Scholars Without Borders Opportunities

The Max Planck Society’s Lise Meitner Excellence Program supports outstanding early- to mid‑career women scientists in all disciplines of the Max Planck Society by offering them independent, well‑funded research group leader positions (similar to tenure‑track), typically for five years with the perspective of permanent appointment.

Master’s and post‑Master’s students and researchers in any field from Visegrad countries (citizens of Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia) to study abroad at any accredited university/institute in other Visegrad country or in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, Northern Macedonia, Serbia and Ukraine., for 1–2 semesters of full‑time study or research at accredited universities. Preference is given to applicants not supported previously and to applicants with study/research topics relevant to the V4 region

The International Visegrad Fund and the European University Institute (EUI) jointly provide grant program for post-graduate scholars from Central and Eastern Europe interested in European integration to conduct research at the Historical Archives of the European Union.

The GWZO awards scholarships to doctoral students, postdoctoral researchers, and senior academics/researchers to support research projects on the history and culture of Eastern Europe from the Middle Ages to the present day. Support is offered in the form of mobility grants, research start-up grants, and short-term scholarships.

Culture Moves Europe invites applications for its individual mobility grants, which support artistic or cultural projects carried out in another Creative Europe country with the support of an international partner.

Grants support post-graduate researchers from Central and Eastern Europe whose work focuses on European integration, enabling them to conduct research at the Historical Archives of the European Union in Florence, Italy.

Diaspora 2030 invites applications from qualified individuals with a migration background who wish to contribute their professional skills towards development in their countries of origin, particularly with regard to climate protection, health, and gender equality. Successful applicants will undertake short-term volunteer assignments (between two weeks and three months) with local development organizations, providing valuable expertise that is not always available in the local labor market. Applicants should currently live and work in Germany. Diaspora experts receive financial assistance with travel and other expenses during the course of their assignment, basic travel insurance, and other support from local coordinators.

The Humboldt Research Fellowship supports academics of all nationalities and focus areas (at various stages of their careers) to conduct research at German host institutions. For postdocs, fellowships may last from 6 to 24 months and can be divided into up to three stays within three years. For experienced researchers, fellowships may last from 6 to 18 months and can be divided into up to three stays within three years.

The Olle Engkvist Foundation funds research related the natural sciences, technology, medicine, and the humanities. Research projects must be connected to a Nordic university. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis; applicants will be notified within six months.

This funding program supports postdoctoral fellowships focused on a holistic understanding of security, the transformation of the world order, and effective cross-sectoral exchange. The grant provides up to 450,000 EUR for a maximum duration of three years (24 months for research and 12 months for outreach activities). The foundation expects participation in a coordinating program with external partners to foster a European perspective on global security challenges.

To mark the 200th anniversary of the Decembrist uprising, Kritika and the Institute of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies at UC Berkeley will host an interdisciplinary conference on “Demonstrations” in the medieval East Slavic states, the Russian Empire, and the Soviet Union. The conference will be held at UC Berkeley (California, USA) from September 25-26, 2026. UC Berkeley offers a limited amount of funding to cover participants' travel and lodging. 

The Visegrad Fellowship is a funded opportunity for doctoral students and PhD holders from Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Ukraine to carry out short research or teaching stays (2–10 weeks) at institutions in another Visegrad country. Fellows receive €500 per week to conduct a clearly defined research project, give lectures or seminars, or work with unique materials in archives or libraries, fostering regional academic cooperation and knowledge exchange. Rolling deadline between January and May.

The Gerda Henkel Foundation invites applications for three types of funding (Research Scholarship, Research Project, and PhD Scholarship) for projects focusing on Historical Humanities. Scholarships up to 3,720 euros per month are available, depending on circumstances. 

The PhD scholarships support highly qualified junior academics from the historical sciences. The funding will be awarded over a period of up to 2 years.

The Hamburg Programme for Scholars at Risk provides a monthly stipend of €2000 for a period of one to twelve months. Candidates must first identify an academic mentor at Universität Hamburg who will then submit an application on the candidate's behalf. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

The Gerda Henkel Foundation invites applications for a new funding initiative to support research on democracy. The initiative is divided into two subsections: "Democracy as a Utopia, Experience and Threats" and "Transformations of Democracy? Or: The Contours of Future Democratic Society." Proposed projects must relate to these themes. Funding is offered for a period up to 36 months.

The Western Balkans–Visegrad Fellowships are a pilot program that funds short research or teaching stays (2–10 weeks) for doctoral students and PhD holders from V4 countries (CZ, HU, PL, SK) and the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia). Applications are rolling until June 15th.

The Western Balkans–Visegrad Fellowship is a pilot program promoting academic exchange between V4 and WB6 countries. The fellowship funds scholars from the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, or Serbia) who wish to conduct research at an institution in a V4 country (Czechia, Poland, Hungary, or Slovakia). Scholars from V4 countries can likewise apply for support to conduct research at an institution in a WB6 country.

The University of Hamburg seeks to grant a number of Philipp Schwartz Fellowships to support scholars at risk who are unable to continue their research in their home countries. Successful candidates will receive roughly €2,780/month for a period of 24 months (with the possibility of extension up to another 12 months). The call is made biannually: in June (funding begins the following January) and in December (funding begins the following July). Interested candidates should contact the university, which will handle the application on the candidate's behalf.

The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) awards scholarships to international (non-EU) students in degree courses or PhD programs at higher education institutions in Germany on an annual basis. Candidates from any academic field (apart from medicine/dentistry) are welcome to apply.