The Budapest Open Society Fellowship is a residential fellowship run jointly by three units of Central European University (CEU) at its Budapest campus — the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS CEU), the Democracy Institute (DI) and the Blinken OSA Archivum (OSA). For 2026/27 it was the fourth joint call, organised around the theme “Modalities of Resilience and Resistance: Academia and Society in Illiberal Times,” which studies autocratic governance, its ideological dimensions and the strategies societies use to resist it. Fellows spend a defined residency in Budapest pursuing their own research or artistic project while joining the intellectual life of the three host institutions.
Benefits & funding
- Net monthly stipend: €2,600 for Senior Fellows, €1,500 for Junior Fellows, and €2,000 for Artists in Residence.
- Accommodation for fellows (and their families) at CEU’s Raoul Wallenberg Guesthouse.
- Office space at the Institute for the residency; fellows pay Guesthouse utilities and are responsible for their own travel and health care.
- Access to CEU Library Services and the Blinken OSA Archivum collections.
- Membership of the IAS CEU fellow community and the wider CEU research environment.
Eligibility
- Scholars must hold a Ph.D. or equivalent in the social sciences or humanities at the time of application.
- Junior Fellows must hold a Ph.D. issued in 2018 or later.
- Artists in Residence should hold a relevant university degree.
- A record of publications in internationally recognised scholarly outlets is expected (for scholars).
- Fluent English — the working language of the Institute and CEU.
- All nationalities are encouraged to apply; applicants who need a Hungarian visa may be assessed on an individual basis.
- Former full-time CEU staff and students are ineligible for 5 years after their contract/studies end; former IAS CEU fellows are ineligible for 7 years.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
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Education required
Bachelor · PhD
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Application process
- 1Choose the fellowship category (Senior Fellow, Junior Fellow, or Artist in Residence) and prepare a research or artistic proposal addressing the call’s theme, together with a CV and supporting documents.
- 2Submit the application through the IAS CEU online application portal before the deadline.
- 3Applications are assessed by the selection committee; shortlisted candidates are notified of the outcome.
Program timeline
Application deadline (academic year 2026/27 cycle)
Sep 20, 2025
Residency period for the awarded academic year (shorter 3-month, 5-month and 6-month semester options also offered)
October–June