PILOTING
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
European Pilot Program
CULT STEAM Curriculum Empowering Women in STEM through Culture and Technology
Up to 60 STEM Female Students with a Humanities and Cultural Background
- EU Programme Erasmus: + KA220-HED | 2024-1-IT02-KA220-HED-000249904
- Available places: 60 female students - up to 20 female students for each partner country
- Activity duration: 2 full days (September 2026 - October 2026)
- Participation: Free of charge
- Application deadline: 15th September 2026
- Italy - University of Camerino, CONFORM S.c.a.r.l;
- Spain - University of Valencia, Culturalink S.L.;
- France - University Côte d’Azur;
- Croatia - University of Zagreb;
- Albania - University of Tirana, Qendra “SHKENCË DHE INOVACION PËR ZHVILLIM”.
The initiative responds to the growing pervasiveness of digital technologies in the enhancement and use of cultural heritage, and aims to facilitate access for women with a humanities background to STEM study paths.
Despite growing attention to gender equality in STEM disciplines, women remain underrepresented in many technological fields. This challenge is particularly significant for young women coming from humanities-oriented educational backgrounds, who often perceive STEM pathways as inaccessible or unrelated to their previous studies.
Through piloting the CULT STEAM Curriculum, the project aims to investigate how integrating culture, creativity, and technology can strengthen female participation, confidence, and engagement in STEM-related learning and professional pathways.
The specific objective of this call is to select up to 60 women who have successfully transitioned from humanities-oriented secondary education to STEM higher education pathways to participate in piloting the CULT STEAM Curriculum: an innovative training path that combines culture, creativity, and technology.
Selected participants will actively contribute to the evaluation and validation of the Curriculum through feedback activities, thereby contributing to a European-level experimentation.
The selection is open to female students who meet both of the following requirements.
2.1 – Secondary School Background
A secondary school diploma from programs with a strong focus on the humanities, arts, languages, and cultural studies, such as classical studies, modern languages, fine arts, performing arts, and human sciences.
Eligible secondary school backgrounds vary by country of origin. Please refer to Appendix A for the complete list of qualifying school types per country.
2.2 – University Enrolment
Applicants must meet one of the following two conditions.
Option A – STEM Degree Program (priority)
Currently enrolled, at the time of application, in a university program (Bachelor's, Master's, single-cycle degree, or PhD students) in one of the following STEM disciplines:
- Computer Science / Informatics / Computer Engineering
- Mathematics / Statistics
- Physics
- Chemistry / Chemical Engineering
- Biology / Biological Sciences
- Geology / Earth Sciences
- Environmental Sciences / Environmental Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Electrical / Electronic Engineering
- Industrial Engineering
- Aerospace Engineering
- Biomedical Engineering
Option B – STEM Credits (alternative pathway)
Alternatively, students enrolled in any other degree program who have obtained at least 20% of the ECTS in courses in one or more of the STEM disciplines listed above are also eligible to apply.
The CULT STEAM Curriculum is the main output of the CULT European project. It is a higher education training path composed of six thematic modules, designed for students in the cultural and creative industries operating in technological contexts:
- Digital Technologies for Cultural Heritage: digital tools for the documentation, preservation and promotion of cultural heritage;
- Technologies for Extended Reality: virtual, augmented and mixed reality applied to culture and immersive learning;
- Web 3D and Immersive Communication: digital storytelling for virtual museums, archives and exhibitions;
- Artificial Intelligence for Digital Heritage Innovation: AI-driven creativity and innovation in the cultural sector;
- Video Game Design for Cultural Heritage: video games as educational and creative tools to explore culture and collective memory;
- Inclusion of Girls in STEM: a module dedicated to female empowerment and the promotion of gender equality in technology-related disciplines.
The selected students will participate in piloting this curriculum through Work-Based Learning (WBL) experiences and laboratory activities, actively contributing to its refinement before its dissemination in Europe.
The activities might be organized over two training days, both to be completed by the end of October, with a period of independent group project development in between.
Day 1 – WBL Session and Workshop (September - October 2026)
Morning – Workshop on the CULT STEAM Curriculum
- Presentation of the CULT Curriculum learning resources to the students.
Afternoon – Work-Based Learning (Part 1)
- Cultural Organisations will present their activities and propose project challenges to the students.
- Students will form teams (up to 4 students) and start the ideation phase of their project.
Day 2 – WBL + Lab Session (October 2026)
Morning – WBL (Part 2) and Laboratory Session
- Student teams present their project ideas draft to peers, professors, and representatives of cultural organizations for feedback.
Final European Challenge
All participating teams will first deliver and present their project in the selected CULT partner university.
Afterward, a ranking will be established.
The best team from each CULT partner University will be invited to present its project during the final CULT event in Camerino (Italy) on 11 December 2026.
