Two new $2,000 awards have been established to support contemporary intellectual and political engagement with Belarus. The awards honor the late Jan Karski, the Polish underground courier who carried eyewitness accounts of the Holocaust to the Polish government-in-exile and the Western Allies, was recognized by Yad Vashem as Righteous Among the Nations, and taught for forty years at Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service — and Solomon Pinchas Swyer, born in Vilyeyka (then in the Russian Empire, later Polish, now in Belarus) and a later resident of Minsk, before emigrating to the United States in 1913. These inaugural awards precede the planned permanent fund, identifying strong first recipients and building a track record toward that longer-term effort. The Program is administered by the Karski-Swyer Initiative to Promote Belarusian Studies (the “Initiative”).
The Program consists of two parallel award tracks:
• Track I — Academic/Research Award: for an enrolled student or postdoctoral researcher conducting contemporary research on Belarus.
• Track II — Human Rights and Rule of Law Fellowship Award: for an individual with a demonstrated record of human rights, environmental protection, or rule-of-law work concerning Belarus, including prominent legal cases or proceedings.
Among the Initiative’s aspirations is durable, multi-institutional support for the study of Belarus — including, over time, sponsored research positions, fellowships, or programming at partner institutions — in conjunction with the European Humanities University (EHU).
Prospective Institutional Partners
Georgetown University remains the Initiative’s preferred academic partner and intended eventual home for an endowed chair in Belarusian Studies. Jan Karski taught at Georgetown for forty years, and the University maintains programs connected to his legacy. Its Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies (CERES) and School of Foreign Service (SFS) maintain relevant teaching and research capacity; its Center for Jewish Civilization (CJC) honors Solomon Swyer in parallel; and Georgetown Law is directly relevant to Track II’s focus. The institutions discussed below remain valued prospective partners while a formal Georgetown relationship develops. The Initiative also encourages applications from Columbia, Johns Hopkins/SAIS, and Harvard in the U.S. and the University of Toronto in Canada, in recognition of their commitment to excellence and interest in the region.
Among the suitable forums for the presentation of a grantee’s written work are Georgetown’s CERES, SFS, and CJC, and then the Atlantic Council, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Columbia University (through its Harriman Institute for Russian, Eurasian and East European Studies — originally established as the Russian Institute — and its East Central European Center), the Congressional Research Service, Harvard University (through its Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies and the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute), Johns Hopkins University (through its Foreign Policy Institute and its Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs), the Kennan Institute, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, among others. No formal commitment has been made; the choice of venue will depend on which is best positioned to host it.
The intended template for both tracks is a small, named, current-use line added to a partner institution’s existing infrastructure, without a new committee, endowment, or accounting system — for example, a designated line within an existing scholarship, fellowship, or public-programming activity. Any host institution’s incremental cost or burden is expected to be de minimis, limited to hosting a panel or event and, where applicable, processing a recipient’s access to research resources.
Recipients under both tracks need not be enrolled at any particular institution — for example, a recipient may be affiliated with EHU or an institution listed under Prospective Institutional Partners above, or may be unaffiliated. As part of each award, the recipient will prepare a written work, and the Initiative and recipient will identify a suitable presentation venue together, drawing on those same partner institutions, in person or remotely. Both tracks are open to applicants of all citizenships. Where a recipient’s work is hosted by a partner institution, associated costs are expected to be de minimis. An applicant’s or nominee’s EHU affiliation will be regarded as a positive factor in evaluating candidates and proposals under both tracks.
Each award panel will have two members: Ethan S. Burger and one individual reviewer active in Belarusian studies or an adjacent field such as Polish, Russian, or Ukrainian studies. Prospective panelists include:
1. David Marples,
2. Don Jensen,
3. Curt Woolhiser,
4. Anton Saifullayeu, and
5. Peter Solomon.
Review Process for Applications
Applications under both tracks are reviewed by panel members. Participation involves only a modest time commitment per application and is uncompensated.
• Assignment: Attempts will be made to assign applications to panelists based on their areas of interest and expertise.
• Turnaround: A panelist who confirms availability to review a given application commits to completing and submitting a written assessment of that application within two weeks of confirming availability.
• Conflicts of interest: Given the small number of people active in Belarusian studies, a panelist knowing an applicant need not end that panelist’s review. The panelist must disclose the relationship to the coordinator (Ethan S. Burger) and may proceed if they believe they can evaluate objectively; neither the relationship nor that self-assessment is disclosed to the applicant. A panelist remains free to decline review, for this or any other reason.
