European Cultural Foundation: a €10,000 creative research fellowship to work with the ERASMUS archives for the programme’s 40th anniversary, Ukraine eligible, apply by 1 December

The European Cultural Foundation (ECF), based in the Netherlands, has announced a call for the Creative Research Fellowship titled ‘ERASMUS and the Making of European Belonging’. The initiative marks the upcoming 40th anniversary of the ERASMUS programme in 2027, shedding light on ECF’s historical role in developing and implementing this landmark European exchange initiative.

The selected fellow will receive a grant of €10,000 to carry out archival research at the Historical Archives of the European Union in Florence, Italy, and produce a creative, public-facing project. Applications must be submitted online in English by 1 December 2026 at 17:00 CET.

What is funded

The fellowship provides a grant of €10,000 to support a professional creative practitioner during an archival research residency and the production of a final cultural outcome. The research stay takes place at the Historical Archives of the European Union (HAEU) in Florence during the first trimester of 2027.

The fellowship centers on three main goals: uncovering ECF’s role in the development of ERASMUS using its archives as a primary source, exploring what ERASMUS has meant for European belonging, and looking ahead to what a future ERASMUS could look like. The output is not limited to a specific discipline or medium, but it must translate the archival findings into a compelling public-facing work suitable for presentation in a museum or cultural setting.

The final work must be completed by 31 July 2027. A public presentation of the finished project is scheduled for September 2027 at the House of European History in Brussels, subject to confirmation.

Who can apply

The fellowship is open to individual professional creative practitioners who are prepared to engage directly with the ECF historical archives to interpret the history and legacy of the ERASMUS programme.

Eligible applicants must demonstrate a solid professional track record along with substantial experience in creating and presenting research-based work suitable for a museum context.

Applicants must reside in a Council of Europe member state, which includes countries such as Ukraine alongside other member jurisdictions.

Conditions and requirements

Proposals must not merely illustrate or retell the history of ERASMUS. ECF seeks projects that reflect critically on what this history reveals about European unity over the past four decades and how education and exchange shape people’s experience of Europe today.

Practical tip. Frame your application around how archival materials will directly inspire an engaging, museum-ready public outcome. Highlight past experience with research-led cultural formats and show how your concept will connect 40 years of European history to forward-looking ideas about European belonging.

The chosen fellow must commit to conducting the research stay in Florence during the first trimester of 2027 and delivering the completed outcome by 31 July 2027 for exhibition in Brussels.

How to apply

Applications must be completed and submitted through the donor’s online application form before the deadline on 1 December 2026 at 17:00 CET. All submission materials and supporting documentation must be prepared in English.

The selection of the fellow will take place in the second half of December 2026, followed by the research phase starting in early 2027.

Applications are submitted on the donor’s page: culturalfoundation.eu.