European Court of Auditors - Postgraduate Research Grants on European Public Finances

Benefit

You will receive 5,000 EUR for a research visit to the Historical Archives of the European Union in Florence, Italy. The grant covers your research expenses, including return travel between your place of residence and Florence, as well as your accommodation during your stay. You will receive the grant in two instalments: 2,000 EUR at the start of your stay and 3,000 EUR upon submission of your academic paper. Each year, the European Court of Auditors and the European University Institute award up to two scholarships each for original research on the EU’s public finances, EU policies, and the development of accountability and auditing in the EU.

Eligibility

• Career stage: You are a master’s student, PhD student, postdoctoral researcher or early-career researcher, have completed your master’s degree or PhD within the last 10 years, and currently hold an academic post.
• Nationality: You are a national of an EU Member State. There are no exceptions to this.
• Field of study: Your field of research lies within the humanities or social sciences – for example, in the fields of law, political science, economics, sociology, public administration or history – and focuses on the EU’s public finances or EU policy.
• Your project: It is a dissertation, thesis or academic article that genuinely needs the archive sources held in Florence.
• Languages: You have a good command of English and French. Knowledge of other EU languages would be an advantage.
• Single applicant: Applications must be submitted individually; group applications will not be accepted. The same research topic may be submitted no more than twice.

How to apply

Applications must be submitted via the EUI’s online form in English or French. The deadline for applications is 6 October. A selection panel comprising officials from the Court of Auditors and experts in EU public finances will assess the quality, originality and feasibility of your proposal. You will receive feedback within approximately one month of the deadline.

How realistic are your chances?

This grant is strictly limited: only EU citizens carrying out research for which the Florentine archives on the EU’s public finances are explicitly required are eligible, meaning that the pool of applicants is small. As only two grants are awarded each year, selection continues to depend on a compelling, original proposal that clearly justifies the visit to the archives. If your topic is truly relevant and you can demonstrate why the sources in Florence are indispensable, your chances are good.