[Commlist] Visegrad Scholarship at OSA 2026/2027: Naming reality

Bianka Horvath would like to announce a scholarship opportunity at 
the Blinken OSA Archivum. The next application deadline is July 25th, so 
thisis is a kind reminder to send your application in case you are 
interested in this opportunity.


*Call for Applications*
The Blinken OSA Archivum invites applications for the Visegrad 
Scholarship at OSA twice a year, in July and November. The calls are 
published on this page. More information about the application process 
can be found below.
The application deadline for the next call is: 23:59 PM, July 25, 2026.
*About the Visegrad Scholarship at OSA*
The Visegrad Scholarship at OSA is a joint grant scheme of the 
International Visegrad Fund and the Blinken OSA Archivum. Designed to 
provide access to the Archivum in Budapest, Hungary, grants of 3,000 
euros each cover travel to and from Budapest, a modest subsistence, and 
accommodation for a research period of eight weeks. For shorter periods, 
the grant amount is pro-rated. The Archivum's academic and archival 
staff will provide reference services, introductory information sessions 
about the collections, research suggestions through designated advisors, 
feedback via the Visegrad seminars, and will facilitate contact with the 
CEU community.
With submission deadlines usually in July and November, the call invites 
applications along a central theme linked to the Archivum’s holdings and 
includes suggested research topics. In the 2026/2027 academic year, the 
recommended theme of the proposals is**
*Naming Reality/./*
Since its start in 2010, the Visegrad Scholarship at the Blinken OSA 
Archivum has been awarded to more than 290 fellows from over 65 countries.
The list of awardees and their final reports submitted by former fellows 
are available _here_ 
<https://archivum.org/academics/fellows/all-past-fellows>!
*/Eligibility/*
Anybody holding an MA degree in the social sciences or the humanities. 
The call is not restricted to citizens from a V4 country. Socially 
engaged artists, journalists, scholars at risk from war zones and 
refugees of conscience (scholars fleeing authoritarian regimes) are 
especially invited to apply.
---------------------------
*Research Theme in 2026/2027: *
*Naming reality*
Václav Havel’s words about the necessity of truthfulness in contested 
times filled the media again in January 2026, 50 years after their 
original pronouncement. Politicians warned about the need to acknowledge 
systemic dysfunctions within the international system, thus reversing 
perceptions about the incompatibility between truth and politics. This 
unusual recuperation of a concept within non-totalitarian conditions 
challenges scholars to go back not only to the reconsideration of the 
idea of truth, but also to the conditions of dramatically claiming it. 
During the Cold War, accurately describing political and social 
realities was difficult, restricted, or risky; official discourses were 
not necessarily outrightly filled with falsities, but obscured crises or 
suppressed conflict through what Havel coined as “evasive language,” 
understood as substituting ideological tropes for empirical observation.
The current call invites researchers to reflect on the political, 
linguistic, and strategic challenges of *naming reality *during the Cold 
War and after. Scholars and artists are given the opportunity to explore 
the practices, institutions, and intellectual frameworks involved in 
documenting and describing reality under conditions of censorship, 
limited information, ideological transformation of languages, political 
pressures, and complicated perceptual dynamic between East and West.
Making the 35th anniversary of the Visegrad Group founding, this call 
also invites reflection on how, after 1989, the countries of Central 
Europe sought to reestablish a shared political vocabulary grounded in 
open debate and reliable information, while exploring the possibilities 
of describing social realities without ideological constraint. The 
historical experience of restricted speech and contested truths forms an 
important backdrop to the regional cooperation that the Visegrad 
framework continues to represent.
Sub-topics of *Naming Reality *call can include:
- the *content and practices *of truth-telling among oppositionists and 
dissidents;
- the dilemmas of artistic and literary actors in *re-creating 
socio-political languages* that paradoxically eschewed direct engagement 
with “reality”;
