Applications are now open for the ICCROM Fellowship Programme 2027, offering experienced cultural heritage professionals the opportunity to undertake an independent period of research and study with the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM).

The Fellowship Programme is designed for senior professionals in cultural heritage conservation who want dedicated time to pursue research, exchange knowledge with an international professional community, access ICCROM’s specialist collections, and develop work capable of contributing new perspectives to heritage conservation.

Applications for the 2027 cycle opened on:

15 August 2026

and close on:

15 September 2026

Successful Fellowships will normally be undertaken during 2027, unless another arrangement is agreed with ICCROM.

The programme is open to qualified professionals who are nationals of an ICCROM Member State or who work in an organization located in an ICCROM Member State. Applicants must normally have at least a Master’s degree or higher in a field related to cultural heritage and at least 10 years of professional experience in the heritage field.

Fellows may undertake research at ICCROM headquarters in Rome, Italy, although a Fellowship may be conducted partly online where there is an appropriate justification.

Typical Fellowships last:

3 to 6 months

although ICCROM may consider another timeframe where the applicant provides a convincing justification.

Applicants should note an important financial condition: ICCROM does not currently provide financial support or a living stipend for Fellows because of budgetary constraints. Fellows are responsible for their own travel, accommodation and personal insurance. ICCROM nevertheless provides important institutional and research support, including office facilities, access to its internationally significant conservation library and archives, internet access and engagement with heritage professionals.

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About the ICCROM Fellowship Programme

The ICCROM Fellowship Programme is an established professional research opportunity intended to enrich the international field of cultural heritage conservation.

Its purpose is to:

• Bring fresh perspectives into ICCROM
• Facilitate the exchange of knowledge and ideas
• Encourage new lines of research
• Strengthen professional relationships
• Support research relevant to heritage conservation
• Connect senior professionals with ICCROM resources and expertise

The programme is especially appropriate for experienced professionals who already possess substantial knowledge of their field and can independently develop a focused research project.

This is not primarily a training course for beginners or an entry-level internship.

Fellows are expected to arrive with an independent research agenda and use the period at ICCROM to advance it.

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What Is ICCROM?

ICCROM is an international intergovernmental organization dedicated to the conservation of cultural heritage.

Its work involves areas such as:

• Cultural heritage conservation
• Heritage risk management
• Capacity building
• Research
• Policy
• Education
• Emergency response
• Collections
• Sites and monuments
• Conservation science
• Heritage management
• Sustainable development

Its international network includes 139 Member States, following San Marino’s accession as the 139th Member State in November 2025. ICCROM’s membership spans countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, the Americas and Oceania.

The Fellowship Programme allows experienced researchers and practitioners from this global network to spend time engaging with the organization and its resources.

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Why Apply for an ICCROM Fellowship?

One of the principal advantages of the Fellowship is the opportunity to step away from everyday professional responsibilities and concentrate on independent research in an environment dedicated specifically to cultural heritage.

A Fellowship can provide time and space to:

• Develop an existing research project
• Investigate a new question
• Examine archival sources
• Conduct literature-based research
• Compare international conservation approaches
• Develop policy recommendations
• Strengthen a publication
• Explore emerging heritage challenges
• Build international professional relationships

The Fellowship is particularly valuable because researchers are placed within an international heritage organization rather than a conventional university department.

This creates opportunities to connect academic research with:

• Conservation practice
• Policy
• Institutional experience
• International cooperation
• Capacity building

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Access to One of the World’s Major Conservation Libraries

ICCROM highlights its specialist library as one of the most important resources available to Fellows.

The collection includes material in more than 70 languages and is regarded as one of the world’s major specialized collections in cultural heritage conservation.

Depending on the proposed research, Fellows may use these resources to examine subjects including:

• Conservation theory
• Restoration
• Heritage science
• Archaeology
• Museum collections
• Built heritage
• Disaster risk
• Heritage policy
• Sustainable conservation
• Education
• Traditional knowledge
• Climate-related heritage threats

Access to such a specialist collection can be particularly valuable for researchers working on comparative or international projects.

