re:constitution Fellowships 2023/2024 are open to young students and practitioners who are interested in Democracy and the Rule of Law.
Re:constitution is a project run by Forum Transregionale Studien in Berlin and Democracy Reporting International. It is paid for by the Stiftung Mercator.
The re:constitution Fellowship scheme gives people a place to talk about democracy and the rule of law in Europe and think about how to solve the problems that keep coming up in the EU. Fellows can help come up with legal and political answers at the European level by bridging the gap between academia and the real world.
The plan is based on a unique idea of pan-European mobility and a network of Fellows who work on a project about democracy and the rule of law with partners and institutions. Fellows become part of an exchange network in Europe that builds links between people from different countries, backgrounds, and fields. Through the re:constitution alumni network, the programme’s ties stay strong.
Structure
The re:constitution Fellowships are for both academics and practitioners, and they offer a mobility time that can be done in two ways to fit the needs of the job or the needs of the person. The Fellowships will be given out in two ways between October 2023 and July 2024:
Track 1
- There are 10 fellowships for the school year 2023-2024.
Six months of mobility can be taken at any time between October 2023 and July 2024. - During the mobility period, students do research at two host institutions in the EU, EEA, UK, or CH. Each institution is a research institution and a functional institution that works full-time. The sites of the host institutions must be different from the EU country where the Fellow will be living during the Fellowship.
- A payment of €2,500 per month of mobility to cover the six-month mobility phase.
- Fellows must attend 3 meetings that last between 2 and 3 days each. (First meeting: October 2023 in-person in Berlin, Second meeting: February 2024 online, Third meeting: June 2024 in-person outside of Germany)
Presentation of the study project re:constitution and full participation in the Online Fellow Talks series
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Track 2
- There are 5 fellowships for the school year 2023-2024.
- Three months of full-time mobility (or six months of part-time mobility) can be taken at any time between October 2023 and July 2024.
- During the mobility period, you can do research at one host school in the EU, EEA, UK, or CH for 3 months full-time or 6 months part-time.
- The location of the host school must be in a different EU country than where the Fellow lives during the Fellowship.
- A stipend of €2,500 per month of mobility for a full-time period of 3 months, or €1,250 per month of mobility for a part-time period of 6 months.
- At least two out of the three Fellows’ Exchange Meetings. The first face-to-face meeting must take place in Berlin in October 2023. After that, you should go to at least one of the final meetings. (Second meeting: February 2024 online, Third meeting: June 2024 in-person outside of Germany)
In the Online Fellow Talks series, the re:constitution research project will be presented. Full participation in the series is not required.
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Benefits
- Scholars and practitioners in the EU should have the freedom to study and write about any problem they want that has to do with democracy and the rule of law.
- Scholars, lawyers, and journalists from all over Europe can exchange ideas and talk about current projects in a high-quality and flexible setting for learning and talking.
- Mobility through collaboration with select host institutions in the EU, EEA, UK, or CH, which opens up new ways to work and share personally and from afar.
- Networking through multifaceted exchanges about democracy and the rule of law in personal meetings with top experts and decision makers from across Europe and different backgrounds who can offer different points of view.
- Shaping the future of the re:constitution alumni network to build a lasting group of people who share knowledge and could work together and help each other in the future.
- Forum Transregionale Studien gave them help from the coordination team and access to a safe digital place for working together.
- Depending on interests and availability, there are chances to take part in the broader analytical work of the re:constitution project run by DRI.
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Criteria for eligibility
Residents of the EU, EEA, UK, or CH who are just starting out in their jobs are encouraged to apply.
Scholars with a PhD in law, legal studies, political science, sociology, philosophy, or a related field who are interested in democracy and/or the rule of law in Europe. The study for your PhD should have been done no more than 10 years ago. If a scholar is almost done with their PhD but still working on their dissertation, they may be qualified. (within a year)
Practitioners include government officials (e.g. policy advisors) from central authorities and local self-government bodies, judges or practising lawyers (attorneys), NGO legal/policy experts working on rule of law and democracy in the EU, journalists reporting on the rule of law and/or democracy in the EU, and general researchers/legal experts working on questions related to the rule of law and/or democracy in the EU. This list is not complete.
If the applicants accept the Fellowship, they will agree to:
To do an independent study project on a topic related to the scope of re:constitution’s programs,
To choose host institutions in the EU, EEA, UK, or CH and to manage their own study stays of 3–6 months at these host institutions according to the requirements of the preferred track.
To go to the Fellows’ Exchange Meetings in October 2023, February 2024, and June 2024, based on what the chosen track says,
To make sure they can take part in the Fellow Talk series, where they can talk about their research and the research projects of other Fellows, according to the requirements of their chosen track,
To get the project’s results and effects out in the right way. These can be re:constitution Working works (for academic works) or other output formats. (e.g. policy papers, op-eds, reports, essays, podcast episodes, blog posts etc). Producing at least one type of result is the bare minimum. More publications and spread are welcome. Please tell us what you want on the application.
Visit Forum Transregionale Studien to find out more.
Deadline: 3rd May 2023