Scholars Without Borders Opportunities

The Volkswagen Foundation is offering funding for projects and support for researchers to attend "Scoping workshops" where they will have the opportunity to jointly assess the current status of their field. These conferences will be held at the conference center Herrenhausen Palace in Hannover at various dates in 2027.

ASEEES is offering research grants up to $6,000 to support doctoral dissertation research in Eastern Europe and Eurasia in any aspect of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian studies. Graduate students of any citizenship are eligible to apply.

The Sustaining Ukraine Scholarship aims to support researchers at the postdoctoral-level in the humanities and social sciences from the regions affected by Russia’s war against Ukraine. Selected applicants will have the opportunity to spend an extended period (up to two semesters) in either Bucharest or Sofia; financial support can also be granted to researchers who are not in residence for the full period and who plan to continue their work in Ukraine. A monthly stipend of 1000 euros will be offered.

The Emerging Writers Grant provides support to new writers working in Ukrainian or English who have not yet published in book form. The grant offers funding to assist with the publication and distribution of works that are of interest to the global Ukrainian community or promote a better understanding of the Ukrainian experience.

The Established Writers Grant provides support to writers working in Ukrainian or English whose manuscript has already been accepted for publication by a reputable publisher. The grant offers funding to assist with the publication and distribution of works that are of interest to the global Ukrainian community or promote a better understanding of the Ukrainian experience.

The EUTOPIA_HEALTH Cross-University Mobility Program for Young Researchers provides short-term research opportunities for PhD students and early-career researchers affiliated with the three Widening universities of the EUTOPIA_HEALTH Consortium.

IIE-SRF accepts applications on a rolling basis from professors, researchers, and public intellectuals who face threats and cannot continue their work in their home countries. Scholars from any country and in any academic field or discipline may qualify. Applicants are assessed based on academic qualifications, the quality and/or potential of their work, and the urgency of the threats they face. Unfortunately, IIE-SRF does not support scholars who are seeking to continue their studies (including PhD study) or complete an academic training program.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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 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.