Finanțare & Premii

As part of “Liepaja – European Capital of Culture 2027”, an open call has been announced for public artworks and artistic interventions that through public engagement and listening, would respond to and reflect on wind, climate and environmental fluctuations. The project “Atmospheric Waves” is looking for original concepts and ideas for sound artworks that would respond to wind and climate conditions in Liepaja, on the West Coast of Latvia. The competition is open for applications until September 4, 2026.

The project “Atmospheric Waves” is dedicated to exploring the diverse aspects of wind, using sound art in its most diverse manifestations, public engagement and listening culture. Liepaja with its distinct seaside climate will be an ideal place for a dialogue between art, science and society. The “Atmospheric Waves” festival will take place from May 12–16, 2027 and the program of the festival includes the opening of an international exhibition and presentations of artworks, workshops, sound walks, as well as an international symposium on wind, waves and the Anthropocene, organized by CENSE (Central European Sound Ecology Network).

Through the international open call for the “Atmospheric Waves” festival five artists will be selected, whose creative practice involves sound art, natural data representation, and environmental object creation, and who are ready to participate in the international symposium, exhibition, and residency – in Liepaja and Laidi – in April and May 2027.

The festival “Atmospheric Waves” is organized by the association “ASTE. Art, Science, Technology, Education” in collaboration with artist and curator Džonas Grziničs . It has been developed in partnership with “MoKS” and with the financial support of the “Nobidinājums Liepaja 2027” foundation. The project is implemented within the framework of the “Liepaja 2027” program, using the funding allocated by the Ministry of Culture, Liepaja City, Dienvidkurzeme and Kuldīga regions, and the State Cultural Capital Fund. The “Liepaja 2027” program is supported by the main partner in the field of environmental education and sustainability AS “CleanR Grupa”, the main partner in the field of mobility and international communication AS “airBaltic Corporation”, the partner in legal matters SIA “Sorainen ZAB”, the land mobility partner SIA “Lux Express Latvia”. Informative – VSIA “Latvijas Sabiedriskais medijs”, AS “KURZEMES RADIO”.

The Fellowship is designed to bring out emerging voices working on socio-political implications of emerging AI technology. It will be run remotely for approx. 8-10 weeks starting in mid/late September 2026. We anticipate it will require four hours of time commitment per week: one hour on a weekly call and three hours of individual work. The concrete dates and programme details will be shared with shortlisted candidates.

The programme is targeting recent graduates in social sciences and humanities, as well as early career researchers. However, we encourage diversity of both thought and representation, and would be happy to receive applications from other backgrounds (STEM, arts, etc.). Whilst previous experience on the subject of AI is welcome, it is not required.

Selected candidates will be part of the exciting mission to build a community of individuals that are not indifferent to the challenges posed by rapid technological advancement, receive mentorship from one of the fellows at the AI Societal Impact Lab, work on a group project, create their own analytical piece to be published on the the AI Societal Impact Lab website, and take part in dedicated workshops and seminars. 

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the program is filled or 4 September 2026, whichever comes first. Spaces are strictly limited, so early applications are encouraged.

Crafts represent a beautiful combination of cultural heritage, technical knowledge, creativity, and local identity. Across Europe, however, many traditional skills are facing serious challenges due to an ageing workforce, shifting markets, and a lack of educational pathways.

Building directly on our ongoing mission to overcome critical data gaps, this new research will join our existing library of seven milestone sectorial studies. Together, this growing body of data helps us deeply understand the sector’s vulnerabilities, build collective resilience, and strengthen our advocacy for European crafts. We are looking for an expert consultant or research entity to undertake a comprehensive European study on rare and endangered crafts.

Key Project Details

Deliverables: A comprehensive final report, a short policy brief, and a public webinar presentation of the findings.

Budget: A maximum allocation of 16,347.00€ inclusive of all costs.

Timeline: The research will be conducted between October 2026 and April 2027.

The proposed timeline is as follows:

1July 2026 Opencall Published

15 September 2026 Deadline for Submissions

7 October 2026 Selection & Contracting of Research Partner

14 October 2026 #1Inception Meeting (online)

21 October 2026 Delivery of detailed Research Plan

28 October 2026 Workplan Plan Validation

13 January 2027 #2 Progress Meeting with Interim Results (online)

Submission Requirements

Proposals must be a maximum of 15 pages and clearly address the following points:

• Contact Details: details ofthe company, organisation or research lead.

• Proposed Methodology and Work Plan: a detailed outline ofthe research approach including the sampling plan forthe required survey.

• Relevant Experience: examples of previous relevant work or publications.

• Team Profile: profiles of the researcher(s) demonstrating relevant experience.

• Indicative Budget: a breakdown of the proposed budget in EURO within the maximum budget of €16,347.00.

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.