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Access to ICCROM Archives

Fellows also receive access to:

ICCROM’s archives

where relevant to their research.

Archival work can help researchers investigate:

• The development of international conservation practice
• Historical heritage policies
• Institutional cooperation
• Past ICCROM programmes
• Training and conservation approaches
• Evolution of professional standards

Applicants whose proposed project depends on specific ICCROM holdings should explain this connection clearly in the research proposal.

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Research Exchange With ICCROM Professionals

The Fellowship is also intended to create opportunities for intellectual exchange.

During the Fellowship, participants may interact with:

• ICCROM staff
• Other heritage professionals
• Researchers
• Practitioners
• International experts

This exchange can help Fellows:

• Test arguments
• Receive new perspectives
• Discover comparative examples
• Develop future partnerships
• Identify additional research questions

However, applicants must distinguish professional exchange from formal academic supervision.

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ICCROM Fellows Conduct Independent Research

A particularly important condition of the programme is that:

Fellows are expected to conduct independent research.

Applicants cannot request an ICCROM staff member to serve as their research supervisor.

This means candidates should already possess the intellectual and professional experience necessary to:

• Formulate their own research question
• Design the research
• Manage the project independently
• Analyze material
• Produce the intended outputs

The Fellowship is therefore best suited to established heritage professionals rather than researchers requiring close doctoral-style supervision.

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Who Can Apply?

ICCROM welcomes individuals specializing in disciplines related to:

Cultural heritage

Applicants may work as:

• Researchers
• Teachers
• Practitioners

The Fellowship is particularly aimed at senior professionals.

Candidates must satisfy several important requirements.

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Master’s Degree Requirement

Applicants must hold at least:

A Master’s degree or higher

in an area related to cultural heritage.

Relevant fields may potentially include areas such as:

• Conservation
• Heritage studies
• Archaeology
• Architecture
• Art history
• Museum studies
• Conservation science
• Cultural resource management
• Historic preservation
• Anthropology
• Heritage policy
• Related disciplines

The exact eligibility of a degree depends on its connection to cultural heritage and the applicant’s proposed research.

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Professional Experience Requirement

Candidates must have been professionally active in the cultural heritage field for at least:

10 years

This requirement demonstrates clearly that the ICCROM Fellowship is designed for experienced professionals.

It is generally not intended for:

• Recent Bachelor’s graduates
• Early-stage Master’s students
• Entry-level heritage workers
• Professionals with only a few years of relevant experience

Applicants should make their professional experience particularly visible in their CV.

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Geographic Eligibility

Applicants must be either:

• Nationals of an ICCROM Member State, or
• Professionals working in an organization located within an ICCROM Member State

ICCROM’s official membership currently extends across a broad global network of countries.

Examples include countries in:

• Africa
• Asia
• Europe
• North America
• Latin America and the Caribbean
• Middle East
• Oceania

Applicants should confirm that their nationality or employer location falls within the official Member States list before applying.

Official Member States list:
https://www.iccrom.org/about/overview/member-states/full-list

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Language Requirements

Research during the Fellowship may be conducted in:

Any language

However, Fellows are expected to have good knowledge of at least one of ICCROM’s two official languages:

• English
• French

This requirement enables Fellows to participate meaningfully in professional exchanges and the institutional life of ICCROM.

Applicants should therefore be comfortable communicating professionally in English or French.

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Research Topics

ICCROM welcomes proposals concerning:

Any research topic related to cultural heritage conservation and ICCROM’s mission.

The call is intentionally broad.

Applicants are not required to limit themselves exclusively to the priority themes.

However, applications that align strongly with ICCROM’s current Strategic Directions may receive preference during selection.

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Priority Research Areas for 2026–2027

For the 2026–2027 biennium, ICCROM identifies two particularly important thematic areas.