- cases of *ideological disillusionment *and awakening among left-wing 
thinkers and workers and re-evaluation of Marxist concepts regarding 
“reality”;
- the strategies of the *documentary media*: novels, films, private 
photo collections;
*(Clues*: _Photographs and Home Movie Collection of Private Photo and 
Film Foundation_ <https://catalog.archivum.org/catalog/jDe85Vzb>, _Black 
Box Foundation Collection_ 
<https://catalog.archivum.org/catalog/jDeX5RJK>, _Lajos Erdélyi Photo 
Collection and Personal Papers_ 
<https://catalog.archivum.org/catalog/jD7AP5n5>*, etc.)
- the role of *transnational cultural organizations* in promoting 
realist and/or aesthetically reflexive works and authors;
- the tools of *empirical realism and its relationship to political 
thinking*;
*- the samizdat cultures of *bypassing official channels and documenting 
phenomena *(Clues*: collections of _János Kis_ 
<https://catalog.archivum.org/catalog/jD7Ygavn>, _Gábor Demszky_ 
<https://catalog.archivum.org/catalog/jDenVz25>, _Samizdat Archives_ 
<https://catalog.archivum.org/catalog/jDen7kVB>, etc.);
- the workings of *propaganda* and the dismantlement of the very idea of 
truth;
(*Clues*: _Soviet propaganda films_ 
<https://catalog.archivum.org/catalog/O8pQRk9W?tab=content>, _Monitoring 
Unit of RFE/ RL_ <https://catalog.archivum.org/catalog/jDen72o2>, etc.)
- the usage of *political psychiatry *against people whose perception of 
abusive realities was questioned;
*- *the status of information* within archival cultures of 
fact-gathering and documentation *(at _Radio Free Europe_ 
<https://catalog.archivum.org/catalog/jDenek9n> and beyond);
-* critical archiving* from the margins (documentation about 
marginalized communities, racialized or stigmatized identities)
*(Clues*: documents about the Roma Parliament in the collection of the 
Black Box Foundation, _Network Women’s Program_ 
<https://catalog.archivum.org/catalog/jDvMA1Bx>, collections on the 
Hungarian Roma Parliament Association*, Roma Civil Rights Foundation*, 
_records about people with disabilities_ 
<https://catalog.archivum.org/catalog/jD7nX3PB>*);
- *transnational networks of information* about development behind the 
Iron Curtain (*Clues:* collections of _Index on Censorship_ 
<https://catalog.archivum.org/catalog/jDenDPqW>, _Western Press Archive_ 
<https://catalog.archivum.org/catalog/jDenGK9W>, _Radio Liberty Russian 
broadcasts_ <https://catalog.archivum.org/catalog/jDedZVWL> about 
samizdat, _Human Rights Watch reports_ 
<https://catalog.archivum.org/catalog/jD773W5L>, personal papers of 
former dissidents, etc.);
- *human rights monitoring and reporting *in Socialist states and their 
connection with Western organizations/exilic communities;
- the limits and paradoxes of *anti-Stalinist prose*;
- the *paradoxes of documenting “totalitarianism,” dissent, and protest 
in the 70s*, at the heart of the détente;
- the *Western reception *of (un)comfortable truths about socialism/ 
communism;
- the* epistemological challenges of expert cultures *in times of 
information and material shortages (the reliability of data and the 
methods of sociology, statistics, futurology, demography, food 
engineering within Communism)
(*Clues*: personal papers of _Mihály Csákó_ 
<https://catalog.archivum.org/catalog/jD7pQYmL> and _István Kemény_ 
<https://catalog.archivum.org/archival-collections>, collection on the 
_Hungarian Institute for Public Opinion Research,_ 
<https://catalog.archivum.org/catalog/jD7w7oYw> etc.);
- the *afterlives of censored cultural artifacts* after the fall of 
Communism;
- the post-1989 *re-evaluation and verification of systemic 
socio-political insights* from before 1989 (the meta-analysis of their 
framing, concepts, as well as of their accuracy).
The sub-topics are meant to enable and inspire various reflections on 
the topic of the call, not to limit the range of possible connected 
themes and analyses. Potential candidates can refer to them, enrich 
them, and work with them. Please also mention the collections you would 
like to consult and be as specific as possible with regards to the 
subfonds and series you might find relevant for your research.
* Access to these collections is partly restricted. Please contact Csaba 
Szilágyi (szilagyc /at/ ceu.edu) prior to submission.
-----------------------------
*Application Procedure*
The application deadline for the current call is: 23:59 PM, July 25, 2026.
Please submit the following to the Archivum (in one merged pdf file)
Application letter in English - specifying:

