CEFTA Research Award 2026 — Call for Policy Research Papers

The CEFTA Secretariat invites Master’s thesis candidates and PhD students from CEFTA Parties to apply for the CEFTA Research Award 2026, an open and competitive call for original Policy Research Papers with actionable recommendations on intra-CEFTA trade, regulatory convergence, and EU Single Market integration.

Research proposals must address one of three thematic areas: Trade in Agri-food Products, Trade in Industrial Products, or Trade in Services. The full Call Dossier, including detailed research themes, suggested topics, evaluation criteria, and award conditions, is available for download on this page.

Awards: 3 Winners (EUR 4,000 each) and 3 Runners-Up (EUR 1,000 each), presented at the CEFTA Week Award Ceremony in December 2026.

Key Dates

Open Call published 11 May 2026
Deadline for clarification requests 31 May 2026, 17:00 CET
Consolidated answers published by 7 June 2026
Concept Note submission deadline 30 June 2026, 17:00 CET

Questions and Clarifications
Written requests for clarification may be submitted to researchaward@cefta.int no later than 31 May 2026, 17:00 CET. Consolidated answers will be published on this page by 7 June 2026 the latest and made available to all applicants simultaneously. Individual replies will not be sent. Applicants are responsible for checking this page for updates during the submission period.

How to Apply

To apply, download the forms provided on this page, complete them, and upload the following three documents in PDF format through the Submission Portal, following the file naming conventions set out in the Call Dossier:

 Applicant Identification and Eligibility Form
 Concept Note (maximum 5 pages)
 Declaration of Honour and Conflict of Interest

Submissions must be uploaded before 30 June 2026, 17:00 CET. Incomplete or late submissions will not be evaluated.

[Submit your application] [Download the Full Call Dossier] [Download the Templates]