Stichting Vrienden van het Kunsthistorisch Instituut in Florence - NIKI Florence scholarships

NIKI Florence scholarships

You get a funded research stay in Florence, Italy: from 350 EUR per month for students, plus a free room at the institute and a one-off travel refund of up to 250 EUR against receipts. A stay runs 1 to 3 months. This is the NIKI/GWO scholarship, for art-history students and researchers. There is also a separate PhD scholarship of 10,000 EUR in total, paid in yearly instalments of 2,500 EUR over four years against travel and stay receipts. Both are given by the Friends of the Art History Institute in Florence foundation. You can use the institute's library, which is open 24/7.

Who can apply

• Level: For the monthly grant, you are a BA or MA student, a recent graduate working on a publication or PhD proposal, or a PhD candidate. The 10,000 EUR grant is for unpaid external PhD researchers.
• University: You are enrolled at, or supervised by, one of six Dutch universities: Utrecht, Amsterdam (UvA), VU Amsterdam, Groningen, Leiden or Radboud.
• Field of study: You study art history or a related subject.
• Language: You can at least read and understand Italian.
• Research plan: You have a clear research project you want to carry out in Florence.
• One limit: You cannot apply if you are already in Florence on an Erasmus or Socrates exchange.

How to apply

You send an application form, a research description of up to two pages, a one-page motivation letter and one reference letter by email to the foundation. For the monthly NIKI/GWO grant, deadlines fall on 30 April 2026, 31 July 2026, 31 October 2026 and 31 January 2027, with 2 to 3 places per round. For the PhD grant, the deadline is 1 September 2026. A committee judges each application on how original and feasible the research is.

How realistic are your chances?

This award is cut narrowly. You must be tied to one specific set of Dutch universities, work in art history, and have a concrete research project for Florence, so the eligible group is small. Only a handful of places go out per round, so a strong, well-argued research plan is what decides it. If you clearly fit the criteria and submit a convincing proposal, your prospects are good.