Providing think tanks from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia with training and networking opportunities, the TRAIN Programme seeks to foster a fruitful policy dialogue between think tanks and political actors in the Western Balkans. During a series of seminars, participants will receive training on the conduct and efficient communication of policy research and will have the opportunity to exchange their research findings with decision makers in Brussels as well as at the national level.

Each participating researcher is expected to draft a policy paper relevant to the EU integration process of his/her respective country or the region as a whole. The general theme of the TRAIN Programme 2016 is the strengthening of fundamental rights in the candidate countries and potential candidate countries of South Eastern Europe.

The TRAIN Programme is funded by the German Federal Foreign Office (Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe) and run by the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP).

The deadline for all applications is February 15, 2016.

For further information, please refer to the "Call for Applications" and the application form here.