ENCATC opportunities for young researchers 2026

The European Network on Cultural Management and Policy, ENCATC, launches two Opportunities for Young Researchers, inviting PhD candidates and early-career scholars working in cultural policy and cultural management to participate in two initiatives:

• the ENCATC Research Award, recognising outstanding doctoral research;
• the Young and Emerging Researchers Forum (YERF), providing a platform for PhD candidates and emerging scholars to present and discuss their research.

Both initiatives are organised within the ENCATC Congress on Cultural Management and Policy 2026, taking place 23–25 September 2026 in Nice, France, in partnership with the Université Côte d’Azur, under the theme: ‘Artists and Cultural & Creative Professionals at the Centre: Rethinking Work, Policy, and Cultural Ecosystems.’

ENCATC Research Award

The selected thesis of the ENCATC Research Award is published in the ENCATC Advances in Cultural Management and Policy book series, edited by Routledge, ensuring global visibility and academic recognition.

Candidates of any nationality may apply and can reside in any country worldwide. Applicants must be early-career researchers who have defended their doctoral/PhD thesis (up to 2 years after defence) and must have received a high qualification (cum laude or equivalent) in their country’s higher education system. The doctoral/PhD thesis must focus on topics related to cultural management and/or policy.

ENCATC Young and Emerging Researchers Forum

The ENCATC Young and Emerging Researchers Forum (YERF) is specifically designed for the new generation of talented researchers in the field of cultural management and policy, to advance in their careers and enlarge their network in Europe and beyond. YERF includes a panel with international senior scholars and two sessions devoted to the presentation by PhD candidates, who will be responded to and commented on by renowned researchers and fellow emerging researchers.

The YERF is open to PhD candidates in cultural management, cultural policy, or related fields; and young and emerging researchers working on topics related to cultural management and policy.

ENCATC 2026 application guidelines

Deadline: 30 April 2026