Each year, the award is presented to a recently defended doctoral/PhD thesis at the ENCATC Research Award Ceremony, held annually during the ENCATC Congress. The award exemplifies scholarly excellence by addressing contemporary issues, showcasing a robust research design, and demonstrating the potential to influence policy and benefit practitioners.
The ENCATC Research Award 2026 will be presented during the ENCATC Congress 2026, taking place 23–25 September 2026 in Nice, France, under the theme: “Artists and Cultural & Creative Professionals at the Centre: Rethinking Work, Policy, and Cultural Ecosystems.”
Deadline for applications: 30th of April 2026
What is the aim?
This prestigious recognition aims to stimulate academic research in the field of cultural management and policy with an emphasis on its applied implications. The Award also has the ambition to contribute to the process of creating a network of scholars who are competent in doing ground-breaking research projects in cultural policy and cultural management.
What is the prize?
Granted each year, the Award consists of the winning doctoral thesis being published in the ENCATC Advances in Cultural Management and Policy Series, a series of publications specializing in cultural management and cultural policy topics, published by Routledge, the world’s leading academic publisher in the Humanities, Social Sciences and STEM
Who is eligible?
It's assigned every year to promising Ph.D. graduates in the field of cultural management and policy, aiming to stimulate academic research in the field of cultural management and policy, by focusing especially on its applied implications. The Award recognizes a recently published Ph.D. thesis based on innovative and internationally oriented research designs, paying special attention to works that can inform policymaking and benefit practitioners in the broad field of culture.
