Call for Applicants: Fully Funded COST Peace 2026 Summer School for Young Researchers and Innovators
Closing Date: 22 February 2026
Call for Applicants: Fully Funded COST Peace 2026 Summer School for Young Researchers and Innovators
The PEACE Action network invites applications from Young Researchers and Innovators (YRIs) — defined as researchers aged 39 or younger — to participate in the COST Peace 2026 Summer School to take place between June 15 and 19, 2026 at the University of Coimbra, Portugal.
Key Dates
- · Launch of Call: 23 January 2026
- · Application Deadline: 22 February 2026
- · Notification of Results: 20 March 2026
- · Registration: 31 March, 2026
- · Summer School: June 15-19, 2026, Coimbra, Portugal
For further details, please contact Paula Duarte Lopes and Sofia José Santos (Summer School Organisors) at [email protected].
Who can apply
- Applicants should be Young Researchers and Innovators (YRIs), defined as researchers aged 39 or younger.
- Applicants need to be affiliated at a COST full, cooperating or partner member state, a European RTD Organisation, or a Near Neighbouring Country. For more information, check out the list of participating member states on the COST website.
- Applicants should be prospective Master’s students, Master’s students, prospective doctoral researchers or doctoral researchers at the start of their doctoral programme (first two years).
- Applicants affiliated with COST Inclusiveness Target Countries (ITCs) are especially encouraged to apply.
Programme
The COST Peace 2026 Summer School is organised along five full days, Monday to Friday – from June 15 to 19, 2026. The Programme include theoretical and methodological sessions, thematic clusters focused around the five themes addressed by the different working groups, dialogues with key stakeholders, such as activists, artists and community leaders, and the opportunity to discuss and reflect as a group on some of the most pressing issues regarding current peace dynamics.
Selection and Evaluation
Applications will be evaluated by the Selection Committee based on:
- Research topic relevance to PEACE Action’s goals and Working Groups
- Motivation and potential for societal impact
- Contribution to COST Excellence and Inclusiveness policy
The Selection Committee consists of the two Summer School Organisers and the YRI Outreach Coordinator.
Applicants from institutions located outside of Portugal: 21 participants will be selected for the 2026 Summer School edition. COST PEACE will reimburse for the most economic travel within Europe up to 500 euro per person and will also provide a daily allowance (six days) for accommodation and catering expenses.
Applicants from institutions in Portugal: 9 participants will be selected for the 2026 Summer School Edition. COST PEACE local organisers will reimburse travel and accommodation expenses up to 200 euro to selected participants residing outside the district of Coimbra.
Application Procedure
Please submit the following application form by the deadline
Join the Peace Network
The PEACE Action aims to expand and strengthen the network of peace and conflict research centres and researchers from across Europe. Such an endeavour is urgently needed given the challenges to peace and security in Europe and beyond. The current state of affairs raises some fundamental questions that undoubtedly point to the need to rethink peace: how to conceptualise, build, and reconfigure its connections towards building peace, reducing insecurity and preventing violent conflict. The main challenge for this PEACE Action is to improve our understanding of the current challenges to peace and security on the European continent:
- How can these new realities and dynamics be (re)conceptualized?
- What kind of continuums and disruptions is Europe facing?
- How do new realities and new peace conceptualisations and practices impact European policy, views, practices and reality – from institutions to communities and everyday politics?
- What can be recommended for a comprehensive policy with a focus on peacebuilding and conflict prevention?
If you are interested in answering these questions join the PEACE network
Click Here To Apply
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