1. Better Heritage Conservation and Risk Management Approaches

ICCROM is interested in research exploring how heritage conservation and risk management can respond more effectively to:

• Social change
• Emerging hazards
• Climate change
• Urbanization
• Digital transition
• Complex crises
• New technologies

This priority reflects the fact that cultural heritage is increasingly exposed to rapidly changing and overlapping risks.

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Heritage and Climate Change

Changing climate patterns create significant risks for heritage.

Potential areas of research may include:

• Extreme weather
• Flooding
• Drought
• Wildfires
• Sea-level rise
• Heat
• Changing humidity
• Climate-related deterioration
• Climate adaptation for heritage institutions
• Risk assessment

Researchers might examine both physical threats to heritage and institutional strategies for addressing them.

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Heritage and Urbanization

Rapid urban development can create both opportunities and threats for cultural heritage.

Relevant research could potentially address:

• Historic urban landscapes
• Development pressure
• Urban regeneration
• Infrastructure
• Community participation
• Heritage planning
• Sustainable cities

Applicants should link such projects clearly to conservation practice and ICCROM’s mission.

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Heritage and Digital Transition

Digital technologies are rapidly changing how heritage is:

• Recorded
• Preserved
• Interpreted
• Shared
• Managed

Research could examine areas such as:

• Digital documentation
• Artificial intelligence
• Digital archives
• Remote sensing
• 3D technologies
• Data management
• Digital access
• Emerging conservation technologies

ICCROM particularly encourages work considering innovative technologies where they contribute to improved conservation and risk management.

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Heritage in Complex Crises

Cultural heritage can be exposed to multiple threats during:

• Armed conflict
• Natural disasters
• Political instability
• Humanitarian crises
• Displacement
• Economic disruption

Research may explore how institutions and communities can prepare for, respond to and recover from these situations.

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Priority Area 2: Integrating Heritage Into Broader Policy Agendas

ICCROM also welcomes research examining how heritage can be more effectively incorporated into wider:

National and international policy frameworks.

This priority recognizes that heritage conservation cannot always operate as a separate policy sector.

Instead, heritage increasingly intersects with major policy areas.

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Heritage and Climate Action

Researchers may investigate how heritage can be integrated into:

• National climate strategies
• Climate adaptation
• Climate mitigation
• Disaster planning
• International climate policy

This can include both protecting heritage from climate impacts and examining how heritage knowledge may contribute to climate resilience.

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Heritage and Sustainable Development

Another major area is the relationship between heritage and:

Sustainable development

Possible research might examine:

• Community development
• Sustainable tourism
• Cultural industries
• Local knowledge
• Urban sustainability
• Economic development
• Social resilience
• Heritage and the Sustainable Development Goals

The goal is to better understand how heritage can contribute to development rather than being treated only as an object requiring protection.

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Heritage and Education

ICCROM also identifies:

Education

as a policy area in which heritage can play an important role.

Potential subjects include:

• Heritage education
• Youth engagement
• Professional training
• Public awareness
• Heritage in school curricula
• Community learning

Research could investigate how education strengthens conservation while also using heritage as a resource for wider learning.

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Heritage, Health and Wellbeing

ICCROM also highlights connections between heritage and:

Health and wellbeing

This opens opportunities for research considering:

• Community identity
• Mental wellbeing
• Social cohesion
• Cultural participation
• Sense of place
• Recovery following crisis

Applicants should demonstrate how these themes connect meaningfully with cultural heritage conservation.

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Where Is the Fellowship Based?

Fellowships may be undertaken at:

ICCROM Headquarters in Rome, Italy

Rome offers an especially relevant environment for cultural heritage research because of its concentration of:

• Conservation institutions
• Museums
• Archives
• Heritage sites
• Academic organizations
• International cultural bodies

However, the ICCROM Fellowship itself centers on the applicant’s independent research and use of ICCROM’s institutional resources.

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Partially Online Fellowships

A Fellowship may also be conducted:

Partially online

where the applicant provides an appropriate justification.