Conditions 

The selected candidates will be invited to spend a term of three consecutive months at the IWM in Vienna between February and June 2027 in order to pursue their research projects as Digital Humanism Junior Visiting Fellows. The fellowship period will be synchronized to overlap with the presence of the Senior Digital Humanism Visiting Fellow.

Postdoctoral candidates who have defended their PhD by the date of the fellowship application deadline will receive a stipend of EUR 3,300 per month; candidates currently pursuing their doctoral degree will receive a stipend of EUR 2,750 per month. From the stipend, visiting fellows are responsible for covering all living expenses during their research term, including travel to and from Vienna, accommodation costs, health insurance, utilities, local transport, telecommunications, etc., as well as research costs (i.e. for literature, conference fees). 

Fellowships start on the first day of the first month and end on the last day of the last month of the fellowship period.

The IWM provides visiting fellows with office space, internet access, in-house research facilities, and administrative services, all free of charge. The visiting fellows will join the IWM community of scholars and are invited to participate in the activities of the Institute.

Eligibility 

Candidates for the Digital Humanism Junior Visiting Fellowship must be enrolled in a doctoral program, or have obtained a PhD not longer than four years previously at the time of the application deadline (not before 21 September 2022).

We do not accept multiple fellowship applications from the same candidate within the same academic year. Candidates who have previously received a resident IWM fellowship must wait two academic years before applying for another fellowship.

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted through the online application form, which is accessible by clicking on the “Apply” button below. We will not consider applications sent via email.

Required materials:

• A brief letter of motivation that addresses how the project would benefit from time at the IWM, its connection to the IWM’s mission and research, and concrete research/writing goals during the fellowship.

• A project description of max. 550 characters incl. spaces

• A project proposal of max. 7,500 characters incl. spaces, containing:

  • a) a description of the project’s objectives

  • b) a discussion of the current state of research

  • c) methods

  • d) a work plan

• A curriculum vitae, including a list of publications

Two letters of recommendation from scholars familiar with the applicant’s academic work. Please note that the letters of recommendation need to be submitted directly by your recommenders before the application deadline. Your recommenders will receive an automatic email with a link to a webform after you have submitted your application.

All application materials must be in English.

Important! Attached documents must be combined into a single PDF, as the online submission form only allows for one attachment. File names of attachments must use Latin characters only. 

Application Deadline: 21 September 2026, 23:59 CEST

Funded by the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure of the Republic of Austria.

The Czernecki Educational Foundation established a new fellowship, sponsoring a fully funded place for one artist, writer, or researcher from Central and Eastern Europe at the Institute for Ideas and Imagination (II&I), the interdisciplinary residency housed at Columbia University’s Reid Hall. Each year, the Czernecki-sponsored Fellow will join the Institute's cohort in residence at the historic Reid Hall in Montparnasse, working alongside scholars and artists from around the world for an academic year.

Welcoming its first cohort in 2018, the II&I is one of Columbia’s most distinctive experiments in higher education. Each year it brings together 14 Fellows—half drawn from Columbia’s own faculty, half scholars, writers, and artists from outside the University and outside the United States—to pursue work that crosses disciplinary lines. Fellows are given time, space, and a community built around sustained conversation and "imaginative leaps across boundaries," generating collaborations in film, philosophy, poetry, visual art, and scholarship that rarely take shape inside a single discipline.

Partnering with the II&I extends a mission the Czernecki Educational Foundation has pursued since 2009: sponsoring humanistic and artistic practice in Central and Eastern Europe and fostering international exchange of ideas. The Foundation was established by Andrzej Czernecki—a nuclear physicist, entrepreneur, and former member of the Polish Parliament—in honor of his father, Roman Czernecki, a teacher and educational activist who organized clandestine schooling during the Second World War and later developed an experimental cooperative high school in the small town of Szczekociny. Today the largest privately endowed educational foundation in Poland, it is led by Roman Czernecki’s grandsons: Igor Czernecki and Andrzej Czernecki Jr.

“Alongside our flagship Horyzonty Scholarship Program for secondary-school students from smaller towns and villages, and the other programs we run in support of cultural, civic, and humanistic life, the Foundation has built a growing network of institutional partnerships—with the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw, Upė Foundation and Frieze London, and now the Institute for Ideas and Imagination — that extend our commitment to Central and Eastern European culture onto a global stage.” —Dr. Igor Czernecki, Chair of the Board.

The Czernecki Educational Foundation Fellowship is open to artists, writers, and researchers originating from Central and Eastern Europe. The selected Fellow receives a full year in residence at Reid Hall, housing, a stipend, and full integration into the Institute’s community—a rare chance to pursue ambitious, cross-disciplinary work in dialogue with some of today’s most original thinkers and artists. The inaugural Czernecki Educational Foundation Fellow for 2026–27 is Tako Robakidze, a documentary photographer from Tbilisi, Georgia, who will join the Institute in Paris this September to develop her project Peacekeepers—a multi-sensory installation and book examining life along Georgia’s shifting borders under Russian occupation.

