Overview
The Leaders of Change Foundation in Poland announces an open competition for candidates from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan for the The Lane Kirkland grant program in the 2025-2026 academic year.

The program offers the opportunity to study for free for two semesters at a university in one of the five Polish academic centers (Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław, Poznań, Lublin) and to undergo a minimum of two weeks of professional internship in public, private and non-governmental organizations. The program also provides the opportunity to participate in comprehensive trainings and seminars.

Grants are intended for young leaders and specialists with higher education who are not indifferent to the development of democracy, the economy and civil society in their countries and the region. During the selection process, the most suitable candidates are specialists who, upon completion of the program, decided to return to their homeland to implement the knowledge acquired during the program or the project prepared as part of it.

The program is organized by the Polish-American Freedom Foundation and is financially supported by the Polish National Academic Exchange Agency (NAWA). The program is not equivalent to any academic degree.

Acceptance Terms
Candidates must meet the following requirements:

• Be a citizen of one of the specified countries and permanently reside there (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan);
• Must have at least 4 years of bachelor's degree;
• not more than 40 years old;
• Must have at least 2 years of work experience in their field;
• Sufficient knowledge of English (at least B2) and Polish (at least A1); (The interview is conducted in the English language of the B2 level and the language of the A1 level roll or the language of the B2 roll);
• Candidates who have previously been abroad for more than 6 months through the grant can submit documents after a 2-year break.

The Kirkland Grant is awarded to professionals in the following fields:

• civil servants, employees of central and local government bodies;
• lawyers/advocates;
• entrepreneurs;
• managers in the field of business, non-governmental organizations, culture, education, environmental protection, healthcare;
• heads of non-governmental organizations, animators in culture and civic activities;
• academic teachers;
• journalists.
• Important: In the process of applying, candidates who do not know Polish sufficiently but are considered eligible for the grant on other criteria can study Polish using the materials provided by the program organizers. At the end of June 2025, they can be granted a grant after successfully passing the Polish language exam.

Benefits

• All costs are covered by the program's organizers:
• Participation in university classes for free during the 2nd semester and access to the assistance of an academic advisor;
• A scholarship in the amount of 22,500 Polish Zlotys ($5,483) (paid in 9 months);
• Accommodation in Poland (during the program: 9 months)
• Medical insurance, emergency treatment costs, and civil liability insurance;
• Expenses for air tickets to and from Poland (up to the agreed amount) and transit cards;
• Visa expenses;
• Research materials;
• Participate in the introductory course and meetings with other grant holders in different cities of Poland;
• Polish language course (October-June).

Submit document
1. The online application form is filled out:

Detailed personal data;
Activity section:
The candidate's achievements in the last 3 years, their professional projects, published articles, books, reviews and other information will be requested (the total number should not exceed 3900 characters);
Prosposed Program Plan section:
The candidate must present the reasons why he wishes to participate in the program in this section; the outline of the scientific dissertation prepared at the end of the program, as well as project proposals to be implemented during the program and plans for the use of knowledge acquired in Poland (4000-6000 characters in spaces);
Two recommendations (Polish or English). The recommendation should indicate the candidate's professional potential and qualifications, the ability to work and grow in their field in the future;

3. Copy of the bachelor's or master's degree (or PhD diploma).

After filling out the online application form, a document confirming the acceptance of the application is automatically provided in the system.

Source: https://t.me/grantgouz/7407