New Europe College-Institute for Advanced Study in Bucharest (Romania) announces its annual competition for the 2021/2022 Fellowships.

New Europe College-Institute for Advanced Study in Bucharest (Romania) launches the annual competition for the 2021/2022 Fellowships. Romanian and international scholars (at postdoctoral level) in all fields of the humanities and social sciences (including law and economics) are invited to apply. 

What we offer

The Fellowship consists of: a monthly stipend of 850 Euros (tax free); accommodation in Bucharest, comprising living quarters and working space; reimbursement of travel costs from the home/residence country to Bucharest and back. Fellows who stay for the whole academic year are offered a one-month research trip to an institution of their choice. Fellows have free access to the NEC library and electronic resources.

What we expect

Fellows are expected to work on their projects and take part in the scientific events organized by NEC. Presence at the weekly seminars discussing the work in progress of the Fellows is compulsory. At the end of their Fellowship, Fellows are expected to hand in a research paper, reflecting the results of their work over the duration of the Fellowship. The papers will be included in a NEC publication.

Eligibility

NEC Fellowships are open to postdoctoral level scholars (with the exception of Pontica Magna, which also accepts applications from doctoral students and non-degree candidates – see below). Romanian and international candidates in all fields of the humanities and social sciences are eligible for the core NEC program. Other Fellowship programs target candidates from specific countries or academic fields. See the descriptions below for details.

Duration

For Romanian citizens: a full academic year (10 months, starting with October 2021); for non-Romanian citizens: a full academic year or one term (5 months, starting with October 2021 or March 2022).

How to apply

Applications are submitted via NEC’s application platform available online.

NEC accepts applications in English, French or German. See the guidelines below to make sure you have all needed documents to submit your application. Please also note that English is the preferred language of communication during most NEC events.

The DEADLINE for submitting applications is 15 JANUARY 2021.

Incomplete or late applications will not be taken into consideration.

Documents needed for applying

Please note that you need to upload several documents to the application platform:

– a recent photo

– a scan of your PhD diploma

– at least two original letters of reference (in English, French, or German) written explicitly to support your application for the NEC Fellowship. Referees can be invited to upload the letters themselves.

Please answer all the questions mentioned in the application form and do not exceed the allotted space. The project itself should not exceed 12,000 characters (with spaces), including footnotes/endnotes and bibliographical references. The project should describe the state of research in your particular area of interest and indicate your objectives; it should also include bibliographical references.

Selection process

Applications will be screened by NEC’s academic staff, with support from other external experts. Candidates will be notified on the results of the pre-selection in the second half of March 2021, by e-mail. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview, scheduled on April 14–16, 2021. Decisions to select the NEC Fellows will be taken by the members of NEC’s Academic Advisory Board. For selection criteria, please visit Guidelines below. Please note that NEC does not disclose to candidates the assessment reports on the applications.

Selection criteria

• High quality of the candidate’s academic portfolio and publications, participation in international research;
• Innovative research proposal with significant contribution to scholarship;
• Interdisciplinary and/or comparative approaches are an advantage.

GDPR

NEC processes and stores personal data in accordance with current GDPR regulations.

See Our Current Application Calls

Selection Procedure

•     Candidates are asked to fill in an application form, that includes their professional information and publications list, as well a description of the project they would like to pursue during their fellowship.
•     A minimum of two recommendation letters from reputed experts in the fellow’s field of study, specifically discussing their project, is required.
•     An internal evaluation of the applications – by the academic staff of the NEC, with the assistance of local and international specialists from the relevant fields, where necessary – is conducted. Selected candidates are invited to an interview.
•     The interview is conducted by a jury which includes  members of the NEC Academic Board, and, on occasion, one or two foreign scholars of international repute.