Policy Leader Fellowships 2023 - 2024

The application deadline for the 2023-2024 call is 25 January 2023 (14:00 CET).

The European University Institute (EUI) is an international postgraduate teaching and research institute, located near Florence, Italy. Set up in 1972 by the six founding Member States of the European Communities, its aim is to provide advanced academic training for doctoral and postdoctoral researchers and to foster research in the fields which are of particular interest for the development of Europe. Today there are 24 contracting states to the EUI, and the Institute hosts an international community of more than 1100 people. The Institute is composed of four departments—Economics, History and Civilization, Law, and Political and Social Sciences; the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies; the Max Weber Programme for Postdoctoral Studies; the School of Transnational Governance; and the Historical Archives of the European Union. The Institute’s activities are supported by an academic staff of more than 220 individuals and an administrative staff of more than 200.

Programme Description

The Policy Leader Fellowship (PLF) is a residential programme for mid-career policy professionals from a range of policy fields: politics, civil service, media, non-governmental organisations and others. This unique programme is hosted at one of the most renowned academic institutions in Europe and provides the fellows with an insider view into the EU policy making processes. However, the programme does not require academic training background and instead seeks to attract individuals with diverse hands-on experiences in policy-making across the world. Besides having direct access to the EUI and the STG faculty as well as the researchers community, the fellows learn from each other and form lasting professional and personal connections.

The fellows spend five or ten months at the STG developing policy recommendations and practical solutions for pressing issues of transnational relevance inspired and informed by their work experience. In addition, the fellows attend professional skills trainings and can freely participate in the academic life and activities of the EUI to enhance their fellowship project. At the same time, the fellows enrich the STG community by bringing their first hand experiences to teaching, training and networking at the School.

Upon the completion of the programme, the fellows join a global alumni network of policy professionals and have access to lifelong training opportunities at the EUI.

We welcome applications from anywhere in the world, regardless of nationality. EU citizenship is not required. While there is no age limit, the applicants are expected to demonstrate at least 10 years of relevant professional experience. For further selection criteria, please see the selection procedure section.

Applications Deadline

Applications have to be submitted through the online application portal. Paper or email applications will not be considered.

The application deadline for the 2023-2024 call is 25 January 2023 (14:00 CET).

Register your application as soon as possible in order to give your referees sufficient time to submit the reference letters
Submit your application by the deadline

Once you have registered your application you may continue to work on the application details and attachments until the deadline. After submission, it will not be possible to update or modify your application.

Requested Documents

CV (maximum 3 pages);
Short biography (maximum 250 words); the bio serves as a quick overview of the candidate’s profile for the selection process and will also be used for communications purposes if the applicant is accepted for the fellowship.
Two reference letters (see separate section on reference letters);
Copy of highest educational certificate;
Letter of motivation (maximum 1000 words) outlining the applicant’s main reasons to apply for the fellowship, the objectives to be pursued during the programme highlighting interest in specific transnational policy issues and future professional aspirations;
Work plan (maximum 2500 words) should include the project title, a short summary/abstract, the main objectives, milestones and the related activities to achieve the envisaged outputs; the activities should be allocated appropriately based on five or ten months’ fellowship timeline; the applicant should highlight any individuals/groups/resources at the STG and/or EUI where they see potential synergies or opportunities for collaboration as well as any external partners (if relevant); the applicant should include a section on the desired impact of the proposed project beyond the STG as well as a short dissemination plan for the final outputs. There is no template for the work plan but it should be clear, well-structured and include all the above mentioned sections.
Optional work sample(s) (maximum 2 samples) If relevant, you can submit work samples to support your application and to demonstrate your expertise in a given topic e.g. a policy paper/report/brief, an article, an op-ed, a weblink, interview, social media piece, blogpost, etc.

The requested documents must follow the length and format requirements. Any attachments that do not comply with the requested will be automatically discarded. Documents should be submitted in English.

Letters of References

Reference letters must be submitted online directly by the referees up to a week after the application deadline. Reference letters will not be accepted after January 31^st.

It is recommended to start this process as soon as possible by registering your application on the platform early.

The process works as follows:

Applicants insert the referees’ names and contact details in the application form;
An automatic email is sent to referees asking them to upload a letter directly on the application platform.

Preference should be given to non-academic referees and ideally individuals who know the applicant in a professional capacity. References from current full-time or part-time EUI professors or staff members will not be accepted.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to contact the referees directly to inform them of the request and to verify that they have received the automatic email. The applicant can track the submission of the reference letters directly on the platform. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Reference letters will be only accepted in PDF format. Letters in a language other than English may be accepted, but English will guarantee the widest possible reading.

If in doubt, or if your referee prefers to submit your reference letter by email, please contact: Reference.Fellow@eui.eu

English Knowledge

The expected level of English proficiency is level C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

An English certificate is not requested as part of the application, but successful candidates may be invited for an interview in English and requested to provide a certificate/supporting document on registration. This can be one of the international certificates listed below, or another supporting document showing that the candidate’s level of English is sufficient for using it as a working language (for example, a certificate of attendance of English language schools, a degree in English as a foreign language, a proof of work in an English-speaking environment). Native English speakers are exempt of proof.