This does not mean that all applicants should assume the programme can be completed entirely remotely.

Applicants seeking a hybrid arrangement should explain clearly:

• Why partial online participation is necessary
• Why it remains appropriate for the project
• How access to ICCROM resources will be managed
• How the Fellowship objectives will still be achieved

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Fellowship Duration

The normal Fellowship period is:

3 to 6 months

This provides Fellows with sufficient time to undertake substantial independent research.

However, ICCROM may consider:

Alternative timeframes

where an applicant provides a convincing justification.

Applicants proposing a shorter or longer Fellowship should demonstrate clearly why the research requires that particular schedule.

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End-of-Fellowship Research Presentation

At the end of the Fellowship, Fellows are asked to:

Present their research

to:

• ICCROM staff
• External guests

This presentation allows Fellows to communicate:

• Findings
• Methods
• Emerging conclusions
• Implications for conservation practice

Applicants should therefore design projects capable of generating meaningful research outputs within the Fellowship period.

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Post-Fellowship Feedback

After completing the programme, Fellows may be contacted by ICCROM to provide feedback concerning:

• Their Fellowship experience
• Research outcomes
• Professional benefits
• Wider impact

This helps ICCROM assess and improve the Fellowship Programme.

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Financial Support: Important Information

Prospective applicants should pay close attention to the funding arrangements.

ICCROM states clearly that:

Due to current budgetary constraints, it is not able to provide financial support for Fellowships.

Therefore, this is not a funded Fellowship in the traditional sense.

ICCROM does not currently provide:

• A salary
• Living stipend
• Travel allowance
• Accommodation funding
• Personal insurance funding

Applicants should therefore assess carefully whether they can secure:

• Institutional support
• Employer funding
• External research funding
• Personal funding

before committing to a residential Fellowship in Rome.

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What Fellows Must Pay For

Fellows are responsible for arranging and financing:

Travel

Applicants must organize travel to and from Italy.

Accommodation

Fellows must pay for their accommodation.

ICCROM may assist, where possible, in identifying reasonably priced accommodation, but accommodation itself is not funded.

Personal Insurance

Fellows must arrange their own insurance.

The programme requires:

Valid major global medical and accident insurance

for the entire Fellowship period.

This is compulsory.

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Visa Support

Although ICCROM does not pay travel or visa-related living costs, it can assist successful Fellows with obtaining documents required to:

• Enter Italy
• Temporarily reside in Italy

This institutional support can help Fellows navigate immigration procedures.

Applicants remain responsible for ensuring they comply with applicable Italian entry and residence requirements.

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What ICCROM Provides

Although there is no financial stipend, ICCROM provides substantial research infrastructure.

During the Fellowship, participants receive:

• Office space
• Computer workstation
• Unlimited internet access
• Stationery
• Documentation services
• Library access
• Archive access

For established researchers who already have external financial support, these institutional resources may make the Fellowship particularly valuable.

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How to Apply

Applications are submitted using ICCROM’s:

Online Fellowship Research Proposal Application form

The application form is available during the application period beginning on:

15 August 2026

Applicants should complete all required sections and upload supporting documentation before the deadline.

APPLY HERE

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Required Application Documents

Applicants need several digital files.

The accepted file formats include:

• PDF
• DOC
• DOCX
• JPG
• JPEG
• PNG
• TIF
• TIFF

Each file must have a maximum size of:

3 MB

The required supporting documentation includes three main components.

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1. Updated Curriculum Vitae

Applicants must provide an:

Up-to-date CV

The CV should demonstrate:

• Academic qualifications
• Professional history
• Heritage specialization
• Research experience
• Publications
• Teaching
• Conservation work
• Major projects
• International experience
• Other relevant achievements

Given the 10-year professional experience requirement, applicants should make their seniority and heritage expertise immediately clear.

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2. Employer Agreement

Where applicable, applicants must provide:

Confirmation from their employer agreeing to the research period at ICCROM.

