- Only Polish citizens and “Karta Polaka” holders permanently residing in Poland are eligible. Poles living outside of Poland may NOT participate in this program.
- Dual citizens (the United States and Poland) as well as individuals holding the United States permanent residency status (Green Card) are not eligible. For scholarships for American citizens, please visit our Domestic Scholarships Programs.
- Applicants must hold at least M.A. or M.S. degree. The preference is given to doctoral or postdoctoral candidates.
- Candidates need to submit a certificate of employment or enrollment in doctoral studies issued by a Polish academic institution.
- Applicants must have strong English language proficiency, sufficient to participate effectively in formal and informal conversations on practical, social, and professional topics and to carry out the proposed study/research. English proficiency will be assessed during personal interviews in Warsaw.
- An applicant has to be eligible for the U.S. exchange visitor J-1 visa.
There are no restrictions to fields of study/research.
Supporting documents:
1. Secure three recommendation letters.
Who can issue a recommendation letter:
- The authors should be the three individuals who can best speak to your ability to carry out the project being proposed.
- At least two of the letters must be from individuals with academic rank of Professor (i.e. Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor, Profesor Uczelni), while one letter can be from an individual who does not have an academic rank of Professor but has a Ph.D. degree.
- At least one author must be from outside of your home institution.
- They need to be currently employed and have access to a work email address.
Submitting a recommendation letter:
When completing your application, you will need to provide the name and institutional email address of each recommender. Recommenders will then receive an email invitation to upload their recommendation letter directly into the Reviewr portal.
2. As part of the application, you must upload the following required documents from (a) to (g), additional documents (h) are only for those applying for teaching fellowships, visual art projects, literary writers, journalists, and critics.
a) A well-defined proposal (no more than 500 words) with a specific study/research plan. Proposals exceeding 500 words by more than 15% will not be considered. There is no template for a successful project proposal as each project is unique. Applicants are encouraged to have someone outside of their area of specialization read their project proposal for clarity, formatting, and specificity as well as general proofreading. Teaching fellowship applicants unless they want to conduct simultaneously research and teaching projects, they do not need to submit a research proposal.
b) A current invitation from a U.S. educational institution (a host letter) where the applicant plans to conduct research/studies. You must secure your placement or affiliation. The KF does not assist in establishing contacts. You can only submit one host letter unless your research involves conducting it in more than one institution. The letter can include as much information as the department or faculty host wishes to include. However, certain information is required.
Host Department, the visitor’s Visiting Scholar status, and dates of visit. For example: It is my pleasure to invite you to visit the Department of Materials Science and Engineering as a Visiting Scholar for the period July 1, 2020 – October 31, 2020. Purpose of the visit and/or what the visitor will be doing. For example: The purpose of your visit is to collaborate with Dr. Smith on research in the area of Physics. You will be conducting research in the area of XYZ. You will be teaching a course in Polish entitled “XYZ.” Resources available to the visitor (computer, office space, internet access, lab space, etc.). For example: Though we cannot at this time guarantee any office space for you, you will have a workspace in the XYZ Lab. Also, we cannot provide a computer for you, but we can provide you with internet access if you bring your own machine.
Original letter must be signed with institutional letterhead, in PDF format.
c) Curriculum Vitae, including a list of relevant and recent publications of which the applicant is the principal author. The Curriculum Vitae describes academic credentials and demonstrates a record of scholarly achievements. When composing a Curriculum Vitae, it is essential to include:
- Education (universities attended, degrees earned, and dates received)
- Professional positions held
- Courses taught and other services provided to students and the home institution.
- Publications (provide full citations and list them starting with the most recent).
- Other professional activities, such as workshops, seminars and consultations.
- Membership and activities in professional associations.
- Professional honors, awards and fellowships.
- Please do not include a photo on your CV.
d) A scan of the applicant’s highest degree diploma.
e) A scan of the applicant’s passport ID page. If you do not have a passport you can upload a Polish ID (dowód osobisty).
f) A current photograph of yourself. Your photo isn’t used to determine eligibility but is vital for donor relations. If awarded, your photo will be an important part of your scholarship profile. Provide a photo that is at least 500KB and the highest resolution possible (300 dpi preferred).
All photos must meet the following requirements: at least 500KB, high resolution, a clear face shot, no sunglasses.
Suitable for the KF publications to include: our website, newsletters, donor communications, and/or event materials.
g) A certificate of employment or enrollment in doctoral studies issued by a Polish institution. A certificate of employment or enrollment in doctoral studies can be issued in Polish and has to be issued after May 15th, 2025.
h) Additional documents:
Literary writers, journalists, and critics must support their research proposal with significant samples of their work.
Visual artists are required to submit catalogs, photographs, slides, or videos of their work. All submitted materials are nonreturnable.
Applicants for the Teaching Fellowship should attach a Teaching Plan (Course Syllabus).