Applications are open for Oscar Sárkány Fellowship Grant. Foreign students and researchers in the humanities and social sciences—take note! This European international opportunity has just opened that offers the chance to engage in cross-cultural academic exchange between Budapest and Paris.
The Oscar Sárkány Fellowship Grant 2025/2026, jointly organized by CEU Institute for Advanced Study (IAS CEU), the Paris Institute for Advanced Study (IEA), and the French Research Center in Humanities and Social Sciences (CEFRES), is calling for applications.
What Is the Oscar Sárkány Fellowship?
Launched in 2025, this mobility grant honors the memory of Oszkár Sárkány, a visionary Hungarian Bohemist whose work pushed for a transnational and inclusive perspective on cultural history. Tragically killed during World War II for his political dissent, Sárkány’s legacy lives on through this fellowship—supporting critical, boundary-crossing research in the humanities and social sciences.
The fellowship fosters intellectual collaboration across borders and encourages studies focused on Central-Eastern Europe, illiberalism in global and local contexts, academic freedom, and scholars at risk.
Who Can Apply?
The program is open to:
- IAS CEU Fellows for academic years 2025 or 2026 who wish to pursue a 1-month research stay in Paris.
- Permanent CNRS SHS Researchers from CNRS units in France, for a 15-day research stay in Budapest.
Fellowship Benefits
1# For IAS CEU Fellows Heading to Paris:
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- 1-month accommodation at the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris
- Travel costs fully covered
- Daily allowance for living expenses
2# For CNRS Fellows Visiting Budapest:
- 15-day accommodation at the Wallenberg Guesthouse
- Travel expenses funded by CEFRES
- Workspace at IAS CEU
- Participation in a joint workshop in Budapest (Spring 2026) alongside CEU, CNRS, and CEFRES researchers.
The Research Themes for 2025/2026
Applicants are encouraged to align their research with one or more of the following themes:
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- Central-Eastern Europe
- Illiberalism (local and global perspectives)
- Academic freedom and scholars at risk
- Invisible universities and marginalized institutions.
Important Dates
For IAS CEU fellows planning to apply for the mobility grant to Paris, the application window officially opens on July 14, 2025, and remains open until September 15, 2025, with all submissions due by 23:59 CET. Successful applicants will be notified of the results by September 30, 2025, and the suggested period for the research stay in Paris is Spring 2026.
Meanwhile, CNRS fellows interested in spending time at IAS CEU in Budapest should mark their calendars for July 20, 2025, when the call opens. The application deadline is set for October 15, 2025, and results will be published by October 25, 2025. The recommended period for the Budapest stay is also Spring 2026, aligning both mobility flows for greater synergy and collaboration.