This is especially relevant for applicants currently employed by:

• Universities
• Museums
• Heritage agencies
• Government institutions
• NGOs
• Conservation organizations

The document should demonstrate that the employer understands and supports the applicant’s proposed absence or research activity.

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3. Three Letters of Reference

Applicants must provide:

Three letters of reference

from people who have:

Direct knowledge of the applicant’s work.

Referees should therefore be capable of commenting credibly on:

• Professional expertise
• Research ability
• Conservation experience
• Independence
• Contribution to the heritage field
• Suitability for the proposed project

Applicants should contact referees well before September 15.

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What If You Cannot Use the Online Application Form?

Applicants unable to submit their materials through the online system may contact the Fellowship Programme focal point.

Contact: Alison Heritage
Project Manager, Strategic Planning and Research
ICCROM – Fellowship Programme
Via di San Michele, 13
I-00153 Rome, Italy

Email: fellowships@iccrom.org

Fax: +39 06 58 55 33 49

Applicants should contact ICCROM before the deadline if technical or accessibility issues prevent normal online submission.

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Fellowship Selection Process

Applications are assessed by the:

Fellowship Selection Committee

Candidates will be informed of the Committee’s decision in writing once results are available.

ICCROM does not provide a fixed notification date because the timeframe can vary depending on the number of applications received.

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How Applications Are Evaluated

ICCROM publishes six major selection criteria.

Understanding these criteria can help applicants prepare much stronger proposals.

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1. Overall Quality and Clarity

The proposed research should be:

• Clearly written
• Logically organized
• Well defined
• Intellectually coherent

Avoid overly broad topics.

A three-to-six-month Fellowship requires a focused research question.

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2. Research Need

The project should address an:

Identified knowledge gap.

Applicants should therefore explain:

• What is already known
• What remains unclear
• Why the gap matters
• Why additional research is needed

A proposal that simply summarizes an established topic will likely be less competitive.

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3. Quality of Anticipated Results

Applicants should demonstrate how their expected findings will represent:

• A useful development
• A practical contribution
• Intellectual progress
• A meaningful advance

for the field of heritage conservation.

Results might potentially take forms such as:

• Academic paper
• Policy recommendations
• Methodological framework
• Professional guidelines
• Comparative analysis
• Research report

Applicants should be specific about anticipated outputs.

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4. Feasibility

ICCROM evaluates whether the proposed research can realistically be completed using:

• Available resources
• ICCROM collections
• Fellowship timeframe
• Applicant expertise

A highly ambitious project requiring several years of fieldwork would probably not be appropriate for a three-to-six-month Fellowship unless the ICCROM period forms a clearly defined component of a larger project.

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5. Dissemination Plan

Applicants must explain how their research findings will be shared with the:

Broader heritage conservation community.

Possible dissemination routes may include:

• Open-access publication
• Academic journal
• Conference presentation
• Professional workshop
• Institutional briefing
• Online resources
• Training materials
• Policy communication

ICCROM particularly encourages:

Open-access dissemination.

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6. Relevance to ICCROM’s Strategic Directions

Applications connected with ICCROM’s current Strategic Directions receive preference.

For 2026–2027, candidates should pay particular attention to the priority themes concerning:

• Heritage risk management
• Climate change
• Urbanization
• Digital transition
• Complex crises
• Innovative technologies
• Heritage and climate policy
• Sustainable development
• Education
• Health and wellbeing

A proposal does not necessarily need to fit these themes to qualify, but a strong connection can improve strategic relevance.

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Preparing a Competitive ICCROM Fellowship Proposal

1. Identify a Specific Conservation Problem

Avoid proposing a topic such as:

“Climate Change and Cultural Heritage.”

Instead, narrow it to:

• A particular heritage type
• Specific geographic context
• Defined risk
• Policy problem
• Methodological issue

A focused question is easier to complete within the Fellowship period.

