Harvard Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies Visiting Scholars Program 2018-2019, USA

Call for Applications

Visiting Scholars Program 2018-2019

Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies (CES) at Harvard University

Application Deadline: December 15, 2017

Program Overview

The Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies (CES) at Harvard University invites applications for its Visiting Scholars Program for 2018-2019. The program offers postdoctoral social scientists and historians the opportunity to spend up to one year at Harvard University for independent research on Europe or transatlantic relations. Successful candidates benefit from the Center’s programs on Europe and Harvard University’s intellectually stimulating environment, additionally, they receive shared office space at the Center and gain access to the university’s extensive library resources. Visiting Scholars are admitted on a competitive basis for a period of at least three months and up to one year during the academic year which extends from September 2018 through May 2019.

Applicants must have a Ph.D. and can range from postdoctoral fellows to senior scholars. The Center considers candidates from a wide range of disciplinary perspectives, including economics, history, political science, and sociology. Except for the John F. Kennedy Memorial Fellowships (see below), the Center does not provide funding for Visiting Scholars; candidates are expected to secure their own source of funding such as sabbatical salary or external grants.

About the Center

The Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies (CES) is the oldest university center devoted to the study of Europe in the United States. It is a vibrant, multidisciplinary community of individuals inspired by exploring Europe’s history, politics, economics, culture and societies. Since its founding in 1969 at Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences, through its support of undergraduate and graduate research, teaching, and the hosting of public leaders and visiting scholars, CES has trained generations of the world’s leading scholars of Europe.

Benefits

During the program, Visiting Scholars at CES have the opportunity to:

• Present research in a weekly Visiting Scholars Seminar and receive feedback on work- in-progress from colleagues in their field.
• Participate in the Center’s full program of lectures, event series, and conferences.
• Expand their research by accessing Harvard’s resources including the world’s largest university library, and audit courses on campus with the instructor’s permission.

Eligibility

Applicants to the CES Visiting Scholars Program must:

• Pursue an independent project on modern Europe or transatlantic relations in history or the social sciences.
• Possess a Ph.D. at the time of application. (Please note that applications from students in a degree program at the time of application submission will not be considered.)
• Be prepared to be in residence locally for a minimum of three months (at least two of these during the academic year); applicants may not hold concurrent appointments.
• Be able to secure their own funding from sabbatical salary or external grants.
• Applicants outside of academia who are well established in their profession with a minimum of seven years’ professional experience, such as journalists, may also apply.

How to Apply

Applications should be submitted online via the CES website no later than December 15, 2017 and should consist of the following supporting documents: cover letter, CV, abstract and three- to five-page description of the research project to be carried out at CES, proof of English competency (such as TOEFL scores for non-native speakers), and two letters of recommendation.

Please visit the CES website for complete program guidelines and application instructions.

All inquiries concerning the Visiting Scholars Program should be addressed to the CES Program Coordinator, Roumiana Theunissen (rtheunissen@fas.harvard.edu). The selection of 2018-19 Visiting Scholars will be announced in March 2018. 

Kennedy Fellowship 

CES possesses very limited funding for Visiting Scholars. Most of our Visiting Scholars are self- funded from sources such as sabbatical salary or external grants. Through the John F. Kennedy Memorial Fellowship established in 1966 as an endowment with funds from the German Government, each year CES supports up to three postdoctoral scholars from Germany. In 2016, the fellowship was expanded to support one additional postdoctoral scholar from other EU member states. The fellowship provides a stipend of $60,000 for 10 months of residential research between September and June. Fellows join other visiting researchers at CES as part of the Visiting Scholars Program.

• German Nationals: The Kennedy Fellowship for scholars from Germany is administered through a separate application process by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). Application materials must be submitted directly to the DAAD by November 15, 2017.
• EU Nationals: The Kennedy Fellowship for scholars from European Union member states (other than Germany) is administered by CES. Application materials must be submitted via the CES Visiting Scholars online application portal by December 15, 2017. Early applications are strongly encouraged. 

For more information click "Further official information" below.