Accommodation will be fully covered by the project. Travel expenses to and from Camerino will be the responsibility of each participant and will not be covered by the project.
For participants who are unable to attend the final event in person, the possibility to present online will also be provided.
Among the finalist teams, the overall winning team will also receive a €500 cash prize.
To apply for the selection, interested students must complete the application form at the following link: https://forms.gle/5VCrjM2sVi2mPp96A.
Participation is completely free of charge.
Applications must be submitted by 11:59 pm on 15th September 2026.
The form will require the following information:
- Personal details and contact information;
- High school attended and type of diploma;
- Current degree program or percentage of ECTS in STEM;
- A short motivation letter (max 200 words) describing your interest in participating in the CULT pilot program.
Each applicant will be assigned to the CULT partner university according to the preference expressed in their application.
The assigned university will be responsible for managing the applicant's participation in the selection process and project activities.
If applications exceed the 20 available places for each CULT university partner, selection will be based on the following criteria, assessed by a committee designated by the CULT project partners:
- Alignment of the applicant's profile with the project target: weight 40%;
- Quality and motivation of the application letter: weight 60%.
Priority will be given to students with the highest scores.
In the case of equal scores, preference will be given to the younger female students.
All applicants will be notified of the outcome of the selection by email by 20th September 2026.
All students who complete both training sessions and submit the final project will receive an official Certificate of Participation for piloting the CULT STEAM Curriculum.
The certificate will indicate that the completed activities correspond to 1 ECTS credits.
The formal recognition and transfer of these credits will be subject to the regulations and approval procedures of the participant's home university.
Personal data provided by applicants will be processed in compliance with EU Regulation 2016/679 (GDPR) and applicable partner country legislation on personal data protection.
Data collected will be used exclusively for purposes related to the selection process and the management of CULT project activities.
Data will not be shared with third parties outside the project consortium.
Applicants may exercise their rights as data subjects by contacting the data controller at: [email protected].
For any further information, please visit the official project website: cult.conform.it
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APPENDIX A
Qualifying Secondary School Backgrounds by Country
The following tables list the secondary school types considered eligible to participate in the CULT pilot for each of the five partner countries.
Applicants must hold a diploma from one of the listed school types or a nationally recognized equivalent in their country of origin.
ITALY
- Liceo Artistico:
Arts – visual arts, design, audiovisual media, architecture, scenography, crafts - Liceo Classico:
Classics Latin, Ancient Greek, philosophy, literature, and history of arts - Liceo delle Scienze Umane:
Human Sciences – psychology, pedagogy, sociology, anthropology - Liceo Coreutico:
Dance & Performing Arts – classical, contemporary and folk dance; music theory - Liceo Linguistico:
Modern Languages – minimum three foreign languages, literature, and cultural studies
FRANCE
- Lycée Général:
Philosophy, History, Foreign Languages, Arts, Literature, Latin, Ancient Greek - Lycée Technologique:
Option S2TMD : science and technology of theatre, music and dance - Bachelor at University:
Humanities, Information & Communication
CROATIA
- Gimnazija (Gymnasium):
Humanities - philosophy, sociology, psychology, visual arts, musical arts, ethics, foreign languages, latin, history - Klasična gimnazija (Classical gymnasium):
Humanities - philosophy, sociology, psychology, visual arts, musical arts, ethics, foreign languages, latin, ancient greek, history
SPAIN
- Bachillerato de Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales:
(Level 6 or Bachelor’s level in Humanities and Social Sciences) - Bachillerato de Artes:
(Level 6 or Bachelor’s level in Arts) - Bachillerato General (General Sixth Form):
May be considered only if the applicant demonstrates a predominantly humanities and cultural oriented curriculum during secondary education (latin, greek, literature, art history, etc.). - Formación profesional de grado superior (Advanced vocational training):
This will only be taken into account if the applicant can demonstrate that the vocational training they have undertaken relates to the humanities and culture (e.g. audiovisual and entertainment production, socio-cultural and tourism events, photography, interior design, etc.).
ALBANIA
- Gjimnaz i Përgjithshëm (General Gymnasium):
General humanities track – literature, history, philosophy, social sciences, foreign languages - Liceu Artistik (School of Arts / Arts Lyceum):
Visual arts, music, performing arts - Gjimnazi Artistik (Artistic Gymnasium):
Fine arts, music theory, cultural heritage, aesthetic disciplines - Bachelor in Universiteti i Arteve (Bachelor in University of the Arts):
Fine arts, music
General note
The school types listed above reflect the official secondary education systems of each partner country at the time of publication of this call. Applicants holding a diploma from a school type not listed but with an equivalent humanities or cultural focus are encouraged to contact the organising team to verify eligibility before applying.