ukraїnka Fellowship
The call for applications is open to scholars in all academic disciplines in the humanities and social sciences. Lesia Ukraїnka Junior Visiting Fellowships are awarded every academic year to outstanding scholars in the social sciences and humanities, to support their research and development. Fellowships are awarded to selected candidates whose scholarship addresses global issues in culture, society, or politics with reference to the Ukrainian past and present. Projects that consider feminism, literary history, anti-imperialism, and illness and disability—key facets of Lesia Ukraїnka’s life and work—are particularly welcome. Preference will be given to candidates currently based in Ukraine.
Deadline for applications: 16 January 2026
More information can be found here.
Paul Celan Fellowship for Translators
The call for applications is open to translators working with Eastern European languages. The aim of the Fellowship is to overcome deficits and asymmetries in the exchange of ideas and the reception of scholarly literature that result from the division of Europe in the 20th century. Therefore, the program supports translations of canonical texts, as well as key contemporary works in the humanities, social sciences, and cultural studies.
The texts must be translated from an Eastern to a Western European language, a Western to an Eastern European language, or between two Eastern European languages. Special emphasis is put on translations of relevant works written by Eastern European authors and/or by female scholars. A thematic relation to one of the research fields of the IWM is welcomed. Please note that fiction and poetry will not be accepted.
Deadline for applications: 16 January 2026
More information can be found here.
Digital Humanism Fellowship
The call for applications is open to all academic disciplines. Digital Humanism is defined as an approach that describes, analyzes, and, most importantly, influences the complex interplay between technology and humankind—striving for a better society while maintaining full respect for universal human rights. Addressing the challenges of the digital age requires collaboration across disciplines, from computer science to the humanities, to ensure that technological advancements align with human values and social well-being.
The program’s research area is clearly distinguished from the Digital Humanities. Please note that we will not consider applications that merely apply digital means and new technologies to research in the humanities. Candidates for Digital Humanism Junior Visiting Fellowships are expected to pursue research on digitalization’s intersection with societal, economic, and geopolitical dimensions, as well as other relevant research foci from the humanities and social sciences.
Deadline for applications: 20 January 2026
More information can be found here.
Jerzy Giedroyc Fellowship
The call for applications is open to scholars in all academic disciplines in the humanities and social sciences. In recognition of Giedroyc’s legacy as founding editor of Kultura, and his contributions to promoting wider understanding of the interconnected history and intellectual traditions of the lands of modern-day Poland, Belarus, Lithuania, and Ukraine, these fellowships are designated for scholars working on projects related to:
- Polish-Ukrainian, Polish-Belarusian, and Polish-Lithuanian relations, and related questions of history, politics, and literature OR
- The legacy of Giedroyc, and/or the journal and publishing house Kultura
Deadline for applications: 10 February 2026
More information can be found here.
Józef Tischner Fellowship
The call for applications is open to scholars with Polish citizenship or residing in Poland in all academic disciplines in the humanities and social sciences; a thematic relation of the proposed project to one of the Institute’s research fields is strongly encouraged.
Deadline for applications: 10 February 2026
More information can be found here.
Jan Patočka Fellowship
The call for applications is open to scholars in all academic disciplines in the humanities and social sciences. The Jan Patočka Fellowship Program aims to foster research inspired by Jan Patočka’s legacy and his intellectual endeavor to rethink Europe under post-European paradigms. It welcomes scholars working on the manifold philosophical, societal, economic, geopolitical, and historical dimensions of this challenging topic.
As the eponym for this program, Patočka’s critical investigations into the history of philosophy, the meaning of modernity, (post)colonialism, war, technology, and the dialectics of enlightenment offer exemplary––though by no means exclusive––fields of research. The call invites project applications that offer inspiring perspectives on the idea of (post-)Europe and its critical reflection in contemporary debates.
Deadline for Applications: 10 February 2026
More information can be found here.
