The Forum Transregionale Studien is now inviting applications for its 2022/2023 Re: constitution Fellowships, a joint program of Berlin-based Forum Transregionale Studien and Democracy Reporting International, funded by Stiftung Mercator.
The rule of law is a prerequisite for the protection of democracy, fundamental rights, and other common values in the European Union. It is essential for the functioning of the European Union but has been recurrently breached in some member states for years. Therefore, the active protection and the ways and means of safeguarding and promoting the rule of law have become much-discussed political, legal, and social issues.
Careers
You are in the early stages of your career as:
- a Scholar holding a Ph.D. in
- law/legal studies and/or political sciences, social sciences, philosophy, or other neighboring disciplines (focusing on legal issues and/or the rule of law in Europe).
- Your Ph.D. project should have been completed no more than 10 years ago. Scholars who are still working on their dissertation may be eligible if their Ph.D. is close to completion.
- a Practitioner
- a government official (e.g. policy advisor),
- judge or practicing lawyer,
- NGO legal / policy expert working on rule of law and democracy in the EU,
- a journalist reporting on the rule of law and/or democracy in the EU,
- general researcher/legal expert working on questions pertaining to the rule of law and/or democracy in the EU (this list is non-exhaustive)
- For practitioners, comparable work experience is expected, but a Ph.D. is not required.
Benefits
Stipend: Fellows receive €2,500 per month for a 6-month mobility period during the 2022/2023 academic year.
Independence: They provide re:constitution Fellowships for one academic year, starting from 1 October 2022 to 31 July 2023, offering the freedom to pursue your own project on a topic of your choice.
Exchange & Debate: There will be three Fellows’ Exchange Meetings over 2-3 days each in different EU countries or online, depending on travel restrictions. Additionally, there are opportunities to attend and organise Training, Events, Workshops and Conferences with emphasis on specific aspects and topics of the programme.
Mobility: The key element of the Fellowship is the mobility period of six months, which can be taken flexibly between October 2022 and July 2023. During their mobility phases, Fellows collaborate with two host institutions of their choice in academia and in practice in EU countries. The host institutions must be in a different location to your current EU country of residence. The mobility phase must be divided between a research institution and an institution working in a practical context.
Network: Fellows are given access to a European network of scholars and practitioners who are interested in and working on questions on the current state of democracy and the rule of law in Europe.
Eligibility
Residents of the European Union, non-EU EEA countries, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom are eligible to apply
You are seeking
- more insight and exchange about various questions of democracy and the rule of law in Europe,
- new ways to work on your own topical project in a high-quality and flexible environment of debate and learning among scholars, legal practitioners, and journalists from across Europe,
- to become part of a diverse group of Fellows to debate and learn from each other,
- to engage with a unique European network of experts,
- to pursue new personal and remote work opportunities at institutions in other EU countries,
- more approaches to engage in a multi-faceted exchange about questions on democracy and the rule of law
- with experts from all over Europe, from different sectors, and with different political backgrounds.
How to apply
As part of your application, you will be asked to prepare and upload the following:
- Curriculum vitae including publications (2-3 pages),
- Project outline (2-3 pages),
- Short abstract of your project (max. 300 words),
- Two references (university faculty members or practitioners in a field relevant to the applicant’s project) who can serve as referees (no letters of recommendation required),
- Potential host institutions (your preferred research and practice institutions in EU countries to spend part of your mobility period, ideally including an indication of preferred dates and/or existing personal contacts).
The working language of re:constitution is English.
The diversity of our society should also be reflected in the Fellowships. We therefore welcome applicants of all cultural and social backgrounds, ages, religions, world views, disabilities or sexual identities.
The applications will be evaluated by an evaluation committee of scholars and practitioners working in the fields of democracy and the rule of law. All applicants will be informed of the outcome of the evaluation process by early July.
For more information click "LINK TO ORIGINAL" below.