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2. Explain Why ICCROM Is Necessary

Do not write a proposal that could just as easily be completed at home.

Explain what ICCROM offers that is particularly valuable.

This might include:

• Specialist library holdings
• Archives
• International conservation literature
• Institutional history
• Comparative expertise
• Professional exchange

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3. Demonstrate Professional Experience

The programme requires at least 10 years in the heritage field.

Use your application to show how that experience positions you to undertake genuinely independent research.

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4. Connect Research With Practice

ICCROM is strongly practice-oriented.

Where appropriate, explain how your research can improve:

• Conservation approaches
• Risk management
• Policy
• Professional practice
• Institutional capacity
• Community engagement

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5. Build a Realistic Research Schedule

A strong proposal should demonstrate what will happen during each phase of the Fellowship.

For example:

• Initial literature and archive review
• Comparative analysis
• Consultation and professional exchange
• Drafting
• Validation
• Final output preparation

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6. Develop a Strong Dissemination Plan

Do not leave dissemination as an afterthought.

Explain:

• Who needs your findings
• How you will reach them
• Which platforms you will use
• Whether materials will be open access
• How the work can continue beyond the Fellowship

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7. Prepare Your Funding Plan

Because ICCROM does not provide a stipend, applicants should consider funding before applying.

Potential routes may include:

• Employer support
• University research funds
• External grants
• Professional development funds
• National heritage institutions
• Personal resources

The absence of ICCROM financial support should be factored into the feasibility of the Fellowship.

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Important Details at a Glance

Organisation: ICCROM

Programme: ICCROM Fellowship Programme

Cycle: 2027

Application opening: 15 August 2026

Application deadline: 15 September 2026

Fellowship year: 2027

Normal duration: 3–6 months

Location: ICCROM Headquarters, Rome, Italy

Hybrid option: Partial online participation possible with justification

Target applicants: Senior cultural heritage professionals

Minimum qualification: Master’s degree or higher in a cultural heritage-related area

Professional experience: Minimum 10 years

Language: Good knowledge of English or French

Research language: Any language

Financial stipend: None

Travel: Applicant responsibility

Accommodation: Applicant responsibility

Insurance: Applicant responsibility and mandatory

Office space: Provided

Computer workstation: Provided

Internet: Provided

Library and archive access: Provided

References: Three letters

Employer approval: Required where applicable

Official programme information:
https://www.iccrom.org/get-involved/fellowships

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Conclusion

The ICCROM Fellowship Programme 2027 offers an important research opportunity for senior cultural heritage professionals who want to spend dedicated time developing independent research while engaging with one of the world’s leading international organizations for heritage conservation.

The programme welcomes researchers, teachers and practitioners working across cultural heritage disciplines. Applicants must normally hold at least a Master’s degree in a heritage-related field and have at least 10 years of professional experience.

Research may address any topic connected with cultural heritage conservation and ICCROM’s mission. However, the 2026–2027 cycle gives particular preference to projects addressing improved conservation and risk-management approaches, climate change, urbanization, digital transition, complex crises and innovative technologies, as well as research integrating heritage into climate action, sustainable development, education, health and wellbeing.

Fellowships normally last three to six months and may be undertaken at ICCROM headquarters in Rome, with partial online arrangements possible when justified.

Fellows receive office space, a workstation, internet access and full use of ICCROM’s specialist documentation, library and archives. ICCROM’s conservation library includes holdings in more than 70 languages.

Applicants should nevertheless understand that this is currently a self-funded Fellowship. ICCROM does not provide a stipend, travel allowance or accommodation funding because of present budget constraints. Fellows must arrange and finance their own travel, accommodation and mandatory medical and accident insurance.

The application requires an updated CV, employer approval where applicable and three reference letters from people with direct knowledge of the applicant’s work.

Applications opened on 15 August 2026 and must be submitted by 15 September 2026.

To know more about this opportunity, VISIT HERE.

To discover more global fellowship opportunities, VISIT HERE.