The Programme

The Institut für Europäische Politik (IEP) is running a study programme funded by the Volkswagen Foundation on European Security for PhD candidates and young professionals from Central and East European EU member states and Eastern neighbourhood countries. The programme combines the production of policy papers of about 25 pages each and research stays of 3 to 4 weeks in Berlin, including eventually short study trips for interviews and research to Brussels.
The individual papers of the programme fellows will be published by IEP in a special series and probably also in a book assembling the papers which cover a number of issues from different perspectives. Working and publication language is English (German exceptionally).


Application Procedure

Applicants should send an outline of 1 page or a table of content (including a short bibliography) of their planned policy paper plus a short CV (1 page) complemented by a list of major own publications and a photocopy of the last obtained university degree or nomination.


Target Group and Thematic Framework

Selected fellows from Central and Eastern Europe who are excellent post-graduates, PhD-candidates or young professionals (such as assistant or junior professors) at the beginning of their academic or other careers. Applications should focus preferably on the following issue areas or thematic clusters:

• Shaping a new transatlantic relationship
• The EU and Russia
• Enlargement, European Neighbourhood Policy and stability projection
• The EU’s diplomatic, civilian and military crisis management
• How to strengthen the EU’s actorness in a globalised and multi-polar world?
• European Energy security and climate change policy.

The above mentioned themes can be dealt with in an EU-perspective or in the perspective of the country or region from which the applicants are coming by addressing particular concerns or expectations with respect to the future security role of the European Union in a challenging and constantly changing world. Further topics may be suggested by the applicants.

 

Research Grants for Programme Fellows

The selected programme fellows are supposed to work on their suggested topic at their home institution and to deliver a publication ready paper within a given time frame (6-8 months). They will receive a qualification oriented individual research grant (“Sachbeihilfe”) for the writing of this paper, starting from about € 3,000, depending on whether they are excellent PhD-candidates, post-doc fellows or professorial fellows (junior or assistant professors) or have an equivalent qualified practical expertise. IEP will cover travel and accommodation costs, including per diems, and eventually a short study trip from Berlin to Brussel. The research grants for the policy papers will be paid in three instalments, the first one at the beginning of the project on the basis of a deepened outline, a second instalment on the basis of the first draft of the paper and the final amount after the delivery of a full publishable version of the paper. The research stay at IEP of three to four weeks will basically be used for strengthening the argument of the paper and organising smaller workshops with experts from IEP and other Berlin based think tanks or universities.


Selection Criteria

• The personal qualification of the candidate in terms of academic or professional record,
• the appropriateness of the individual research proposal with a view to the overall framework of the programme,
• the expected impact of the work of the candidate on the debate of the future of European security and
• the relevance of the participation in the programme on the career of the grant beneficiary.

Application deadline

Applications have to be sent by 20 March 2009