For a better and deeper understanding of the interdependent recent history of (the center of) Europe, the International Visegrad Fund offers ten research fellowship grants annually in the Open Society Archives at Central European University, Budapest on a competitive basis to support scholars who wish to conduct research in the holdings of OSA, and whose current research projects are relevant to the holdings and the given research priorities of the Fund and OSA. The grants of 2000 euro are designed to provide access to the archives for scholars, artists, and journalists, and to cover travel to and from Budapest, a modest subsistence, and accommodation for a maximum research period of two months.
Fellows are free to work on the project of their choice; however, in the academic year of 2010-2011, applicants with one of the following topics might enjoy advantage over other applicants:
- Representations and interpretations of World War II and/or subsequent wars in Europe;
- The complicated relationship between historiography/history writing and propaganda.
Successful candidates are expected to work on their projects, give a presentation at the Central European University within the framework of the Visegrad Fund Fellow Lecture Series, and produce a final grant report (in text or in audio-visual format) in English, which will be posted on the OSA/Visegrad Fund website.
Applicants, preferably but not exclusively, from a V4 country, may be researchers, students after their first degree carrying out research, or artists, journalists, academics, or others who have already started their project that is relevant for the holdings at OSA.
Application procedure
Please submit the following to OSA:
There are no deadlines in the research fellowship grant program. Applications are considered as they are received by the Selection Committee, which normally meets four times a year. Final notification is usually within three months of the date of submission.
- Application letter in English (should specify expected period of stay and preferred dates).
- Research description/plan in English (about 800 words; should indicate relationship between the current research topic, the chosen collection in the OSA holdings and your research, the intended use of text based or audio-visual research results, etc.)
- Curriculum Vitae (C.V.)
- Names of two referees with contact address.
There are no deadlines in the research fellowship grant program. Applications are considered as they are received by the Selection Committee, which normally meets four times a year. Final notification is usually within three months of the date of submission.
The grants administration is carried out by the OSA Grants Administrators. The Call posted on the OSA and the IVF website is updated each year on February 15. Applications are sent to OSA via e-mail, checked for formal critera (application letter, research proposal, CV and names of 2 referees), then receipt of arrival is sent back to the applicant via e-mail. There is no application deadline.
The Jury meets four times a year to pass a decision which is then approved by the Council of Ambassadors:
- July 15 (scholarship period between September and December) - Council of Ambassadors at the end of July
- October 15 (scholarship period between December and March) - Council of Ambassadors at the end of October
- January 15 (scholarship period between March and May) - Council of Ambassadors at the end of January
- April 15 (scholarship period between May and July?) - Council of Ambassadors at the end of April
Members of the Jury are representatives of
- the International Visegrad Fund
- the Open Society Archives
- CEU History Department
- CEU Political Sciences Dept
- CEU Press
OSA does not host Grantees in July and August but there may be exceptions on an individual basis.
The Jury will check the applications against the following criteria:
- its relevance to the topic(s) identified in the call
- the academic merits of the proposal
- the novel and innovative character of the proposal
- the involvement of the OSA holdings in the research
- the eligibility of the candidate
After the decision is reached and approved by the Council of Ambassadors, the proposals with the names of successful candidates are posted on the OSA website. At the same time the Grants Administrators contact each successful candidate via e-mail.
Grants are paid in two installments: 75 per cent prior to or right at the beginning of the grant period, 25 per cent after the Grantee has given his/her final presentation at the CEU and has submitted his/her final report and this has been approved by all members of the Jury. The Grantee has a maximum of ten days to submit his/her final report to OSA after the end of the research period. The Jury has five days to approve or ask for improvements. After the final report has been approved, the last 25 per cent of the grant is paid out to the researcher and the report is posted on the OSA website.
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