The Max Weber Program offers 1- and 2-year fellowships. Two year fellowships involve additional academic activities in the EUI departments, such as limited graduate teaching. The annual deadline for applications for these Max Weber Fellowships is 25 October but please note that,  after 25 October 2013 and up to 25 March 2014, applications for self-funded fellowships are considered on a first-come first-served basis for as long as there is capacity in the Max Weber Program.

The Max Weber Program is Europe’s largest postdoctoral program in the social sciences and humanities. It is funded by the European Commission (DG Education and Culture) and hosted by the European University Institute in Florence where the research community of professors, researchers and fellows provides an excellent environment for the Program.

The Program open to all nationalities, is designed for junior post-docs who have received a doctorate in economics, law, history, social and political sciences, or a related field, within the last 5 years and who want to advance in their research and academic training, in an active multidisciplinary environment before entering the international job market, or in the early stages of their academic careers.

Fellows are selected on the basis of their research accomplishments and potential, their academic career interests, and the availability of the EUI faculty to provide mentor-ship.

Eligibility

• Candidates who have received their PhD or officially been accepted for defense by the time of the start of the program (1 September).
• Candidates are eligible during the five-year period following the successful completion of their PhD. For example, to apply for 2014/2015 you should have received or submitted your PhD between 1/9/2009 and 1/9/2014 and the PhD defense should take place no later than 31/12/2014.
• Extensions to the five-year rule are allowed for applicants whose academic career has been interrupted for maternity leave, illness or mandatory military service. Cite circumstances in the application in the field ‘Additional Notes’. Successful candidates will be asked to provide supporting documents.
• EUI graduates can only apply for Max Weber Fellowships after having been away from the EUI and in a full-time occupation or with another fellowship for at least one year after defending their PhD.
• Candidates of all nationalities are eligible for the Max Weber Fellowships.

Conditions of Award

Duration

• The Fellowships are awarded for 12 or 24 months. Candidates should indicate the preferred period in their application.
• The EUI reserves the right to award 12 months instead of a request for 24 months due to the high demand for MWP Fellowships.
• The period will be indicated in the award letter.
• If a Fellow leaves before the Fellowship ends (before late July), the grant will be accordingly interrupted and no grant will be paid for the month of August.

Residence

• Fellows are required to live in Florence for the duration of their Fellowship in order that they may take an active part in the program and in the academic activities of their department.

Grant

• The basic grant is € 2,000 per month.
• Successful applicants who receive other grants or salaries must disclose this to the EUI. The amount of the Fellowship will be fixed at a lower rate (minimum €1,250 per month) depending on the amount of the additional income.
• If applicable, family allowances will be added to the basic grant (see below).

Family Allowance

• A household allowance of € 300 per month is paid to Fellows with a partner if the partner lives with them in Florence and on condition that the partner’s income is not over € 2,000 per month.
• There is a dependants allowance of € 200 per month for each dependent child living with the Fellow in Florence.
• Fellows are entitled to these allowances if they are not receiving any similar allowance from another source, and on presentation of relevant documents (marriage certificate or a document that proves that you are living together in Florence, birth certificates).
• A school or university certificate is required for dependent children in full-time education and over the age of 18.

Taxation

• The Fellowship is not taxed by the Institute. Fellows are, however, required to comply with any other tax provisions which may be applicable to them.

Medical Insurance

• Fellows must have adequate medical insurance cover during their stay at the Institute.
• Fellows can either provide proof of their own insurance scheme or subscribe to the EUI’s Van Breda Insurance Scheme at their own expense.

Travel Expenses

• Fellows (but not their families) receive reimbursement for one return trip from their home town to Florence.
• First-class rail (travel by car is also reimbursed on this basis but requires prior authorization)
• Economy class air fare
• The maximum amount for travel reimbursement is €1,200 for return travel.

Removal/installation Expenses

• There is no provision for removal or installation expenses.

Selection Criteria

• Research accomplishments and potential. Research excellence is assessed on the basis of the candidate’s contributions (publications, PhD thesis, etc.) and other supporting evidence (i.e. letters of reference and research plan).
• Academic career interests are assessed on the basis of the CV, the ‘Research and a academic career statement’ and other supporting evidence (i.e. letters of reference), with the aim of assigning Max Weber Fellowships to those candidates, satisfying the research excellence criteria and committed to an academic career, who can benefit the most from the Max Weber Program, oriented towards the early stages of the post-doc academic career.
• The capacity and availability of EUI faculty to provide mentor-ship is taken into account; however, while having common research interests may be helpful, it is not a necessity for mentor-ship.

Selection Procedure

• Candidates are reviewed by the Director of the MWP and the professors of the relevant Department, and selected by the Max Weber Steering Committee.
• Final approval is made by the Executive Committee of the EUI. Their decision is final and no appeal is possible.

How to Apply for a Max Weber Fellowship

Application form

• The next deadline for applications is 25 October 2013 for the academic year 2014/2015. The application form is now active.

Read this before opening the MWP application form

• See the Eligibility, Conditions of Award and Selection Criteria related to the MWP.
• Prepare your CV with a list of publications in PDF.
• Prepare a ‘Research and academic career statement’ briefly explaining your career ambitions and research plans (1-3 pages) in PDF.
• The statement should include a summary of research contributions and interests, academic career plans, fields of specialization, and teaching experience. A detailed research and academic plan is not required but, if possible, a reference should be made to how a Max Weber Fellowship can contribute to achieve your career goals.
• Use standard international fonts and avoid macros, special characters and password-protected attachments.
• Frequently Asked Questions

Filling in the MWP application form

• If you enter text exceeding a maximum field length you will have to shorten it.
• Enter your family name (surname) and first name (name) in the correct fields.
• Do not use capital letters for all fields.
• Recheck all field entries and documents before pressing the Submit button.

After submission of your application and subsequently during the application and selection period you will receive emails from applyfellow@eui.eu. We advise you to check your junk email in the event that you have not received an email that you are expecting, failing this please contact us at applyfellow@eui.eu

Letters of reference

• Two confidential letters of reference must be sent using the on-line form directly by the referees.
• References from current full-time/part-time EUI professors will not be accepted.

Candidates with own funding

• Candidates with their own funding are also welcome to apply and will be selected following the same criteria and procedures. They can do so either by applying for a self-funded fellowship only by the 25 March 2014 deadline, or by indicating in the application form when applying for a funded Fellowship, that they wish to be considered (also) for a self-funded fellowship. (Use the field “Additional remarks” in the application from to state that funding is either not requested or that you are applying to other sources of funding to participate in the Max Weber Program).
• The tuition fee for a self-funded Max Weber Fellowship amounts to 15.000 euro for 12 months (1.250 euro pr. month). The fee may be waived partially or completely if special circumstances apply.
• The applications (CV, Career Statement and proof of funding, all in PDF format) should be sent directly to externally-funded-mwf@eui.eu. Two confidential letters of reference (also in PDF) should be sent directly by the referees to the same email address.
• Applications for self-funded fellowships are considered on a first-come basis for as long as there is capacity in the Max Weber Programme.

Contacts

If you cannot submit your application on-line, contact us well before the deadline at:

Academic Service
European University Institute
via dei Roccettini 9
I-50014 San Domenico di Fiesole

Email: applyfellow@eui.eu
Tel: +39 055 4685 377
Fax: +39 055 4685 444
Further Information: Max Weber Fellowships