Each panelist completes the Reviewer Evaluation Form for the applicable track, setting out assessment criteria, a scoring scale, and an overall recommendation. These written assessments inform, but do not constitute, the final award determination.
Award determinations — the decision to grant an award — are made by Ethan S. Burger together with one approved Initiative Reviewer, informed by the panel’s written assessments. Final approval of each recipient’s completed work — confirming it merits the second $1,000 installment — is likewise made by Burger together with one approved Initiative Reviewer. The same Reviewer need not serve in both roles; the reviewer who approves the award and the reviewer who approves the completed work may differ.
Successful applicants may be given access to research resources at a partner institution for the duration of their funded work, as arranged between the Initiative and that institution. [Confirm access scope with the institution prior to distributing funds.]
Track I — Academic/Research Award
Award Amount and Structure
• $1,000 upon selection and announcement of the winner
• $1,000 upon completion of the academic work and the recipient’s participation in a panel or event at a venue drawn from the institutions listed under Prospective Institutional Partners — in person or remotely
Eligibility
• Applicants must be an enrolled student (undergraduate or graduate) at an accredited institution, or a postdoctoral researcher (generally within five years of the doctorate). No particular institutional affiliation is required.
• Belarusian citizenship is preferred but not required.
• The proposed project must address a contemporary topic concerning Belarus in the areas of politics, history, government, or economics.
• Applicants with an affiliation to European Humanities University (EHU) will be viewed favorably by the panel in the evaluation process.
Application Requirements
Applicants must submit:
5. A research proposal of 1,000–1,200 words describing the project and its contribution to the field.
6. Two references (preferably professors or colleagues active in the field) with current contact details; applicants should be ready for a brief (~10-minute) Google Meet interview.
7. A current resume/CV.
8. An academic transcript.
9. A writing sample of prior academic work.
Track II — Human Rights and Rule of Law Fellowship Award
Award Amount and Structure
• $1,000 upon selection and announcement of the recipient
• $1,000 upon completion of the academic work and the recipient’s participation in a panel or event at a venue drawn from the institutions listed under Prospective Institutional Partners — in person or remotely
Eligibility
• Candidates need not be enrolled students; this track recognizes individuals with a demonstrated record of work in human rights, environmental rights, and/or the rule of law as it concerns Belarus.
• Relevant experience includes involvement in prominent legal cases, litigation, prosecutions, or tribunal proceedings relating to Belarus — for example, human rights defenders, lawyers, judges, legal journalists, or civil-society leaders.
• Candidates may be self-nominated or nominated by a third party (e.g., a colleague, employer, or partner organization); nominations should include the nominee’s consent to be considered.
• Belarusian citizenship is preferred but not required.
• Candidates with an affiliation to European Humanities University (EHU) will be viewed favorably by the panel in the evaluation process.
Application/Nomination Requirements
Applicants or nominators must submit:
10. A statement of 1,000–1,200 words describing the candidate’s human rights, environmental rights, or rule-of-law work, including the specific legal case(s) or initiative(s) involved and their significance.
11. Two references (preferably colleagues, co-counsel, or partner organizations familiar with the candidate’s work) with current contact details; candidates should be ready for a brief (~10-minute) Google Meet interview.
12. A current resume/CV or professional biography.
13. Where available, supporting documentation of the relevant legal case(s) or advocacy work (e.g., case citations, press coverage, published filings, or reports).
14. A writing sample (e.g., a legal brief, published article, report, or comparable work product), if available.
Timeline (Both Tracks)
• Application/nomination deadline: September 1, 2026
• Interviews: Between September 1 and October 1, 2026
• Winners announced: October 1, 2026
• Deadline for completed work and panel participation: [Insert date]
How to Apply
Applications and nominations under either track, and all correspondence, should be directed to Ethan S. Burger at ethansb@karski-swyer-belarus-initiative.org and esb34@georgetown.edu.
Sponsor
These awards are administered by the Karski-Swyer Initiative to Promote Belarusian Studies and sponsored by Ethan S. Burger in memory of Jan Karski and Solomon Pinchas Swyer. Although Georgetown University is the Initiative’s preferred eventual institutional for a future endowed chair in Belarusian studies, the Initiative is independent and is not affiliated with Georgetown University or any other institution named in this document; it is not a separate legal entity and does not hold U.S. IRS 501(c)(3) status.
Professors, program directors, and partner organizations are encouraged to share this announcement with qualified students, practitioners, and colleagues.