Strasbourg Institute for Political Studies - Pierre Pflimlin Award

Pierre Pflimlin Award

For a completed doctoral thesis (PhD) on the subject of European integration, you will receive a one-off prize of 2,500 EUR. A second thesis may also be awarded the ‘Prix spécial du Jury’ worth 1,500 EUR, and in rare cases a third thesis may also be recognised. The prizes are presented during a ceremony in Strasbourg. The prize is awarded annually by the ‘Cercle Pierre-Pflimlin’, an international association dedicated to preserving the memory of Pierre Pflimlin, a former President of the European Parliament. The award is organised in collaboration with Sciences Po Strasbourg and under the patronage of the European Parliament.

Who can apply

• What you submit: A completed PhD thesis, not a project or a Master’s thesis.
• Topic: Your doctoral thesis should focus on European integration, either in the field of social sciences and the humanities or in the field of security and defence. Contributions on Franco-German relations and cross-border cooperation are welcome.
• Where you did your PhD: You have successfully defended your doctoral thesis at a university in an EU Member State.
• Language: Your dissertation is written in French, German or English.
• Timing: You defended your doctoral thesis in one of the two calendar years preceding the award. For the 2025 round, this means in the year 2023 or 2024.
• Nationality: Open to all nationalities.

How to apply

Please send your application form, a copy of your dissertation and the report on your defence by 30 April, either by post or email, to Sciences Po Strasbourg. A panel of up to ten members will assess the submissions. Should none of the final theses be deemed convincing enough, the jury may decide not to award the prize. You will be notified of the result by post.

How realistic are your chances?

This is a single annual prize for an outstanding doctoral thesis on a narrowly defined topic, meaning that competition is fierce and only truly outstanding works win. Due to the narrow focus, the pool of applicants is smaller than for open awards: your doctoral thesis must deal with European integration, have been defended at an EU university and be written in one of three languages. If your thesis is closely related to the topic – particularly from a Franco-German or cross-border perspective – and was defended in the relevant year, it is well worth applying.