Join
COST Peace 2026 Summer School
The PEACE Action network invites applications from Young Researchers and Innovators (YRIs) — defined as researchers aged 39 or younger — to participate in the COST Peace 2026 Summer School to take place between June 15 and 19, 2026 at the University of Coimbra, Portugal. Applications are now closed, but will be reopened for the next grant period.
For further details, please contact Paula Duarte Lopes and Sofia José Santos (Summer School Organisors) at costpeacesummerschool@ces.uc.pt.
Who can apply
- Applicants should be Young Researchers and Innovators (YRIs), defined as researchers aged 39 or younger.
- Applicants need to be affiliated at a COST full, cooperating or partner member state, a European RTD Organisation, or a Near Neighbouring Country. For more information, check out the list of participating member states on the COST website.
- Applicants should be prospective Master’s students, Master’s students, prospective doctoral researchers or doctoral researchers at the start of their doctoral programme (first two years).
- Applicants affiliated with COST Inclusiveness Target Countries (ITCs) are especially encouraged to apply.
Programme
The COST Peace 2026 Summer School is organised along five full days, Monday to Friday – from June 15 to 19, 2026. The Programme include theoretical and methodological sessions, thematic
clusters focused around the five themes addressed by the different working groups, dialogues with key stakeholders, such as activists, artists and community leaders, and the opportunity to discuss and reflect as a group on some of the most pressing issues regarding current peace dynamics.
Some of the guests already confirmed include:
Gianluca is the Director of the Interdisciplinary Centre of Science for Peace of University of Pisa. He has 30+ years of experience in research and teaching on the conflicts related to food security, small farming, sustainable agriculture, food systems sustainability.
Hanna’s areas of research include local peacebuilding and governance, sustainable transitions and local-global interconnections. Based in the debate on local peacebuilding, her work includes theoretical and empirical contributions on how peace is built, on whose terms and for whom.
Sílvia is a feminist, focusing her studies on gender and feminist politics and violence, peace and security. She has conducted research on different territories, including Guinea-Bissau and El Salvador, with a strong experience on ethical and critical research methods.
Denys is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow with a background in chemistry. His work addresses risks related to chemical weapons, including how toxic nerve agents affect the human nervous system and how medical treatments can counteract their effects. He works at the interface of science, ethics, and international arms control to promote the peaceful and responsible use of chemistry.
Ilaria works as a theatre practitioner, community facilitator, diversity agent and peace researcher. She uses theatre as a nonviolent tool for peace education, conflict transformation, empowerment and peacebuilding. In her post-doctoral artistic research, she explores how multilingual dramaturgies and narratives can be considered forms of resistance and practices of hope.
Júlia is an ethically committed researcher, with important work on sexual violence. Her findings dialogue with Memory Studies, Gender Studies, Media, Literature and Cultural Studies, with a renowned experience on ethical research and sensitive research methods.
Selection and Evaluation
Applications will be evaluated by the Selection Committee based on:
- Research topic relevance to PEACE Action’s goals and Working Groups
- Motivation and potential for societal impact
- Contribution to COST Excellence and Inclusiveness policy
The Selection Committee consists of the two COST PEACE 2026 Summer School Organisers and the YRI Outreach Coordinator.
Applicants from institutions located outside of Portugal: 21 participants will be selected for the 2026 Summer School edition. COST PEACE will reimburse for the most economic travel within Europe up to 500 euro per person and will also provide a daily allowance (six days) for accommodation and catering expenses.
Applicants from institutions in Portugal: 9 participants will be selected for the 2026 Summer School Edition. COST PEACE local organisers will reimburse travel and accommodation expenses up to 200 euro to selected participants residing outside the district of Coimbra.
Next Gen Programme (PEACE Action)
The Next Gen Programme of the PEACE Action network invites applications from Young Researchers and Innovators (YRIs) — defined as researchers aged 39 or younger — to participate in a mentorship and professional development programme (February 2026 – October 2026).
Applications for the NextGen 2026 are now closed, but will be reopened at the start of the next grant period, in November 2026.
For further details, please contact Merel Selleslach (YRI Outreach Coordinator) at merel.selleslach(at)vlaamsparlement.be.
About The Programme
The Next Gen Programme supports early career researchers in peace and conflict studies by fostering academic and professional growth, networking, and knowledge exchange within the European peace research community. It is important to note that the programme does not fund research activities as such (no salary), but provides reimbursement for travel and accommodation expenses needed to participate in the programme.
The programme centres around 4 activities:
· Two in-person workshops (Kick-off and Closing), providing training on peace research theories and methodologies as well as networking opportunities. Accommodation and travel expenses are covered by PEACE Action.
· Online community calls on a wide range of topics and depending on the need of participants (e.g. career development, funding, mental wellbeing, writing, research-policy impact).
· Individual mentorship from a senior researcher of the PEACE network.
· A Short-Term Scientific Mission (STSM) of up to 2 weeks at a host institution. Participants will benefit from an STSM grant of provided by PEACE Action. For more information about grants, go to the grant page on our website.
Who can Apply
To be eligible for the Next Gen programme, the applicant needs to be affiliated to a COST full, cooperating or partner member state, a European RTD Organisation, or a Near Neighbouring Country. For more information, check out the list of participating member states on the COST website.
We welcome applications from:
PhD students and early career researchers working on topics relevant to peace research.
Applicants affiliated with COST Inclusiveness Target Countries (ITCs) are especially encouraged to apply.
The programme is open to anyone interested to participate. There is no need to be a member of the PEACE Action but it is expected of selected participants to actively engage with the working groups and other activities of the Action.
Join the Peace Network
The PEACE Action aims to expand and strengthen the network of peace and conflict research centres and researchers from across Europe. Such an endeavour is urgently needed given the challenges to peace and security in Europe and beyond. The current state of affairs raises some fundamental questions that undoubtedly point to the need to rethink peace: how to conceptualise, build, and reconfigure its connections towards building peace, reducing insecurity and preventing violent conflict. The main challenge for this PEACE Action is to improve our understanding of the current challenges to peace and security on the European continent:
How can these new realities and dynamics be (re)conceptualized?
What kind of continuums and disruptions is Europe facing?
How do new realities and new peace conceptualisations and practices impact European policy, views, practices and reality – from institutions to communities and everyday politics?
- What can be recommended for a comprehensive policy with a focus on peacebuilding and conflict prevention?
If you are interested in answering these questions and joining the PEACE network, you can find more information by clicking on the button below.