By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
Leiden University, located in Leiden, Netherlands, has launched the Comenius Leadership Fellowship 2026, offering €500,000 in funding for educational projects that aim to improve higher education for students.
According to the institution, the fellowship is available to individuals or teams with innovative projects that have the potential to impact multiple faculties or institutions.
Fellowship details
The Comenius Leadership Fellowship provides the following benefits:
- Funding: Selected projects will receive €500,000 in funding to support development over a period of 36 to 42 months.
- Networking: Fellows will gain access to a network of educators and innovators.
- Institutional Support: Projects will have backing from university leadership and will align with the institution’s educational strategy.
Eligibility criteria
To apply for the Comenius Leadership Fellowship 2026, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Experience: Applicants must have a track record of successfully implementing educational projects
- Alignment: The project must align with the broader educational goals of the institution.
- Innovation and scaling: The project must either be in the development or implementation phase but should aim to further innovate or scale.
- Selection: Each university may submit only one proposal, which will be selected by the rector after discussions with vice-deans.
Application process
Interested applicants must follow these steps:
- Submit a proposal: Send a 1-1.5 A4 page summary of the proposed project to Anna Terra Verhage at Leiden University ([email protected]).
- Proposal requirements: The proposal should include:
- A 100-150 word summary of the innovation.
- A description of the educational problem and how the innovation addresses it.
- Information about the implementation status and impact on students.
- The target audience and relevance to other faculties or institutions.
- Details about stakeholders and future collaboration possibilities.
- An evidence-based approach, including theoretical frameworks and models.
- Internal review: Proposals will be reviewed by the rector and vice-deans at the Education Council in May 2025. Selected initiatives will be nominated for submission to the national competition.
- Final submission: Nominated projects will be submitted for the national Comenius Leadership Fellowship competition in summer 2025. If not selected, projects may still be eligible for the Grassfields Grant.
Dutch education award 2026
In addition to the Comenius Leadership Fellowship, the Dutch Education Award 2026 offers recognition and support for educational projects that have already had a measurable impact. Applicants who have successfully implemented educational innovations may also qualify for this award.
For further information and updates, applicants should refer to Leiden University’s official communication channels.
Source: Nairametrics