The fellowship is planned to be implemented in cooperation with the Stanford Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies and the Stanford University Libraries. Similar fellowships are already available to researchers from universities in Lithuania and Estonia.
The cooperation programme is designed to strengthen academic ties between the UL and Stanford University, while also promoting the development of Latvian and Baltic studies internationally. The fellowship will cover research-related, travel, accommodation and other visit-related expenses up to EUR 25,000.
“Excellence in research is a strategic priority for the University of Latvia. Stanford University is one of the world’s leading higher education institutions, both in studies and in research, regularly placed in Top 10 in university rankings. For many researchers, the opportunity to go to Stanford and become part of its academic community is a highly valuable experience and opportunity. that shapes their future career. It is great that the Stanford University has interest in Latvian and Baltic researchers. I invite researchers to use it!” said UL Vice-Rector for Research Guntars Kitenbergs, highlighting the significance of the new partnership.
Curator for Estonian and Baltic Studies at Stanford Libraries Liisi Esse said about the new fellowship: “We are absolutely thrilled about this new partnership and the opportunity to welcome more scholars from the University of Latvia to Stanford. This fellowship will enable Latvian researchers to access Stanford’s collections and share their unique expertise on a region of continuously growing significance with our students and faculty. It will also help develop important personal and institutional connections between Latvian and Stanford scholars.”
Researchers and students from the UL will be invited to apply for the annual fellowship by outlining their proposed research topic, their planned engagement with Stanford staff and institutional units, and the expected contribution of their research to the UL, their respective academic unit and individual growth. Applications will be reviewed through a competitive selection process, with representatives from both UL and Stanford participating in the final assessment.
In addition to the fellowship programme, Stanford has expressed interest in expanding cooperation with the UL in the areas of student internships, as well as in the organisation of cultural and academic activities in the Baltic States. Mārtiņš Andersons, a long-time Bronze-level patron of the University of Latvia Foundation and chairman of the board of “Friends of the University of Latvia,” has also decided to support the initiative of both universities and has pledged an additional 5,000 euros to increase the scholarship amount.s
The first call for applications will open this autumn, with submissions due by 15 September. The first research visit to Stanford University is planned for spring 2027.
Stanford has already hosted several Latvian academics and public officials in recent years, demonstrating its interest in building closer and longer-term cooperation with Latvia. Initiation of the fellowship was supported by the visit of the Minister of Education and Science to the United States, including Stanford University in April 2026, in which Kristaps Jaudzems, Dean of the UL Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences also took part. The fellowship also follows the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Stanford University Libraries in 2025.
Regulations for the Short-Term Research Fellowship Competition at Stanford University.
 has reached an agreement with one of the world’s leading universities – Stanford University – to establish a Short-Term Research Fellowship at Stanford University for Latvian Scholars. The initiative will offer researchers from the University of Latvia the opportunity to spend up to three months at Stanford conducting research and benefiting from the university’s resources, academic expertise, and international collaboration networks. ){kind=link}