Following its successful launch last year, the WRITE-EAST scholarship programme is entering its second round in 2026! It offers media professionals interested in Eastern Europe the opportunity to spend a week as a guest at one of the institutes listed below. Applications are open until 7 April 2026.
Participants are expected to develop their own research project during their stay. This project should be directly related to the work of the host institution. This year's possible host institutions include the following: Leibniz Institute for the History and Culture of Eastern Europe (GWZO) in Leipzig; Herder Institute for Historical Research on East Central Europe (HI) in Marburg; Leibniz Institute for European History (IEG) in Mainz; Leibniz Institute for Regional Geography (IfL) in Leipzig; Leibniz Institute for Ecological Regional Development (IÖR) in Dresden; Leibniz Center for Modern Oriental Studies (ZMO) in Berlin
The aim of the fellowship programme is to develop a network of media professionals from a variety of disciplines who are currently or wish to be engaged with Eastern Europe. During their stay, participants will gain insight into the researchers' work practices and daily routines, as well as their research findings and methods.
Further information on the framework conditions of the fellowship and how to apply can be found in the call for applications of the Leibniz Research Network Central and Eastern Europe.
New member of the Leibniz Research Network on Eastern Europe
The Leibniz Association brings together a wide range of expertise in research related to Eastern Europe. Numerous Leibniz Institutes, including PRIF, have been researching Eastern Europe for decades and maintain close cooperation with partners in the region. Since 2015, 23 Leibniz Institutes have been cooperating in the interdisciplinary Leibniz Research Network Central and Eastern Europe. Since February of this year, the Leibniz Research Network on Eastern Europe has welcomed its 24th member: the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB), based in Bonn and Hamburg. The network’s points of contact going forward will be Prof. Bernhard Misof, Director of the LIB, and Dr Karen Meusemann, Research Coordinator at the LIB.