Funding Opportunities
Thesaurus Poloniae is a three-month fellowship programme of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland. The programme was implemented in fall 2009 by the International Cultural Centre in Krakow, the city being a leading Polish academic centre.
The programme is addressed to non-residents of Poland who conduct their research on culture, history and multicultural heritage of the Republic of Poland as well as on Central Europe. Both the researchers who deal with practical aspects of management and protection of cultural heritage, and theorists dealing with history, sociology, ethnography, anthropology etc. are welcome to apply and participate in the programme.
Thesaurus Poloniae Fellowship is run in two categories: Senior Programme addressed to university professors and senior lecturers/PhD holders, and Junior Programme addressed to PhD candidates. 62 researchers from 27 countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Canada, China, the Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Iran, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Romania, the Slovak Republic,Serbia, Spain, Syria, Ukraine and the USA) have participated in the programme so far.
The participants in the Senior Programme are granted a monthly fellowship of 3500 PLN (ca 770 EUR), the participants in the Junior Programme – 2500 PLN (ca 550 EUR), and both are offered a one-off grant of 1500 PLN (ca 330 EUR) received together with the first fellowship amount, meant to be spent on publications and other related expenses.
The International Cultural Centre Library is at the Fellowship Holders’ disposal, and computer work stations with internet access are available in the Reading Room. The ICC offers assistance in getting access to the archives and libraries as well as educational activities of Krakow’s academic and cultural institutions. The participants in the programme get a single, fully furnished and equipped apartment in the city center at their disposal.
Research projects that will address the priorities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland in the field of public and cultural diplomacy will be of special interest. In 2015 these priorities include:
- Local democracy, the development of local and regional governments, international collaboration between local governments;
- Political and economic transformation after 1989 (with special focus on countries of Central and Eastern Europe);
- Civil society, protection of human rights;
- Relations between neighbours, reconciliation and collaboration of nations basing on historical memory (on the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War);
- Traditions in the theatre, avant-garde theatre. Theatre as a catalyst for democratic and social change.
The ICC organises two calls for applications for prospective fellows each year.
The call for applications for candidates for the first round of the programme is announced from the 1st of November to the 15th of December of a given year and ends between the 31st of December of that year and the 15th of February the following year. The recruitment procedure lasts a minimum of six weeks. The fellowship stay in Kraków under the first round lasts three months between the beginning of March and the end of July of that year.
The call for applications for candidates for the second round of the programme is announced from the 1st of May to the 15th of June of a given year and ends between the 30th of June and the 15th of July of that year. The recruitment procedure lasts minimum six weeks. The fellowship stay in Kraków under the first round lasts three months between the beginning of September and the end of December of that year.
The Recruitment Committee decides about the final list of the fellowships granted, assessing the merit of applications submitted and the budget for the Thesaurus Poloniae programme in a given year. The membership of the Recruitment Committee consists of the representatives of the International Cultural Centre, the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, the Jagiellonian University and the University of Economics in Kraków. The Committee assesses the applications at a meeting convened within fourteen days of the deadline for sending applications. Candidates who have participated in the fellowship competition are notified of the results by e-mail and by post within three days of the end of the Recruitment Committee debates.
Eligible candidates in the Thesaurus Poloniae Fellowship are kindly requested to send their application packages to the ICC postal address by the deadlines stated. The application should include a CV and an essay (no more than 500 words) on the research plan to be conducted in Krakow. Additionally, the candidates in the Junior Programme are requested to attach two academic recommendation letters. The postage stamp date is decisive for recognizing if the applicant has met the deadline. For further info please contact: thesaurus[at]mck.krakow.pl
The organizers reserve the right to reject any application without assigning any reason.
The completed applications please send for:
Thesaurus Poloniae Fellowship
International Cultural Centre
Rynek Glowny 25
31-008 Krakow, Poland