Below, you will find information on the EFSPS program. Please be aware, that the program is now closed for new participants.
Citizens expect the European Union (EU) to defend the common interests and values of its member states and to contribute to worldwide peace. Although the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) have been gaining some momentum, the decision-making procedures still provide the EU with only limited options for exploiting its full potential. This problem matters more than ever before, since the EU and its states are facing new challenges, such as terrorist attacks, which do not halt at national borders. In order to enhance the qualification of the next generation of intellectual leaders in this field, a special funding offer has been jointly initiated by three European foundations. With their research and training programme “European Foreign and Security Policy Studies” they want to support research projects which go beyond the national views currently dominating academic and practical approaches towards European foreign and security policy.
Eligible for funding are post doctoral researchers and advanced PhD candidates. Young professionals (e. g., civil servants, diplomats, journalists, administrators, and employees of non-governmental organisations) with equivalent background are also invited to apply. Applicants should be based in Europe and not be older than 32 years. Specific disciplines, nationality, or EU citizenship will not matter in the selection process. In the first two rounds of applications in 2004 and 2005, 49 research projects have been accepted for the programme. In total, 80 to 100 researchers and young professionals will have the opportunity to participate in this programme.
The research and training programme was jointly developed by the Compagnia di San Paolo, Turin/Italy, the Riksbankens Jubileumsfond, Stockholm/Sweden, and the Volkswagen- Stiftung, Hanover/Germany; it combines the following main elements:
Successful applicants can receive funding from one of the foundations for post doctoral or post graduate research at two or more European research institutions and organisations engaged in the field of CFSP and ESDP for up to two years (minimum: six months). Remunerations depend on individual circumstances. The foundations will apply their own rules for giving grants. In Germany, e. g., a post doctoral researcher would receive a basic grant of 20,400 Euro p. a. The basic grant for a PhD candidate in Germany would be 12,000 Euro p. a. By accepting the grant, applicants are obliged to concentrate their efforts on the project as described in their proposal.
The three foundations will organise conferences and seminars, where the participants will be encouraged to exchange experiences, and can build up networks also with senior researchers and professionals. Each participant has to attend at least three events: a “Young Faces Conference” at the beginning of the programme, a midterm seminar, and the final conference, where the participants will present their research results. Aside of that, the participants should engage in publicly visible intellectual and political debates. Support for publications, preferably in renowned international journals, can be considered.
Applications in English are invited from individuals belonging to the specified target groups (post doctoral researchers, PhD candidates, and young professionals). Since the foundations will only allocate funds to research institutions, applicants must arrange the cooperation with an appropriate grant recipient in Europe and nominate it as their “base institution”. Other institutions which are visited by applicants during sojourns are the so-called “host institutions”. Shortlisted applicants will be asked to provide written confirmations from the base and host institutions. A leaflet with detailed information on how to apply can be downloaded from the websites or requested from the foundations. Should further questions arise, please address the respective contact partners in the foundations.
Nicolò Russo Perez is Program Officer in the Operating Unit for economic, juridical and social research and training - general education and training at the Compagnia di San Paolo foundation in Turin. He studied contemporary History at the University Ca' Foscari in Venice, Italy, specializing in international relations, with postgraduate studies at Kennedy Institute of the Free University in Berlin, Germany, at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and at the University Institute of European Studies in Turin. He has also worked as a consultant both in the private sector and for the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization (ILO).
Fredrik Lundmark has a PhD in sociology from Uppsala University, 2000. At the Riksbankens Jubileumsfond he is responsible for political science as well as peace and conflict research. Prior to this current function, he was responsible for social sciences at the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and a member of the national interdisciplinary committee “Human Dimensions”.
Alfred Schmidt works as programme manager within the funding division for the humanities and social sciences of the VolkswagenStiftung. He studied history, political science, and economics, and received a diploma and a doctorate (PhD) in economics. Before joining the VolkswagenStiftung he was involved in research and teaching at various universities.
The Compagnia di San Paolo
Founded as a charitable brotherhood in the 16th century the Compagnia di San Paolo today focuses its activities on the sectors of scientific, economic and juridical research, education, health, art, culture, and welfare. The Compagnia operates both by giving grants to organisations for projects in line with its multi-annual and annual guidelines, and by means of its own "permanent organisations" which work directly in various sectors of the foundations activities.
The Riksbankens Jubileumsfond
The Riksbankens Jubileumsfond, consisting of several donations, supports research primarily in the fields of the humanities and social sciences by awarding project grants to individual researchers and research groups. The Bank of Sweden Donation was established in 1962 through an endowment from the Bank of Sweden to mark its threehundredth anniversary in 1968; the Humanities and Social Sciences Donation was given to the Foundation by the Swedish Parliament in 1994.
The VolkswagenStiftung
The VolkswagenStiftung in Hanover is an independent non-profit foundation established under private law. It is not affiliated to the car manufacturer of the same name. Its purpose is to support the humanities and social sciences as well as science and technology in higher education and research. Main objectives are the furtherance of interdisciplinary research and communication, support for young academics, and the reinforcement of international cooperation.