Are you an educational innovator with a transformative project that has the potential to improve higher education across multiple faculties or institutions? The Comenius Leadership Fellowship 2026 offers a prestigious funding opportunity for visionaries in academia.
If you have already launched a successful educational innovation that has had a measurable impact, you may also be eligible for the Dutch Education Award 2026. Both programs support educational advancements and provide financial backing to further develop and scale impactful initiatives.
Benefits of the Comenius Leadership Fellowship
The Comenius Leadership Fellowship offers significant funding and institutional recognition:
- Funding Amount: €500,000 for a 36 to 42-month project.
- Eligibility for the Comenius Network: Selected fellows join an exclusive network of educators and innovators.
- Opportunity for Expansion: Funding supports large-scale educational innovations involving multiple faculties or institutions.
- Institutional Support: The fellowship is aligned with the university’s educational vision and strategy, ensuring strong backing from academic leadership.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for the Comenius Leadership Fellowship 2026, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Experienced Educational Innovators: Individuals or teams (duo applications accepted) with a track record of implementing successful education projects.
- Project Scope: The proposed initiative must involve at least multiple faculties or institutions.
- Alignment with Institutional Strategy: The project should contribute to the university’s broader educational objectives.
- Previous Implementation: Projects may already be in development or implementation phases, but they must propose further innovation or scaling.
- Selection by University Leadership: Only one proposal per institution will be submitted, chosen by the rector following discussions with vice-deans.
Application Process
Interested applicants should follow these steps:
1# Submit a Proposal: Send a 1-1.5 A4 page summary of your educational innovation to Anna Terra Verhage ([email protected]).
2# Proposal Requirements:
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- A 100-150 word summary of the innovation.
- Description of the educational problem being addressed and how the innovation improves education.
- Implementation status and demonstrable impact on students.
- Target audience and relevance to other faculties or institutions.
- Current stakeholders and future collaboration possibilities.
- Evidence-based approach, including theoretical frameworks and models.
3# Internal Review and Selection:
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- Proposals will be collected into a longlist and reviewed by the rector and vice-deans at the Education Council in May 2025.
- Selected initiatives will be nominated by the university for submission after the summer.
- If the university’s project for 2025 is successful, nominations will be deferred to 2027.
4# Final Submission:
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- The final proposal will be submitted for the national Comenius Leadership Fellowship competition in the summer of 2025.
- If not selected, projects may still be eligible for the Grassfields Grant, with details to be provided later in 2025.
Application Submission and Selection Timeline
- Internal Submission Deadline: April 9, 2025
- University Selection Process: May 2025
- National Fellowship Application Opens: Summer 2025.