Applications open annually, with the current cycle closing September 30. Full eligibility guidelines and the application portal are available through the Institute for Ideas and Imagination’s website.

For an art project taking place from March to October 2027, the Haus im Schluh Museum is seeking an artist or art student to conceive and realize an interactive analogue sound and light installation.

As part of the joint exhibition by the four museums of the Worpswede Museum Association celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Große Kunstschau Worpswede in 2027, Haus im Schluh will provide a gallery room for the presentation of the installation. The aim is for the work to evoke a sense of festivity and joy in visitors.

Applications must be submitted exclusively in digital form and in German.

Spatial Details

Required documents:

• Project concept (maximum 2 A4 pages), including ideas for the analogue realization (materials, how the mechanics/acoustics function, and the spatial experience).

• Visualizations (sketches, sound recordings, videos, etc.).

• Description of the planned implementation process and timeline.

• Budget estimate / cost breakdown.

• Short CV (maximum 1 A4 page).

Sound:

The museum seeks an installation in which sounds or sequences of sounds are generated mechanically or through tactile interaction. As the room is located within a larger exhibition area, the sound should be subtle and unobtrusive.

Lighting:

An analogue approach is also expected for the lighting. The room has two exterior walls with mullioned windows that provide natural daylight. Ceiling-mounted lighting tracks with movable spotlights connected to the museum's central lighting system are available for use.

Interaction:

Visitors should be able to activate the analogue artwork themselves (for example, through touch, movement within the space, or mechanical actions). The room will not be staffed but will be monitored by video surveillance. The interaction should be intuitive, easy to use, and preferably accessible to children and visitors with reduced mobility.

Schedule:

• Installation begins on March 1, 2027.

• The installation must be completed by March 15, 2027 (press preview).

• The exhibition opens on March 20, 2027.

• See also the 'Milestones' section in the PDF document 'Call for Applications'.

Please send all files via a file transfer service (such as www.swisstransfer.com or a similar service) to: bewerbung@haus-im-schluh.de. Please include your name in every file name.

Design Trust is now calling for Seed & Feature Grant applications. The 2026 theme “Technology as Community” encourages projects that mobilise data-driven insights and immersive media tools to further advocate the positive role of design for the community, welcoming international partnership and collaborations across the region. Share with us your ideas and proposals by October 20th 2026.

SUBMISSION

To start an application, please set up a grant application account here.

Complete the DESIGN TRUST ONLINE APPLICATION FORM and prepare relevant supplementary documentation including:

• Project Budget Worksheet (maximum of one page, please include income, expenses and amount sought for the grant)

• Planning, Implementation and Operational Timeline

• Presentation of the Project (For videos and other digital or online materials, please ensure the presentation contains relevant hyperlinks)

• Previous Work Samples or Portfolio (For videos and other digital or online materials, please ensure the presentation contains relevant hyperlinks)

• Two professional or academic recommendation letters in support of the project

• CV of the Main Applicant

• For Applications by Collectives: CV of All Members in the Group

• For Non-profit organisations: business registration and/or non-profit declaration

If you encounter any problems on submitting online application, please contact grantapplication@designtrust.hk.

The international call for projects welcomes disciplinary and interdisciplinary proposals from any scientific research institution. Research projects lasting up to 24 months are eligible. This year, special attention will be given to projects investigating the following areas of focus: “Sustainability, Justice and Inclusion”, “Health and Wellbeing”, both in fundamental and applied research.

For more information, please see our FAQ and our article on research impact.

Financial Support

This year’s endowment is €45,000. Each project will be eligible for a maximum grant of €20,000.

Eligibility criteria

• Applications from public research institutions will receive special attention. They can be associated with other institutions, private or public.

• Commitment to allocating the entirety of the subvention dedicated to the research actions to the appointed team.

• Co-financing is encouraged. 

Expected projects outcomes

The appointed teams are expected to contribute to Game in Lab’s diffusion and scientific popularization actions in the form of articles (scientific or otherwise), published on Game in Lab’s website, or in other journals or media. Project leaders will also be invited to attend events organized or supported by Game in Lab.

This year, Game in Lab is introducing impact as a criterion in the assessment of proposals. We use “impact” to mean the potential benefit of research to people and communities beyond academia, including to society, culture, the economy, or policy more broadly.

All applicants are asked to an impact statement as part of their proposal, addressing two questions: who, beyond the academic community, might benefit from this research; and how they might benefit. Applicants should also describe any steps they plan to take to support this, such as through partnerships, engagement activities, or other forms of knowledge exchange with non-academic stakeholders.