Municipality of Renteria - Koldo Mitxelena Grant for Research on Basque Culture

Koldo Mitxelena Research Grant

You will receive a one-off grant of 15,000 EUR (before deduction of Spanish income tax) to carry out a research project over a period of up to 18 months. The funds will be paid out in three instalments: 30% at the start, 30% upon submission of an interim report after nine months, and the final instalment of 40% upon completion of the project. The grant is funded by Errenteria Town Council (Gipuzkoa, in the Spanish Basque Country) in collaboration with the Basque Summer University (UEU). It is dedicated to the local linguist Koldo Mitxelena.

Who can apply

• Who: You can apply individually or as a group, and you may submit more than one project.
• Language: The project, the research work and the final report must be written entirely in Basque (Euskera). You must provide evidence of your knowledge of Basque by means of an EGA certificate or a recognised equivalent certificate. In a group, every member must provide this evidence.
• Topic: Your research must be relevant to the theme of the respective round, which must always be from the field of the humanities and social sciences. In the 2024 round, papers were sought on the socio-political role of women in Errenteria in the 20 and 21 centuries.
• Original work: Your project must be original and unpublished. It must not form part of a final-year dissertation, a doctoral thesis or any other academic work.
• Nationality and studies: Applicants of any nationality are welcome to apply. There are no age restrictions and no requirements regarding educational qualifications.
• Bonus for women: As a woman (or as an all-female group), you will be awarded extra marks during the assessment, as will experience in the fields of equality, gender or feminism. This is a preference, not a requirement.

How to apply

You can apply online using an electronic certificate via the Errenteria Town Council website, or in person at the Citizens’ Office. The deadline of 2024 was on 15 October. The grant is awarded every two years, so the next call for applications is expected to take place in 2026. A panel will assess all submitted projects and may invite you to present your project before making a decision.

How realistic are your chances?

This funding scheme is very narrowly defined: only one project will be selected, which must be written in Basque and meet a certified language standard; furthermore, it must relate to a specified topic concerning the town of Errenteria. As a result, the pool of applicants remains small, meaning that a compelling, well-prepared project in Basque on the specified topic has a genuine chance of success. Women and applicants with a background in gender or equality issues are awarded bonus points, which further improves their chances.