UNESCO/Poland Co-Sponsored Fellowship

The Polish National Commission for UNESCO and the UNESCO Chair for Science, Technology, and Engineering at AGH University of Science and Technology place 28 fellowships at the disposal of UNESCO for the benefit of developing Member States. UNESCO/Poland Co-Sponsored Fellowships in Engineering provide an opportunity to undertake an individual research programme in the field of Science, Technology and Engineering.

Beneficiaries take part in a fellowship programme at AGH University of Krakow (UNESCO AGH Chair) for 6 months. Candidates must be from invited Member States listed under Africa, Arab States, Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean. The specific eligibility criteria and qualifications depend on the field of research and project titles, as given in Annex III and Annex IV.

UNESCO does not accept individual applications. Only applications endorsed by the National Commissions for UNESCO are considered. The National Commissions select qualified candidates for nomination and transmit letters of endorsement and the full application documents by the stated deadline. The selection of fellowship recipients is decided by concerned Polish authorities, taking into consideration gender equality and diversity.

Support lasts 6 months at AGH University of Krakow. The Polish authorities provide free tuition for six months and an allowance intended to cover living expenses and accommodation in Poland. UNESCO covers international travel expenses and health insurance for fellowship beneficiaries, and provides a one-time pocket allowance. The programme guidance states that visa and passport expenses are not covered financially by UNESCO or the Government of the Republic of Poland and are the fellows’ responsibility.

• Applicant nationality must match an invited Member State listed in Annex II (List of Invited Member States).
• Eligibility to apply depends on the intended project/field of research, with specific criteria and qualifications provided in Annex III.
• For some research fields and projects, only candidates from certain regions are eligible; applicants must refer to Annex III and Annex IV for details.
• Applications must be endorsed by the National Commission for UNESCO of the applicant’s country; only endorsed applications are accepted by UNESCO.
• UNESCO fellowships application form must be completed in English using capital letters; illegible documents are eliminated from the evaluation procedure; handwritten forms must be written in capital letters only.
• A UNESCO certificate of language knowledge must be completed by a relevant authority if the applicant’s mother tongue is not English.
• Applications submitted to UNESCO must be complete; submissions that are incomplete or submitted after the stated deadline won’t be considered.

• Free tuition for six months (Polish authorities).
• Monthly allowance: 1800 PLN for BSc degree students and 2200 PLN for MSc degree students (intended to cover all living expenses and accommodation in Poland), paid in accordance with national taxation regulations.
• One-time special allowance: 1800 PLN for BSc degree students or 2200 PLN for MSc degree students, paid upon arrival in Poland to cover activities related to stay in Krakow, including an obligatory medical check-up upon arrival and cultural/historical/touristic visits and seminars/workshops related to studies.
• International travel expenses by the most direct, economical route to and from Poland covered by UNESCO.
• Health insurance for fellowship beneficiaries who are declared medically fit; UNESCO subscribes the health insurance on behalf of awarded fellows and covers the cost incurred, for the duration of the fellowship.
• One-time special pocket allowance of US$120.
• Facilities access to the university facilities based on local regulations (Polish authorities).

1. Before starting, check Annex II (List of Invited Member States) and Annex III to confirm the applicant’s country (nationality) is eligible for the intended project/field of research.
2. Read Annex I (Terms and Conditions) and Annex IV (List of fields of research/project titles as determined by the Polish authorities) to understand requirements for eligible candidatures and procedures for application submission.
3. Contact the National Commission for UNESCO of the applicant’s country to enquire about application procedures at national level.
4. Prepare the application including the supporting documents listed in the guidance, addressed to the National Commissions of the applicant’s country of origin as mentioned in Annex II.
5. Submit the application with supporting documents to the National Commission for UNESCO of the applicant’s country.
6. After the applicant is informed by the National Commission that they are endorsed and nominated, submit the application by email to [email protected] (with [email protected] and [email protected] in copy) and then complete and submit the online information sheet using the provided link.

• UNESCO fellowship application form (all four pages duly completed in English using capital letter; illegible documents are eliminated from evaluation; handwritten form must be written in capital letters only).
• Copy of the applicant’s passport.
• Copy of the identity photo of the applicant.
• Certified copies (in English) of Bachelor’s, Master’s Degree or PhD degree obtained (with Apostille or authorised by competent authority).
• For countries that do not recognize Apostille: legalization of the above documents in the country of issue is required.
• UNESCO certificate of language knowledge, completed by a relevant authority, if the mother tongue of the candidate is not English.
• Two letters of recommendation from people familiar with the candidate’s work, confirming qualifications (dated 2025 year).