Deadline: June 30, 2026
Applications are open for the ifa Scholarship on the Management of Cultural Heritage & the Transformation of Museums and Exhibition Centres 2026. This scholarship enables cultural practitioners from countries on the DAC list to stay with host institutions. The purpose is to enable scholarship holders to deepen their professional knowledge transnationally, to introduce new perspectives and to build long-term cooperation through exchange. Thus, the scholarship strengthens ifa’s contribution to creating worldwide interpersonal understanding and trust and to promote democratic civil societies.
The focus is on transcultural dialogue and engaging with cultural heritage, collections and archive records. Funding is provided for mutual knowledge transfer and the creation of sustainable networks. At the same time, the scholarship makes a contribution to supporting freedom in art and science, freedom of opinion and open debates.
Thematic Focus Areas
Transforming museums and exhibition venues in line with the ICOM definition of museums (2023).
The focal areas are:
- cultural participation
- sustainability
- non-discriminatory spaces
- decolonial working methods
Scholarship
The scholarship covers the following:
- A net payment of EUR 1,500 per month
- monthly family allowances for family members travelling with you (EUR 250 for a spouse, EUR 250 per child)
- visa costs
- travel costs for the outward and return journeys
- health insurance (including family)
- monthly travel pass for public transport in the city of residence
- up to EUR 500 for a language course
Eligibility
Open to:
- curators
- restorers
- mediators
- culture managers
Applicants must:
- work with cultural heritage, collections and/or archive records in institutional contexts
- name a non-commercial, physical host institution for each stay and submit a specific concept note drawn up jointly with the host institution (this is decisive for the award of scholarships!)
- have completed their higher education or vocational training;
- have a very good knowledge of English (German or the language of the country of the host institution is an advantage, but not mandatory)
Application
Applications that are incomplete, arrive late or are submitted via e-mail will not be considered.
- Stay in Germany (country on the DAC list→Germany)
- Optional reciprocal stay (Germany→country on the DAC list)
For more information, visit ifa Scholarship.
