ifa Research Award on International Cultural Relations 2026

The ifa Research Award on International Cultural Relations 2026 targets young academics who study the significance and effectiveness of soft power, international cultural relations and Foreign Cultural and Educational Policy. The award supports the winner's research dissemination in formats such as a public lecture, podcast or short video, and covers printing costs for publication in the ifa publication series open-access via Nomos Verlag, subject to publisher review.

Publicity through presentation of the award winner and research; printing costs for publication in the ifa publication series open-access; potential visibility in German and international debates.

Applications can be submitted by a recommending professor. The applicant’s doctoral or master’s thesis must be completed within the last two years and meet high academic standards. The research must examine soft power, international cultural relations and Foreign Cultural and Educational Policy and have practical relevance.

Submissions are made by the recommending professor via email in a single PDF file to the provided address.