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Open Call for the INDEX Veteran Programme

Open Call 10 September 2025 Veteran Fellowship
Open Call for the INDEX Veteran Programme

INDEX: The Institute for Documentation and Exchange seeks applications for its Veteran Programme. We invite veterans with backgrounds in culture or the humanities to contribute to documenting Russia’s war against Ukraine. Two selected participants — one working from January to March and the other from October to December 2026 — will develop individual research or artistic projects that capture and reflect on the experience of serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine during Russia’s invasion.

About the Veteran Programme

INDEX will support two veterans working in literature, theatre, visual art or academic research (Humanities).

A study published in the Journal of Disability Policy Studies in 2025 shows that Ukrainian veterans face difficulties in finding employment due to the challenges of adapting to civilian life, limited opportunities for retraining and employer bias. Yet the successful integration of veterans into society is a crucial precondition for Ukraine’s social cohesion and continued resilience in the face of unprecedented wartime challenges.

INDEX has launched its Veteran Programme to support former service members with backgrounds in academia and culture, not only in reviving their careers but also in shaping the framework through which Russia’s war against Ukraine is being understood and remembered. We firmly believe in the unique value of documenting the experiences of those who have risked their lives to defend Ukraine from Russia’s aggression.

The recipient of INDEX’s pilot Veteran Programme in 2025 is Yevhen Shybalov — journalist, veteran and humanitarian specialist — who, during his stay in Lviv, is working on a collection of stories about the experiences of his comrades during the military service.

The programme aims to:

  • Support professional development of veterans within academia, cultural and creative industries;

  • Provide mentorship and access to professional networks;

  • Facilitate the production and public presentation of cultural projects during the fellowship;

  • Create a space for reflection, learning and exchange.

Veteran Fellow will be offered the following opportunities:

  • Receive a stipend of $1,200 USD (in UAH equivalent).

  • Be provided with accommodation in a centrally located flat in Lviv.

  • Get access to office space at INDEX (Fellows’ room).

  • Get psychological support.

  • Engage with the media, host a public event to present the results of their work, or lead an internal seminar with experts from the INDEX community.

  • Participate in study visits to cultural institutions and meetings with key stakeholders.

  • Receive mentorship from leading Ukrainian cultural practitioners.

Two selected participants and three shortlisted applicants will also participate in INDEX's Creative Nonfiction Writing School in November 2026.

This opportunity is open to veterans of Ukraine’s Armed Forces who:

  • Can demonstrate work experience in the cultural or academic sector;

  • Have a clear interest in returning to or further developing their creative or academic practice;

  • Propose a feasible and relevant cultural project to be developed during the participation in the programme;

  • Are private entrepreneurs (registered as 'FOP' in Ukraine).

How to Apply

Applicants are invited to submit:

  • CV;

  • Brief personal statement (max. two pages) describing their professional background, motivations for applying and initial ideas for a cultural project;

  • Relevant samples of previous work (up to three links or PDFs).

Selection Committee

— Yurii Vovkogon, cultural manager, installation artist, writer, veteran and project manager at YMCA Lviv.

— Alona Karavai, curator, essayist, cultural manager and co-founder of Insha Osvita and the VILNO reintegration programme.

— Lyana Mytsko, cultural studies expert, founder and director of the Lviv Municipal Art Center and the Urban Mobility Center.

— Sasha Dovzhyk, head of INDEX, writer and editor of London Ukrainian Review.

— Olesya Yaremchuk, programme coordinator at INDEX, writer, journalist and editor.

Application form: https://forms.gle/P3p8KJxTYu3RLhLN9 

Deadline: 31 October 2025

Announcement of the selection results: by 17 November 2025

Should you have any additional questions, please contact us at communications@index-ukraine.org.  

The Programme is part of a project supported by Brave for Ukraine.