Open Call: Research into patriotic education and youth socialisation in Russia
Application Deadline: 15 September 2025
Overview
The NEST Centre invites researchers with expertise in Russia’s political and socio-economic transformation to submit proposals exploring how patriotic education is shaping or attempting to shape the socialisation of young people in Russia since 2022.
The intensification of efforts by the Russian state to cultivate ideological loyalty among school-aged children raises questions about both the mechanisms of influence used and their effectiveness.
Possible research topics include, but are not limited to, the study of curriculum changes, adjustments to school practices, extracurricular activities, the choice of narratives, strategies of mobilisation, regional variations in implementation, as well as youth responses.
This call for bids is part of a NEST Centre initiative to support projects that examine key developments in Russia’s social structure, institutional change, public opinion, and ideological realignments.
A project selected for support is expected to deliver a final report that includes both an analytical section and, where appropriate, practical recommendations suitable for presentation to the international expert community. Projects using original empirical data (e.g., interviews, surveys, data analysis) are especially encouraged.
The selection process will consist of two stages:
• Initial screening of proposals
• Interviews with shortlisted applicants
The deadline for applications is 15 September 2025. Submissions are accepted in English or Russian in line with the format below and should be sent to [email protected]. If you have any questions, please use this address as well.
Requirements
Please use the following structure when submitting your application:
- Project title
- Research team (names, short bios, institutional affiliation if applicable, CV)
- Project summary (approx. 800‑1000 words)
– Research questions
– Key hypotheses or assumptions
– Relevance: Explain why the topic is timely and important, and specify the gap in existing knowledge that the research aims to address
– Methodology: Proposed research design and data sources
– Expected outcomes
– Policy relevance. Potential recommendations or implications for policy and practice. - Timeline and implementation plan
- Preliminary budget
- References. Applicants should include the names and contact information of one or two individuals who are familiar with their work and can provide a reference.