Resilient Futures Fellowship – Call for Applications

The Resilient Futures Fellowship is a flagship, cross-border programme convening outstanding changemakers from Poland, the Baltic states, and Ukraine. Organised by the Res Publica Foundation and the PZU Foundation.

This particular opportunity is aimed at February-June 2026, with a planned participation in the Europe Future Forum in September 2026 (see programme below). Across successive editions, Fellows will join a growing network of future-shaping peers committed to strengthening public trust in democratic institutions.

Who are we looking for?

• We welcome applicants who demonstrate a strong leadership profile, such as:
  • Influential civil society voices with high potential for impact;
  • Future shapers pursuing cross-sectoral or innovative projects;
  • Opinion leaders in traditional or digital media who aim to influence public debate;
  • Digital-era leaders, including white-hat hackers, who pair technical expertise with strong social commitment.
• Media and social media impact – this programme especially values individuals with meaningful reach, and those eager to expand it responsibly.
• Collaborative mindset – Fellows will work in small interdisciplinary teams (3–4 people), leveraging diverse backgrounds to create scalable, real-world impact.
• Desirable experience:
  • Community mobilisation or coalition-building;
  • Policy advocacy or strategic communication;
  • Expertise in cybersecurity, data ethics, or digital governance.
• Local leader with a proven track record of community impact
• Advanced English proficiency (C1-C2).

A letter of recommendation or support from a recognised figure or organisation in public, institutional, civil society, or community spheres is required for candidates to be considered for admission.

Programme

This opportunity is aimed at February-June 2026, with a planned participation in the Europe Future Forum in September 2026. Across successive editions, Fellows will join a growing network of forward-thinking peers committed to strengthening public trust in democratic institutions.

Successful candidates will receive a Fellowship totaling 1800 EUR for the entire programme.

• February 2026 (week of 16-20 February 2026): This webinar programme combines practical skill-building with strategic reflection on societal resilience. It includes an interactive mind-mapping workshop focused on planning and strategic foresight, expert-led training on resilience-building and countering disinformation, as well as a matchmaking session designed to identify shared themes, collaborative projects, and pathways to collective impact. The programme also initiates fellows’ joint communication efforts through social media engagement and creates space for a shared exploration of how societal resilience is understood, researched, and measured across different perspectives.
• March 2026: individual/two- or three-person online meetings. These online meetings are designed to support collaborative work on written outputs and joint initiatives, while actively engaging fellows in the work of Res Publica’s international team. Participants contribute to the production of analytical articles, the weekly Outlook, podcasts and video content, as well as to the design and delivery of events and coordinated thematic communication campaigns across national and European media. The meetings also aim to facilitate the development of practical solutions for public- and private-sector institutions, grounded in the exchange of best practices and cross-border experience;
• March 2026 (second or third week of March): 2-day in-person Masterclass in Warsaw; This masterclass offers an immersive exploration of democratic resilience, leadership, and responsibility in the age of authoritarian pressure and information warfare. Through close-reading seminars based on Maria Ressa’s How to Stand Up to a Dictator, in-depth conversations with leading global thinkers and journalists on resilience and democracy, and a dialogue on corporate responsibility with senior private-sector leadership, participants will engage with the ethical, strategic, and personal dimensions of influence. The programme combines advanced media and personal branding training with experiential learning, including role-playing simulations on disinformation dynamics, and culminates in public debates, policy dialogues, and high-level networking that connect fellows with policymakers, opinion-shapers, and the wider public.
• May 2026: publications and republications, attending conferences and events; Fellows will engage in publications and republications, represent the programme at major regional conferences and events, and contribute to the production and dissemination of a report aimed at informing policymakers and shaping political decision-making.
• June 2026: all-day meeting in Warsaw with presentations of cross-sectoral outcomes of fellows’ group work and feedback sessions.
  September 2026: After the programme, Fellows will be invited to engage in our events, including the Europe Future Forum, where they will contribute to dialogue with representatives of EU governments, think tanks, and media outlets that form a strategic community shaping the future of European policies.

Information about the recruitment process
A total of 17 participants will be selected:

• Poland: 4
• Lithuania: 2
• Latvia: 2
• Estonia: 2
• Ukraine: 2
• Additionally, up to 5 Fellows from these countries will be nominated by the PZU Group.

Deadline for submission: 18 January 2026

The Res Publica Foundation is the Central and Eastern Europe’s leading think tank on democratic security, publisher of Visegrad Insight and convener of the Europe Future Forum.

The PZU Foundation has been conducting philanthropic activities since 2004. These activities are consistent with the social engagement strategy of the largest insurance group in Poland – the PZU Group. ‘We act today to create tomorrow’ is the Foundation’s motto, which it abides by through collaboration with non-governmental organisations and public institutions in areas such as social capital, education, future-proof skills, and culture. The key areas of the PZU Foundation’s strategy, adopted in 2025, share a common denominator – strengthening social resilience.

Contact us: media@res.publica.pl