  * the expected period of stay and preferred dates - please note that
    1) the Archivum does not host Grantees in August; 2) the Archivum’s
    Research Room is closed during the Christmas period, and 3) the
    research stay must end on the last day of the given academic year,
    on July 31.
  * how you learnt about the scholarship—through what courses,
    instructors, social media groups or pages, websites, academic
    platforms, public programs/projects etc.

Research description/plan in English: about 800 words, and should 
include the following:

  * introduction
  * presentation of the stage of research
  * literature on the subject
  * preliminary hypothesis
  * research questions
  * identification of possible documents in the Archivum's holdings
  * artists are expected to submit a portfolio, too. We recommend that
    you refer to one of the topics in your application. Please also
    mention the specific collections you would like to consult.
  * Curriculum Vitae (C.V.)
  * Proof of officially recognized advanced level English language exam
    (native speakers and those with qualification from an
    English-language institution/degree program are exempted)
  * Names of two referees with contact details. Letters of reference are
    not needed.

The Application letter, C.V., the research description/plan, the copy of 
a language exam certification, and the Referees’ contact information 
should be submitted in a single, merged PDF file online through the 
_Application Form_ 
<https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/cBTWVHkhsP?origin=lprLink>
If there is any problem with submitting the application contact Katalin 
Gadoros in email at (gadoros /at/ ceu.edu).
Please only proceed with the application if you have read our 
Information about _data processing_ 
<https://web.osaarchivum.org/uploads/Visegrad_Information_about_data_processing_2026_05_07_9c40f9340e.pdf> and 
you accept the terms and conditions described!
*For Applicants*
We seek to promote exchanges among people with backgrounds in the arts, 
humanities, and social sciences in the way they think through and about 
archives while being concerned with current problems. From this point of 
view, the calls are not only addressed to scholars working specifically 
on Cold War topics, but to all those interested in theories of 
knowledge, who would use the Archivum's documents as props for larger 
reflections and activist concerns.
The Scholarship supports fellows at different stages of their research 
towards widely varied research aims ranging from articles, PhD theses 
through novels, films, exhibitions to plays. Research and publication 
topics cover an extensive area of history, literature, performing and 
fine arts, philosophy, and sociology, with a focus on media and 
objectivity, conceptualization of opposition, techno-science and mass 
communication, information gathering, production and dissemination, 
documentation and verification of human rights abuses, political "facts" 
and socio-economic issues among others.
Artists submitting proposals are kindly asked to frame their application 
as research-based projects, indicating the collections they will rely 
on. The artistic proposals will be assessed according to their merit, 
originality, timeliness, as well as their feasibility regarding their 
reliance on available collections. The Archivum can only offer 
conditions for the realization of artistic research, not for production.
*Evaluation*
The Selection Committee (names cannot be disclosed) evaluates proposals 
on the strength of the professional quality and novelty of the research 
proposal, its relevance to the chosen topic and the involvement of the 
Archivum's holdings in the research. In the case of equal scores, those 
from V4 countries have an advantage.
*Coordinators of the program*
Academic coordinator: _Ioana Macrea-Toma_ 
<https://archivum.org/about-us/staff/ioana-macrea-toma>, 
(macrea-tomai /at/ ceu.edu)
Administrative coordinator: _Katalin Gádoros,_ 
<https://archivum.org/about-us/staff/katalin-gadoros> (gadoros /at/ ceu.edu)
*Visegrad Lecture Series*
While working on their own subject, fellows will have the opportunity to 
collaborate with the Archivum's researchers and to transform their 
archival investigation into a full research experience. At the end of 
their research stay, the fellows are invited to give a final 
presentation about their research findings at the Archivum and the ways 
