Visegrad Scholarship at Open Society Archives 2026

The Visegrad Scholarship at the Open Society Archives is a joint programme of the International Visegrad Fund and the Blinken OSA Archivum at Central European University in Budapest.

The programme gives researchers, scholars, artists and journalists access to the Archivum’s extensive collections for an intensive research stay. Applicants are not restricted to citizens of the Visegrad Four countries, making the programme accessible to qualified applicants from other parts of the world.

The scholarship normally supports an eight-week stay in Budapest. Fellows work directly with archival collections relevant to their research and can receive guidance from the Archivum’s academic and archival staff.

The recommended research theme for the 2026/27 academic year is “Naming Reality”. It explores questions around truth, censorship, propaganda, political language, documentation, information, human rights, dissent and the ways societies describe and understand political and social realities.

Suggested areas include truth-telling among dissidents, propaganda, documentary media, samizdat culture, political psychiatry, human rights monitoring, archival documentation, marginalised communities, Cold War information networks and the post-1989 reassessment of political and social knowledge.

Applicants are encouraged to identify specific Blinken OSA collections, sub-fonds or archival series relevant to their proposed research.

Fellows also have opportunities to engage with Archivum researchers and the wider CEU academic community. At the end of the research stay, fellows are invited to present their findings through the Visegrad Scholarship at OSA Lecture Series.

• Applicants must hold a Master’s degree.
• The Master’s degree should be in the social sciences or humanities.
• Applicants from both V4 and non-V4 countries may apply.
• Applicants from outside the Visegrad region are eligible regardless of which part of the world they come from.
• Applicants should have a research project relevant to the Blinken OSA Archivum’s holdings and research priorities.
• Applicants are encouraged to connect their proposal to the recommended 2026/27 theme, “Naming Reality”.
• Scholars, researchers, artists and journalists may apply.
• Artists should submit research-based proposals that clearly identify the archival collections they intend to use.
• Applicants must demonstrate the required level of English.
• Applicants who are native English speakers or hold a qualification from an English-language institution or degree programme are exempt from submitting an English examination certificate.
• Previous recipients of the Visegrad Scholarship at OSA cannot receive the scholarship again.
• CEU employees cannot receive this scholarship while employed by Central European University

• €3,000 scholarship for an eight-week research period.
• Funding designed to contribute towards travel to and from Budapest.
• Support towards accommodation.
• Modest subsistence support during the research period.
• Pro-rated funding for approved shorter research periods.
• Access to the Blinken OSA Archivum collections.
• Reference services from archival staff.
• Introductory information sessions about relevant collections.
• Research advice from designated academic and archival advisers.
• Feedback through Visegrad seminars.
• Opportunities to connect with the CEU academic community.
• Opportunity to present research findings through the Visegrad Scholarship at OSA Lecture Series.
• International archival research and professional networking experience.

Applicants should prepare:

• Application letter in English.
• Preferred research-stay dates included in the application letter.
• Research description or research plan of approximately 800 words.
• Curriculum Vitae (CV).
• Proof of an officially recognised advanced-level English examination, unless exempt.
• Names and contact details of two referees.
• Portfolio, if applying as an artist.

The research description should address:

• Introduction to the proposed research.
• Current stage of the research.
• Relevant literature.
• Preliminary hypothesis.
• Research questions.
• Blinken OSA documents and collections that may be used.

Reference letters themselves are not required at the application stage; applicants provide the names and contact details of two referees.

The Selection Committee considers:

• Professional quality of the research proposal.
• Novelty of the proposed research.
• Relevance to the selected research topic.
• Meaningful use of the Blinken OSA Archivum’s holdings.
• Strength and feasibility of the research plan.

For artistic proposals, assessment also considers:

• Artistic merit.
• Originality.
• Timeliness.
• Feasibility of conducting the proposed research using available archival collections.

If applicants receive equal scores, applicants from V4 countries are given an advantage.

• Conduct original archival research in Budapest.
• Access specialised historical and political collections.
• Work with experienced archival and academic staff.
• Develop research for articles, PhD projects, books or creative works.
• Connect with the Central European University academic community.
• Strengthen archival and primary-source research skills.
• Gain international research experience.
• Present findings through a public lecture series.
• Build connections with researchers from different countries and disciplines.
• Explore major questions around history, politics, truth, media and human rights.