EUI Special Doctoral Fellowships 2027 (Economics, History, Law, Political and Social Sciences)

About the Position

EUI Special Doctoral Fellowships 2027: named fellowships (Adam Smith, Burckhardt, Kelsen, Arendt) funding PhD study in Florence with a EUR 1,650 monthly grant. Deadline 15 January 2027 (14:00 CET).

What These Fellowships Are

The European University Institute in Florence runs a set of named doctoral fellowships that fund the PhD in its four departments. Each carries a scholar's name: the Adam Smith doctoral fellowship in Economics, the Jacob Burckhardt fellowship in History, the Hans Kelsen fellowship in Law, and the Hannah Arendt fellowship in Political and Social Sciences. They are aimed at candidates from a long list of countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America - the official page carries the full nationality table (it includes, among many others, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh).

There is a second, quieter route worth knowing: candidates for History, Law and Political and Social Sciences who are not from the listed countries can still be considered if their academic progress has been impeded by an ongoing war or armed conflict, explained in a statement of up to 700 words.

Funding

Fellowship package

Component	Details
Monthly grant	EUR 1,650 per month (rate applying from 1 January 2026).
Family allowance	Additional allowance for fellows with a dependent family.
Travel allowance	Included in the package.
Insurance	Cover provided under the EUI framework.
Duration	Support runs within the EUI doctoral programme's normative period (four years).

Eligibility and Requirements

Who can apply

Criterion	Requirement
Nationality	Citizenship of one of the countries listed in the official table (the list is published on the fellowship page).
Degree	A completed master's or equivalent degree in a discipline relevant to the chosen EUI department.
Departments	Economics, History, Law, and Political and Social Sciences.
Exception route	Non-listed nationals in History, Law and Political and Social Sciences affected by ongoing war or armed conflict may apply with a 700-word statement.

Application dates

Key dates

Component	Details
Status	Open when checked on 22 October 2026
Deadline	15 January 2027, 14:00 CET
Location	European University Institute, Florence, Italy

How to Apply

There is no separate funding application. You apply to the EUI doctoral programme through its normal online form, and inside the form you select the EUI Special Doctoral Fellowship Programme option in the Funding Authorities section, stating your nationality in the Justification field. Applicants using the war-affected route attach their statement there. Because the EUI deadline doubles as the main doctoral admission deadline, your research proposal and references do double duty - write them for the department, not the fellowship.

About the EUI

The European University Institute is a doctoral and postdoctoral institution co-founded by the EU member states and located on the hilltop of Fiesole above Florence. Its four departments teach only graduate research degrees, its cohort is one of the most international in Europe, and EUI alumni fill academic and policy positions across the continent.

Official Link

• Official advert and application (verified link)
• EUI departments overview (official)

Contact

Questions about this position, eligibility or the application process should be raised through the contact channel given on the official announcement page (see the Official Link section above). Always quote the position reference in your message so the admissions or HR team can route your enquiry quickly.

Important Notes

• Application deadline: 15 January 2027 (14:00 CET) - late or incomplete applications are normally not considered.
• Listing details were recorded from the official source at the time of publication; always confirm the latest requirements on the official page before applying.
• Prepare the documents listed in the eligibility and application sections before starting the online form - transcripts, CV and references take the longest to collect.

Application guides

• How to Email a PhD Supervisor: 7 Templates and Practical Tips
• How to Read a PhD Job Advert: Funding, Eligibility and Application Steps
• Academic CV for PhD Applications: Structure and an Example