How to Apply

Visiting fellows
Only for prospective visitors holding a Ph.D. 

The Department of Political and Social Sciences welcomes international scholars to apply for a Visiting Fellowship Programme every year.

Priority will be given to those scholars who connect most closely to the ongoing research in the Department.

Visiting fellows, who are admitted for periods ranging from two to six months, must be entirely self-funded and meet health insurance requirements for the duration of their visit. They are strongly encouraged to participate fully in the Department's academic life, engaging with researchers and faculty members. This might include taking part in researchers' presentations and colloquia, departmental seminars and workshops, working groups.

Prospective visitors wishing to stay for less than two months shall apply to the EUI library as external visitors only.

Application

To apply for Visiting Fellow at the SPS department, you must register and apply within the set deadlines via the application portal:

Apply here

If you already registered, you must login and fill out the relevant application form (Visiting Fellows SPS Application Form).

Deadlines for submission of applications:

• 31 March for visits starting from September 2025 onwards;
• 30 September for visits starting from January 2026 onwards.

The online application must include:

• curriculum vitae (in PDF, maximum 2 pages);
• one-page research plan.

The start date of the intended period of stay shall be either the 1st or the 15th of the chosen month. Applications with different start dates will be disregarded.

Only complete applications sent by the appropriate deadline are assured full consideration. Before submitting their applications, prospective visiting fellows are requested to secure the mentorship of a faculty member. Any queries regarding the application and selection process should be emailed to

[email protected].

Selection Process

The Department will only assess complete applications and the outcome will be communicated by the Departmental administration approximately:

- at the end of October for applications submitted at the end of September (first deadline)

- at the end of April for applications submitted at the end of March (second deadline)

Any queries regarding the application and selection process should be emailed to [email protected].

Visiting students 
Only for prospective visitors enrolled in a Ph.D. programme

The Department encourages applications from a small number of visiting students registered in Ph.D. programmes at universities anywhere in the world to come to the EUI for periods from three to six months.

In addition, the Department has exchange arrangements for visiting studentships with several partner Universities. More information is available at this link. Ph.D. candidates at any of these universities, considered exchange students, should consult their administration for more information.

Prospective visitors wishing to stay for less than two months shall apply to the EUI library as external visitors only.

Application

To apply for Visiting Student at the SPS department, you must register and apply within the set deadlines via the application portal:

Apply here

If you already registered, you must login and fill out the relevant application form (Visiting Student SPS application).

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide the contact details of a referee who will automatically receive an email asking them to complete an online reference for you. Please ensure that your referee submits the reference before the deadline for applications

Only applications that are submitted by the deadline are assured full consideration. For any additional information please contact 

[email protected].

Deadline for submission of applications:

• 31 March for visits starting from September 2025 onwards;
• 30 September for visits starting from January 2026 onwards.

The online application must include:

• one-page research plan;
• curriculum vitae (in PDF, maximum 1 page);
• enrolment certificate from your current PhD programme.

The start date of the intended period of stay shall be either the 1st or the 15th of the chosen month. Applications with different start dates will be disregarded.

The Department will match prospective students with interested faculty members during the application review process. If you are interested in working with a particular faculty member you may indicate this in the space provided on the application form.

Selection Process

The department will only assess complete applications and the results will be communicated approximately one month after the deadline for submission of the proposals. For organisational reasons, no exceptions will be made to this rule.

Admission

Visiting students are assigned to a liaison professor of the current Department's faculty who has shown interest in their research proposal. Visiting students have access rights to the Library and the Institute’s facilities. In addition, they may attend seminars and workshops for the period of their stay. The EUI does not offer ECTS at doctoral level.
Visiting students must be entirely self-funded and are not entitled to a working space.

EUI Widening Europe Programme – Visiting Students
Only for prospective visitors who are enrolled in a Ph.D. programme in one of the targeted Widening Countries and hold nationality from a targeted Widening country 

In the framework of the EUI Widening Europe Programme, aimed at equalising research capacity across Europe, the Department of Political and Social Sciences (SPS) offers funded research visits for Ph.D. students who hold the nationality of one of the targeted countries listed below and are affiliated with a higher education institution/public research centre in one of these countries, to spend the fall term 2025-2026 at the SPS Department. The visiting student programme is the opportunity to work with Faculty members, enrich their research and contribute to the activities of the Institute.

This special call for applications is organised in the framework of the EUI Widening Europe Programme. The Programme is backed by contributions from the European Union and EUI Contracting States, and designed to strengthen internationalisation, competitiveness, and quality in research in the Widening countries, and thus foster a more cohesive European Higher Education and Research area.

 
Funding

The funding provided by the EUI for a 3-month research visit from half September to half December 2025 is a total grant of 3500 EUR to cover the living cost and up to 500 EUR to cover travel costs¹.

¹Details on the modalities for payments will be communicated to selected candidates only.

Eligibility Criteria

Candidates must hold the nationality and be affiliated with a higher education institution/public research centre  in any of the countries below: 

• Inside the European Union: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

• Outside the European Union: Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo², Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Moldova, and Ukraine.

² This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244(1999) and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.

Candidates must be enrolled in a Ph.D. programme

Precedence is given to those scholars whose research interests relate directly to the work being carried out within the Department and are of particular interest to one or more of the Department’s teaching staff.

Application

To apply for Visiting Student at the SPS department in the context of the EUI Widening Europe Programme, you must register and apply within the set deadlines via the application portal:

Apply here

If you are already registered, you must log in and fill out the relevant application form (Visiting Student SPS application).

When you insert the information and e-mail of your referee, s/he will receive an e-mail with a link to an online form where to submit a reference letter. Please be aware that the letter must be sent before the deadline for the application.

Only applications that are submitted by the deadline are assured full consideration. For any additional information please contact [email protected].

Deadline for submission of applications:

• 31st March 2025 for visits starting from September 2025 until December 2025

The online application must include:

• one-page research plan: please indicate on top of the research plan that you are applying as visiting student in the context of the Widening Europe Programme;

• curriculum vitae (in PDF, maximum 1 page);

• enrolment certificate from your current PhD programme and a proof of nationality (please provide a unique PDF with both documents).

Candidates are requested to submit a proof of nationality and enrolment certificate from the current PhD programme (both in English) as part of their EUI online application. Documents will be processed only by the EUI Administration and the relevant funding authority(ies), it will not be distributed to the EUI departmental selection committee. For more information see the application section below.

The Department will match prospective students with interested faculty members during the application review process. If you are interested in working with a particular faculty member you may indicate this in the space provided in the application form.

Selection Process

The Department will only assess complete applications and the results will be communicated approximately one month after the deadline for submission of the proposals. For organisational reasons, no exceptions will be made to this rule.

 
Admission

Admission

Selected visiting students are assigned to a liaison professor from the current Department's faculty who has shown interest in their research proposal.

Selected visiting students will have to attend at least one seminar during their stay. In case you wish to consult the current SPS teaching programme you can find it at this link.

Please note that the seminars of the 1^st term 2025/2026 will be published over the summer.  The EUI does not offer ECTS at doctoral level.

Visiting students have access rights to the Library and the Institute’s facilities but they are not entitled to a working space.