Research Fellowship for MA and PhD Studies in Traditional Arts and Intangible Cultural Heritage

 PURPOSE

• To provide academic and financial support to graduate researchers working in the field of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
• To strengthen the mission of the Traditional Arts Association by supporting studies based on relevant UNESCO conventions and protection principles.
• To encourage field research, theses, articles, publications, and digital documents related to traditional arts and intangible cultural heritage in Turkey.

WHO CAN APPLY?

Applicants must:

• Be a master's or doctoral student
• Conducting research in cultural heritage, art, art history, folklore, social anthropology, museology, history, heritage management, and cultural policy
• Studying at a university in Istanbul
• Working on a topic related to traditional arts, crafts, and intangible cultural heritage

SUPPORTED RESEARCH AREAS

• Traditional arts, crafts, and the master-apprentice relationship
• Ahîlik, artisan culture
• All topics related to the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage
• Field research and digital documentation
• Techniques and rituals in danger of disappearing
• Management of intangible cultural heritage
• Exhibition of intangible cultural heritage
• Cultural policies
• Museology and intangible cultural heritage

APPLICATION DOCUMENTS 

1. Curriculum Vitae
2. Student certificate
3. Transcript
4. Thesis/project topic summary (maximum 750 words)
5. Advisor approval letter
6. (If available) Sample of previous publications/work

ACADEMIC PROCESS AND MENTORSHIP

• Each scholarship recipient is paired with a mentor from the Traditional Arts Association or a relevant expert.
• Requirement to produce a report or publication at the end of the scholarship period:
• A field research report or academic article related to the thesis topic in a peer-reviewed journal or in the Lale Culture, Arts, and Civilization Journal.
• The copyright of the article to be published at the end of the study will also be granted to the Traditional Arts Association.

PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

• A “Fellows Symposium” may be held at the end of the year.
• The works may be added to the digital archive of the Traditional Arts Association.
• Selected works may be shared in a print publication or on a web portal.

SCHOLARSHIP AMOUNT & DURATION

• Duration: October – June (9 months)
• Monthly Stipend:
• PhD Students: 13,000 TRY
• MA Students:  10,000 TRY
• Number of Recipients: 6 (3 PhD and 3 MA students)

APPLICATION DEADLINES

• Application Deadline:        October 10, 2025
• Announcement of Results: October 17, 2025

To apply, please send your resume and required documents to bilgi@gelenekselsanatlar.org with the subject line “Application for MA and PHD studies Research Support Scholarship in the Field of Traditional Arts and Intangible Cultural Heritage.”