in which the documents were relevant to their research. The 
presentations are organized within the Visegrad Scholarship at OSA 
lecture series and as such are open to the public.
*Grant award procedure*
The grants administration is carried out by the the Archivum's Grants 
Administrators. The Call posted on the Blinken OSA Archivum and the IVF 
websites is updated each year in May. Applications are sent to the 
Archivum via e-mail, checked for formal critera (application letter, 
research proposal, CV and names of 2 referees, all in one merged pdf 
file), then receipt of arrival is sent back to the applicant via e-mail.
Members of the Jury are representatives of the International Visegrad 
Fund and the Archivum. After the decision is reached and approved by the 
Council of V4 Ambassadors, the proposals with the names of successful 
candidates are posted on the Archivum's website. At the same time, the 
Grants Administrators contact each successful candidate via e-mail.
The two-month scholarship grant is 3,000 euros without financial 
reporting responsibility. Stipends for shorter research periods are 
pro-rated.
Grants are paid in two installments: 75 per cent prior to or right at 
the beginning of the grant period, 25 per cent after the Grantee has 
given his/her final presentation at the CEU and has submitted his/her 
final report and this has been approved by all members of the Jury. The 
Grantee has a maximum of ten working days to submit his/her final report 
to the Archivum after the end of the research period. The Jury has five 
working days to approve or ask for improvements. After the final report 
has been approved, the last 25 per cent of the grant is paid out to the 
fellow and the report is posted on the Archivum's website.
Information about data processing is available _here_ 
<https://web.osaarchivum.org/uploads/Visegrad_Information_about_data_processing_2026_05_07_9c40f9340e.pdf>.
*Contact Information*
To find out more about the program, please visit: 
 https://archivum.org/academics/visegrad-scholarship-at-osa
*The Archivum's collections, research suggestions*
The archival collection and research papers of Radio Free Europe/Radio 
Liberty Research Institute constitute the most comprehensive Cold War 
and post-Cold War archive about the problems of Communism and its 
aftermath in the early years of post-Socialist and post-Communist 
transition. The collection offers important tips both about facts and 
about their conceptualizations from 1949 to 1994. Scholars particularly 
interested in the former Soviet Union and in the aftermath of its 
dissolution can find relevant the rich collection of sub-fonds Soviet 
Red Archives, Samizdat Archives, and the Soviet Research Department of 
the RFE/RL RI (to be compared with the RFE/ RL Russian broadcast 
recordings). These sub-fonds and series allowed the radios to extract 
reliable data from the massive body of media produced by the Soviet 
republics; the Western Press Archives contain the Western 
representations about the phenomena in the communist bloc and beyond it, 
about the transition in the 1990s. This archival collection also holds 
several series of biographical files about major historical figures, 
dissidents, leaders of national minorities, and those persecuted by the 
political regimes of that time.
Besides its archival analogue collections, the Archivum can also offer 
access to unique, audiovisual materials related to documentary 
practices, a special collection of RFE (anti)propaganda books, and a 
growing collection on digital humanities, human rights, archival theory 
and philosophy.
We also suggest many other possible archival collections to be 
investigated, such as the records of Index on Censorship, the Soviet 
Propaganda Film collection, the records related to the 1956 Hungarian 
Revolution, the documents of the Constitutional and Legal Policy 
Institute, the records of the Forced Migration projects at the Open 
Society Institute, the records of the International Human Rights Law 
Institute relating to the conflict in the former Yugoslavia, the records 
of the American Refugee Committee Balkan’s Programs, the Gary Filerman 
Collection on Hungarian Refugees from 1956, etc.
*More Information *
To find out more about the program, please visit: 
_https://archivum.org/academics/visegrad-scholarship-at-osa_ 
<https://archivum.org/academics/visegrad-scholarship-at-osa>

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