The UNESCO Poland Fellowship Program 2026/27 offered a fully funded, six-month research placement at AGH University of Krakow — free tuition, a monthly stipend of up to 2,200 PLN, round-trip airfare, health insurance, and a $120 pocket allowance — to Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD-level applicants under 32 from a defined list of invited developing countries.
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Applications closed in mid-May 2026, and the fellowship period runs from October 2026 to March 2027. If you’re researching this now, the programme isn’t accepting new applications, but UNESCO and Poland run it annually, and understanding exactly how the process works will save you time when the next cycle opens. Information verified July 2026 from official sources.
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About the UNESCO Fellowship
This fellowship is a joint programme between the Polish National Commission for UNESCO and the UNESCO Chair for Science, Technology, and Engineering at AGH University of Krakow. Only citizens of a published list of invited developing Member States can apply — the list is republished every cycle and is not the same every year. Successful applicants don’t propose their own research topic. They choose up to three projects from a list the Polish authorities publish each cycle, then rank them by preference. The most recent completed cycle offered 28 fellowships; the exact number is set fresh each time. This is the part most guides skip, and it’s why a strong personal research proposal alone won’t get you in — you need to match an available project.
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UNESCO Poland Fellowship Program Summary
| Scholarship Name ⇒ | UNESCO Poland Fellowship Program |
| Host Country ⇒ | Poland |
| Study Level ⇒ | Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD-level researchers in STEM fields |
| Benefits ⇒ | Free tuition; monthly allowance of 1,800 PLN (BSc) or 2,200 PLN (MSc/PhD); matching one-time arrival allowance; round-trip international airfare; health insurance; one-time $120 pocket allowance |
| Funded by ⇒ | UNESCO and the Polish National Commission for UNESCO, hosted at AGH University of Krakow |
| Eligible Countries ⇒ | Limited to a published list of invited developing Member States, which changes each cycle — confirm your country is on the current list before applying |
| Application Deadline ⇒ | 2026/27 cycle closed mid-May 2026 (fellowship runs October 2026–March 2027). Watch for the 2027/28 cycle call, expected around April 2027. |
What the Fellowship Pays
- Free tuition and access to AGH University facilities for six months.
- A monthly living allowance of 1,800 PLN for Bachelor’s-level fellows and 2,200 PLN for Master’s and PhD-level fellows — roughly $450–$550 at recent exchange rates.
- A one-time arrival allowance matching your monthly rate, meant to cover your mandatory medical check-up on arrival plus cultural and academic activities in Krakow.
- Round-trip international airfare, covered by UNESCO via the most direct, economical route.
- Health insurance for the duration of the fellowship, arranged and paid for by UNESCO.
- A one-time $120 pocket allowance from UNESCO.
- What it doesn’t cover: visa and passport costs. UNESCO states explicitly that fellows handle these themselves.
Who Can Apply
- You must be a national of a country on the current cycle’s invited-states list. That list is republished every cycle — a country eligible in one year isn’t automatically eligible the next.
- You need a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD degree already completed, with at least 4 years of higher education, in a STEM field.
- You must be under 32 years of age.
- You need working proficiency in English, since the fellowship runs entirely in English. If it’s not your first language, you’ll need a UNESCO-issued Certificate of Language Knowledge — not just a personal claim of fluency.
- Your research interest has to match one of the specific project titles published for that cycle. You can’t submit an independent proposal outside that list.
UNESCO Required Documents
- Completed UNESCO Fellowship Application Form, all four pages, typed or handwritten in capital letters, in English only. Illegible submissions are eliminated automatically.
- A copy of your passport.
- A copy of your identity photo.
- Certified copies of your degree certificate(s), authenticated with an Apostille, or legalized through the appropriate authority if your country doesn’t recognize the Apostille system.
- A UNESCO Certificate of Language Knowledge, if English isn’t your first language.
- Two letters of recommendation from people who know your academic or professional work directly, dated for the current cycle.
How the Application Process Works
- Confirm your country is on the current cycle’s invited-states list before doing anything else.
- Review the published project list and rank up to three projects you’re qualified for and genuinely interested in.
- Contact your country’s National Commission for UNESCO directly — they run the actual submission process, and some commissions set internal deadlines earlier than UNESCO’s official cutoff.
- Submit your full document set to your National Commission, not directly to UNESCO. UNESCO does not accept individual applications; only commission-endorsed candidates are considered.
- If your commission endorses and nominates you, you’ll be told directly, and you then submit your endorsed application to the fellowship’s official addresses and complete UNESCO’s online information form.
- Selection is made by the Polish authorities, who weigh gender equality and diversity alongside project fit.
What to Do Before the Next Cycle Opens
- The programme runs annually, with the call typically opening in the first quarter of the year and the deadline landing in mid-May, for a fellowship starting that October. Based on that pattern, expect the next call around April 2027.
- Identify your National Commission for UNESCO’s contact details now, so you’re not searching for them during a live deadline.
- Start collecting the documents that take the longest — Apostilled degree certificates and recommendation letters — well ahead of the next opening.
- Watch for the new project list as soon as the next cycle opens, and identify which titles genuinely match your background before ranking your top three.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the UNESCO Poland Fellowship Program still open for 2026?
No. The 2026/27 cycle’s application window closed in mid-May 2026. The fellowship itself runs from October 2026 to March 2027 for candidates who were already selected.
Can Nigerian applicants apply for the UNESCO Poland Fellowship?
Nigeria has appeared on the invited-states list in recent cycles, but the list is republished every year, so confirm your country’s current status before assuming eligibility. Nigerian applicants go through Nigeria’s National Commission for UNESCO, the same as every other invited country.
Do I get to propose my own research topic?
No. You choose from a specific list of project titles published by the Polish authorities each cycle and rank up to three. Independent research proposals outside that list aren’t accepted.
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How much does the fellowship actually pay?
Monthly allowances run 1,800 PLN for Bachelor’s-level fellows and 2,200 PLN for Master’s and PhD-level fellows, plus a matching one-time arrival allowance, round-trip airfare, health insurance, and a one-time $120 pocket allowance. Visa and passport costs are the one major expense you cover yourself.
What happens if my National Commission misses the UNESCO deadline?
Applications only count if your National Commission submits your endorsed documents to UNESCO by the official cutoff. Since commissions often set earlier internal deadlines to leave themselves processing time, missing your national deadline can remove you from that cycle even if UNESCO’s own deadline hasn’t passed yet.
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Disclaimer: All scholarship details, deadlines, award values, and eligibility criteria in this post were verified from official sources as of July 2026. Information is subject to change without notice. Always confirm the latest details directly on the official UNESCO Poland Fellowship Program website before submitting your application. ScholarWaka is not affiliated with UNESCO or the Polish National Commission for UNESCO.
Official Application Portal
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