NEC Bucharest & CAS Sofia Sustaining Ukrainian Scholarship (SUS)

The SUS programme, proposed jointly by the Centre for Advanced Study Sofia and the New Europe College Bucharest, aims to support scholars from the regions affected by Russia’s war against Ukraine.

The programme is aimed at qualified researchers at the postdoctoral-level in the humanities and social sciences who intend to pursue a project of their own choosing. The selected applicants will have the opportunity to spend an extended period – ideally one or two semesters – as fellows, resident in either Bucharest or Sofia, where they will enjoy all the benefits associated with a fellowship. By agreement, financial support can also be granted to researchers who are not in residence for the full period and who want or need to continue their work in Ukraine. Seed funding to support the fellows’ scholarly activities is also available, e.g., for the organisation of small events, for cooperative projects with partners in the host country or at home, or for the provision, development or reconstruction of research infrastructure, especially in the digital arena.

Overall, NEC and CAS hope to support, through this programme, the sustainability and renewal of scientific life and work in Ukraine and beyond. Both institutes also contribute to the initiative promoted by the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin and funded by the VolkswagenStiftung, aiming to set up an Institute for Advanced Study (VUIAS), for the time being virtual, in Kyiv. One or more of the selected SUS fellows are included as well in the VUIAS cohort every year.

WHAT WE OFFER

• A monthly stipend of 1000 Euro;
• Accommodation in Sofia;
• Reimbursement of travel costs and research allowance;
• Access to the Centre’s library and electronic resources;
• Additional support for scientific activities, such as workshops, collaborations with local scholars, attendance at networking meetings abroad, or other academic events, can also be solicited.

WHAT WE EXPECT

• Fellows are expected to work on their projects and take part in the scientific events organised by CAS Sofia.
• Presence (physical or virtual) at the weekly seminars discussing the work in progress of the Fellows is compulsory. While Fellows are, as a rule, expected to be in residence in Sofia, more flexible arrangements for scholars based in Ukraine will be considered due to the war.
• At the end of their affiliation, the fellows must submit a research article, based on their work, that is to be published (electronically) by the institutes.

ELIGIBILITY

• The Fellowships are open to postdoctoral scholars who present a meaningful proposal for fundamental research in the Humanities and Social Sciences.
• Please note that English is the primary language of communication at CAS Sofia, and strong English communication skills (written and spoken) are thus required.

DURATION

• A full academic year of 10 months or one term of 5 months (starting from October 2026 or March 2027). Flexibility is also possible here.

HOW TO APPLY

• Please use the form available for download below (under the ‘Submitting an Application’ section).
• Please ensure you comply with the CAS Guidelines (attached below) and complete the form correctly.

SELECTION PROCESS

• The selection is carried out by the international Academic Advisory Council of CAS, with support from NEC and the Wissenshaftskolleg zu Berlin.
• The short-listed candidates will be invited for an online interview in the second half of June 2026. The results will be announced in July 2026 via e-mail and on the institute’s website: https://cas.bg/.
• For selection criteria, please see the Guidelines.

The DEADLINE for submitting applications is 31 MARCH 2026

Submitting an Application:

To apply for the CAS module of the Fellowship, please fill in the form available in the list. CAS accepts applications in English only:

• Application Form
• Reference Form
• Checklist
• CAS Proposal Guidelines

GDPR: Personal data is processed and stored in accordance with current GDPR regulations.

CONTACT PERSON:

Irena Mihaylova, Project Coordinator at CAS Sofia
E-mail: mihaylova@cas.bg
Centre for Advanced Study Sofia; 7-B, Stefan Karadja Str, Sofia 1000

The project “Sustaining Ukrainian Scholarship” has been established with the financial support of the VolkswagenStiftung, in partnership with the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, and is managed in cooperation with the New Europe College Bucharest (NEC) and the Centre for Advanced Study Sofia (CAS). It is part of a wider initiative for the creation of an Institute for Advanced Study in Kyiv, together with the worldwide Network of Institutes for Advanced Study. In 2023, on 8 November, the Ukrainian Institute was launched successfully, albeit for now, due to the ongoing war, only in its virtual form as the Virtual Ukrainian Institute for Advanced Study (VUIAS).