The Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation (VCDNP) invites female undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate students as well as recent graduates to apply to a Young Women in Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Mentorship Programme. The mentorship programme, which will run from 15 September 2026 to 15 May 2027, seeks to engage young women in the field of non-proliferation, arms control and disarmament, and promote awareness about these issues.
The programme will pair successful applicants with well-known experts to establish a mentoring relationship, which envisions regular videoconferencing sessions and other forms of communication between mentees and mentors. Participants will also be expected to attend selected conferences, including the EUNPD Consortium Annual Conference on 08-11 November 2026 in Brussels. Additionally, networking and career and skills development opportunities will be offered through seminars, workshops, and other activities.
Participants are encouraged to produce a deliverable at the end of the programme. The form of the deliverable will be agreed individually with the organizers and might be a paper, a presentation, a video, a blog post, or a similar output. While producing a deliverable is optional, participation in other programme activities is mandatory. We therefore encourage applications only from candidates who can commit to attending one- to two-hour long virtual events once a month.
The mentorship programme is open to female students currently enrolled in undergraduate, graduate, or post-graduate programmes, as well as recent graduates (graduated within the last two years and no earlier than June 2024). Candidates of all nationalities and from all regions of the world are welcome to apply, though, a portion of the spots will be reserved for applicants from Europe. The programme will be conducted in English; therefore, good English language skills are essential.
The deadline for applications is 3 July 2026. Applications should be submitted in English using the ONLINE APPLICATION FORM . Please note that applicants will be asked to upload the following documents:
Successful applicants will be informed of the final decision by 30 July 2026 at the latest. We recommend monitoring your email inbox and spam folder. All inquiries about the programme should be directed to apply@vcdnp.org
The Mentorship Programme is organised in the framework of the Young Women and Next Generation Initiative (YWNGI), as part of the EUNPDC effort to engage the next generation in non-proliferation, disarmament and arms control. Information about previous editions of the Programme can be found here.
