CA23149 – Young Researcher and Innovator Conference Grants: Call for Applications (Deadline February 20, 2026)

CA23149 Young Researcher and Innovator Conference Grants - call for applications via e-cost website until February 20, 2026 for activities finishing until September 15, 2026

CA23149 is calling for proposals via the e-cost website until February 20, 2026 for activities that must be completed by September 15, 2026.

Since the 1990s, Central Eastern Europe (CEE) and its Near and Middle Eastern (NME) neighbors have experienced major social and political shifts. Gender equality and anti-discrimination norms became key symbols of democracy, though their impact varied. For 15 years, these values—especially gender and sexual equality—have faced opposition from religious fundamentalism, homophobia, and neo-traditionalist ideologies. The network has established four working groups that aim to analyze anti-gender politics in these regions, linking them to democratic decline: Revealing the historical, social-political and economic background conditions, Deciphering the triangle of state, civil society and anti-gender actors, Rethinking activism and forms of oppositions with a focus on unexpected allies, and Dissemination and outreach activities.

Although membership is not mandatory, we encourage all grant applicants to join our COST Action Network and to become active members of one of the working groups. More information about our aims and scientific purpose can be found here on the project's website or through the COST Associations website.

In addition to regular reporting and acknowledgment of the COST Action in all activities (e.g. in posters, presentations), grantees agree to publish the aims and results of their grant period in a format suitable for the COST Action’s social media channels.

Young Researcher and Innovator Conference Grant

We are pleased to invite young scholars (up to 40 years of age) to apply for the Young Researcher and Innovator Conference Grant. With the possibility to support a maximum of five applicants (subject to eligibility and budget availability), this grant enables researchers at an early stage of their careers to take part in high-impact conferences outside their country of residency.

The grantee is required to deliver an oral presentation (talk, poster presentation) on a topic within the scope of the action.
This call is open to researchers and other professionals working in civic education. With their active participation, the grant should help establish a strong network to increase the grantee’s visibility in the respective professional field and the visibility of the COST Action.

Submission deadline: February 20, 2026

Application details

• All applications are made via the portal e-cost https://e-services.cost.eu/ In your personal account you find the page to apply via the menu on the left: Cost Actions>My Grant Applications: https://e-services.cost.eu/activity/grants
• The support will be paid as a lump sum: to EU/UK: 900 €; to East-coast US/Canada: 1.800 €; to Westcoast US/Canada and rest of the world: 2.200 €; to non-European Mediterranean Bassin: 900 €
• Copy of the abstract of the accepted oral or poster presentation
• Acceptance (or invitation) letter from the conference organisers
• Statement regarding the expected outcome and how the project aligns with the aims of the Cost Action
• A detailed user guide for the application platform can be found here.

For further inquiries, please contact
Elisa-Maria Hiemer: e.hiemer@fu-berlin.de
Andrea Pető: petoa@ceu.edu