2025-2026 Milena Jesenká Fellowship Program
The Milena Jesenská Fellowship Program, named after the Czech journalist, writer, and translator Milena Jesenská (1896–1944), offers European (including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey) journalists time off from their professional duties in order to pursue in-depth research on a topic of their choice.
Milena Jesenská Fellowships are intended as an award for excellence and are directed towards cultural journalists, with the term cultural being interpreted in a broad sense to encompass a wide variety of intellectual and artistic fields. However, applicants’ work may also be related to one of the IWM’s main research fields.
Milena Jesenská (1896–1944) was an outstanding journalist and mediator between the Czech and German cultures in Bohemia as well as an astute political commentator. She was detained in the Nazi concentration camp in Ravensbrück for her political involvement and resistance, losing her life there in 1944. She is widely known for her famous correspondence with Franz Kafka.
Eligibility For The Milena Jesenská Fellowship Program
To be eligible for the Milena Jesenská Fellowship Program, applicants must:
– Be European journalists (including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey)
– Have worked in print, broadcast, or online journalism for several years
– Possess an outstanding professional record
– Not be entry-level journalists or students
Requirements for The Milena Jesenská Fellowship Program
To apply, candidates must submit the following documents:
– A brief letter of motivation (addressing how the project would benefit from time at the IWM, connection to the IWM’s mission and research, and concrete research/writing goals during the fellowship)
– A project description (max. 550 characters)
– A project proposal (max. 7,500 characters, including objectives, current state of the art, methods, and work plan)
– A curriculum vitae with a list of publications
– Two letters of recommendation (one from an editor, fellow journalist, or publisher, and optionally one from a scholar familiar with the applicant’s work)
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All application materials must be:
– In English
– Combined into a single PDF
– Submitted through the IWM’s online application form (applications via email will not be considered)
Benefits
Selected Milena Jesenská Visiting Fellows will:
– Spend three months at the Institute for Human Sciences (IWM) in Vienna, Austria
– Receive a stipend of EUR 3,300 per month
– Have access to office space, internet, administrative and research facilities, and other services
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Application Deadline
The application deadline is January 15, 2025. A jury of experts will evaluate applications, and finalists will be notified in the spring semester of 2025.
Apply Now
Don’t miss this opportunity to advance your journalistic career, contribute to intellectual and artistic discourse, and join a community of like-minded professionals.
For more information contact fellowships@iwm.at
