Organizer Information
International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to the preservation of cultural heritage worldwide. Founded in 1959 and headquartered in Rome, Italy, ICCROM provides capacity-building, training, knowledge exchange, research, and advisory services in cultural heritage conservation. Its mandate is to strengthen heritage leaders, professionals, institutions, and communities in safeguarding cultural heritage through international collaboration, standard-setting, and practical conservation methodologies. ICCROM works with member states, heritage institutions, and international partners to address contemporary threats – including disasters, climate change, conflict, and socio-cultural pressures – to cultural assets of all forms. This specific initiative is run through ICCROM’s First Aid and Resilience for Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis (FAR) Programme in partnership with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC) and funded by the European Union through the Creative Europe Programme. Funding and partnerships bring together a large network of heritage institutions, disaster-risk agencies, technical partners, and specialist bodies across Europe.
Title & Description
READY Track 2 – Safeguarding Heritage Cities, Sites, Buildings, Living Traditions and Practices in the Face of Disasters, Extreme Weather Events and Complex Emergencies
This is a fully funded international training programme designed to strengthen capacities to safeguard immovable heritage (such as historic cities, archaeological sites, historic buildings and landscapes) alongside associated living traditions, practices and community knowledge systems under risk from disasters, climate extremes, armed conflict, and complex emergencies. The initiative responds to the growing frequency and intersection of hazards – including climate change impacts, natural disasters, and human-induced emergencies – which pose significant threats to both physical heritage and the social traditions embedded within heritage places. The course takes a systems-based, interdisciplinary approach, integrating climate adaptation and nature-based strategies with heritage conservation, disaster preparedness and multi-actor crisis response coordination. Participants will acquire practical tools and methodologies for risk assessment, emergency preparedness, cultural first aid, damage stabilisation, community-centered documentation and recovery, and strategic integration of heritage protection into broader disaster risk management and resilience planning.
Categories
- Cultural Heritage Conservation
- Disaster and Risk Management
- Climate Resilience & Adaptation
- Urban and Built Heritage
- Intangible/ Living Traditions & Community Practices
- Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response Training
Eligibility
The call invites applications from diverse professionals who are engaged in cultural heritage protection and risk management. Applicants must be from countries that participate in the Creative Europe Programme (a list of eligible European and non-European countries applies). Eligible profiles include, but are not limited to:
- Conservation architects and engineers
- Heritage site managers and urban planners
- Archaeologists and cultural heritage professionals
- Community leaders and cultural bearers connected to living traditions
- Professionals from civil protection, disaster risk management, climate science, humanitarian response, and fire risk management
- Military and emergency services are involved in heritage protection
Participants should be committed to full engagement across all course components and ideally have support from their institution or relevant local authorities to implement follow-up projects after training.
Program Benefits & Awards
This is a fully funded programme (no participation fee). ICCROM covers:
- Travel costs for the in-person component
- Accommodation during the in-person phase
- Course materials and training support
- Access to a network of international experts and technical partners
Beyond financial support, participants gain: - Interdisciplinary training and practical skills in heritage risk assessment, emergency mitigation and crisis response
- Multi-actor crisis simulation and tabletop exercises
- Networking with heritage and disaster professionals across sectors
- Mentored implementation of follow-up field projects (Phase 3) in participants’ home regions
- Participation in an international online dissemination event for outcomes (Phase 4)
Application Fee
None
Application Requirements
To apply, candidates must complete an online application form, including:
- Personal and professional information
- CV/Professional resume
- A detailed description of professional background in heritage, emergency management, or related fields
- Identification of a heritage city/site/building or living tradition and justification for its selection
- Demonstration of institutional support for planned post-training field activities
- Any necessary permissions for data collection and risk assessment for the chosen case study
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 31 March 2026
- Preliminary Selection Notification: by 30 April 2026
- Online Interview (if shortlisted): First week of May 2026
- Phase 1: Online Orientation: May–early June 2026 (≈ 4 weeks)
- Phase 2: In-Person Training: Two-week session in May/June 2026 (exact dates TBC)
- Phase 3: Follow-up Field Projects: Aug 2026 – Feb 2027
- Phase 4: Online Meeting Dissemination: Dates TBD
Location
Bucharest, Romania
Additional Details
- The programme will be conducted in English; a multilingual support glossary is provided.
- Participants are expected to commit to all phases, including online orientation, in-person training, and implementation of field work.
- Field projects should be designed to enhance local/regional heritage risk management capacities.
- Emphasis is placed on community-engaged and culturally grounded participatory approaches.