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)*
International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
Cambridge English Examinations (CAE)
Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC)
- Business English Certificate (BEC)

Duration

The fellowships are offered for a duration of five or ten months. Candidates should indicate their preference from the following options:

Five months: September 2023 – January 2024 or February 2024 – June 2024
Ten months: September 2023 – June 2024

Residence

Fellows must reside in the area of Florence for the duration of their Fellowship so that they can take an active part in the activities of the EUI/STG and the fellowship programme (with the possibility of short visits outside Florence and Italy). The fellowship cannot be carried out remotely/online.

Grant

The basic grant is € 2,500 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 €1,750 per month) depending on the amount of the additional income (upon production of relevant supporting documents).

If applicable, family allowances will be added to the basic grant (see below).

Family Allowances

A household allowance of up to € 300 per month is paid to a Fellow with a partner if the partner lives with them in Florence and on the condition that the partner’s income is less than € 2,000 per month. The sum of income and allowance cannot exceed € 2,000 per month (i.e. if the income is more than € 1,700, the allowance will be paid only to top up to € 2,000).

An allowance of € 200 per month is paid for each dependent child. Fellows are entitled to these allowances if they can declare that they are not receiving any similar allowance from another source, and upon submission of relevant supporting documents (i.e. marriage or partner certificate, or proof of cohabitation in Florence; birth certificates).

For dependent children in full-time education and over the age of 18, a school or university certificate is required. No allowance is paid for dependent children over the age of 26.

Location Palazzo Buontalenti

Methodology Residential

Programme Start Date 01/09/2023

Taxation

The fellowship is not taxed by the EUI. 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 coverage during their stay at the Institute. They can either provide proof of their own insurance scheme, or subscribe to the EUI’s private sickness and health insurance scheme at their own expense. See the Cigna Insurance Scheme for conditions.

Travel Expenses

Fellows (but not their families) receive reimbursement for the incoming trip from their place of origin to Florence, and for the outgoing trip to their destination at the end of their fellowship.

First-class rail (travel by car is also reimbursed on this basis)
Economy class air fare

The maximum amount for travel reimbursement amounts to €1,200 including both incoming and outgoing trip. Taxi expenses are not reimbursed.

Removal/ Re-installment expenses

There is no provision for removal or installation expenses.

The general profile of the candidates:

Mid-career professionals able to demonstrate solid professional experience (minimum 10 years) and potential for future excellence in a given policy area; candidates with strictly academic profile typically will not be considered.
Self-motivated and driven, able to autonomously accomplish the activities presented under the fellowship work plan.
Open-minded and curious individuals willing to engage in peer discussions on topics which may go beyond their area of expertise.

Evaluation criteria:

Accomplishments and potential: Professional excellence is assessed on the basis of the candidate’s contributions to a given policy field based on the CV and any other supporting evidence of the application. Minimum Bachelor’s degree or equivalent is required.
Focus area: The candidate’s field of work should be broadly aligned with the STG’s focus areas or hosted initiatives and programmes. Other themes can be also considered but preference will be given to applicants that cover policy areas of the STG faculty and programmes.
Fellowship work plan: Applicants are assessed on the professional substance of their work plan as well as its feasibility, applicability in a transnational policy context and potential impact.
Motivation: Applicants should be able to articulate what difference the fellowship experience will make to their professional journey as well as what they can offer to the STG. Preference is given to applicants who can both contribute to the STG programmes and activities as well as benefit from their stay at the STG and the EUI.
Diversity: The programme strives for thematic and geographic diversity as well as gender balance among the fellows.

Selection Procedure

The School of Transnational Governance can allocate approximately thirty fellowships per academic year. The programme can usually select around four to five percent of those who apply.

During the first step of the selection procedure, all complete applications are reviewed to perform basic eligibility check and, if eligible, are forwarded for review of the Selection Committee. Incomplete or late applications are discarded at this stage.

In the second step of the selection procedure, the Selection Committee members review the applications in light of each applicant’s professional profile, their proposed work plan and the match between the perceived needs of the candidate and the opportunities the programme offers. The Committee also considers the reciprocal contribution the applicant can make to the STG as a fellow as well as the synergies and diversity among the future cohort.

A short list and a reserve list are presented to the EUI Executive Committee for its consideration. Their decision is final and no appeal is possible. The STG is not in the position to give advice on individual applications or to give feedback about the applications. Applicants cannot contact the decision makers in this process.

The final decision is communicated to the applicants within four months of the application deadline by the Academic Service of the EUI.

Applications Deadline

Applications have to be submitted through the online application portal. Paper or email applications will not be considered.

The application deadline for the 2023-2024 call is 25 January 2023 (14:00 CET).

Register your application as soon as possible in order to give your referees sufficient time to submit the reference letters
Submit your application by the deadline

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

For more info please visit: https://www.eui.eu/apply?id=policy-leader-fellowship

Policy Leader Fellowships 2023 – 2024