Government of Romania - Eugen Ionescu Scholarships

Eugen Ionescu Scholarship

You will receive a fully funded three-month research stay at a Romanian university. The scholarship covers a monthly research allowance, your return airfare and health insurance. The exact monthly amount is not disclosed. In some funding rounds, the stay is extended to up to five months. You will conduct research on a topic proposed by your Romanian host university or, subject to the host university’s approval, on a topic of your own choosing. The programme is funded by the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is administered by the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), the world’s largest network of French-speaking universities, and has been running every year since 2007.

Who can apply

• Level: You are a PhD student or a postdoctoral researcher (i.e. someone who has already completed their PhD).
• Your home university: Your university is a member of the AUF.
• Where you come from: You are a national of a member state or observer state of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), or of Algeria.
• Language: You must be able to work in French. All application documents must be in French.
• Field of study: All academic departments are open to applications; however, your research topic must align with a development priority of your home country and be in line with the interests of your host university in Romania.

How to apply

First, contact a participating Romanian university and ask them to issue you with a written letter of acceptance. This confirms that the university will supervise your research work. You should then apply online via the AUF portal. The application deadline is usually around 15 November; however, please check the details of the current call for applications, as later deadlines have applied in recent cycles. A national selection committee reviews the applications in consultation with academics from Romanian universities. The AUF will then notify successful applicants by email.

How realistic are your chances?

This funding is awarded on a highly selective basis. You must be a French-speaking PhD student or postdoctoral researcher from an OIF country whose university is a member of the AUF, and you must first secure a host institution in Romania that will accept you. Finding this host institution is the real hurdle, but it is also your strongest selling point, as a committed host institution will significantly bolster your application. In previous funding rounds, between approximately 70 and 120 scholarship holders were funded each year. So, if you fit the profile and find a host institution early on, your prospects are good.