Bucharest, Romania
Academic year 2026-2027
Deadline for applications – 18 January 2026
New Europe College (NEC), an Institute for Advanced Study in Bucharest (Romania), launches the annual competition for the 2026-2027 Fellowships. Romanian and international postdoctoral scholars in the humanities and social sciences (all areas, including law and economics) are invited to apply. Around 25 fellowships are available across eight programmes.
What we offer
- a monthly allowance of €1,000 (tax free) & accommodation in Bucharest (living quarters and working space)
- reimbursement of travel costs from the home/residence country to Bucharest and back
- free access to NEC’s library and electronic resources
- a lump sum for a research trip to, or conference attendance at, an institution of the Fellow’s choice
What we expect
- Fellows will work on their projects and take part in the scholarly events organised by NEC
- Fellows will attend the weekly seminars discussing progress in their work (compulsory)
- Fellows will hand in a final research paper on the project carried out during their Fellowship
Eligibility
NEC Fellowships are open to postdoctoral-level scholars, both Romanian and international, in all areas of the humanities and social sciences.
Duration
- for Romanian citizens: a full academic year (10 months, starting in October 2026)
- for foreign citizens: a full academic year or one term (5 months, starting in October 2026 or March 2027)
How to apply:
Applications (in English, French or German) will be submitted online only, using the form available at applications.nec.ro. Please refer to the guidelines below to make sure you have all the documents needed to fill in the form. Also, be advised that English is the preferred working language during most NEC events.
If you have any questions, please send an email to: [email protected]
The selection process
The applications will be assessed by NEC’s academic staff, in consultation with external experts.
Stages of the assessment process:
1) Preselection
- applicants are screened by the selection committee (NEC academic staff, external experts)
- candidates are notified of the preselection results in the second half of March 2026 by email
2) Final interviews
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a Zoom interview with members of NEC’s Academic Board on 22–24 April 2026. The Academic Advisory Board plays a decisive role in the final selection of the Fellows. For the selection criteria, see the Guidelines below. Please note that the assessment reports on the applications are not disclosed to candidates.
The DEADLINE for submitting applications is 18 JANUARY 2026
Incomplete or late applications will not be taken into consideration.
GUIDELINES FOR APPLICANTS
Submitting an application
Applications must be submitted online by filling in the Application Form available on NEC’s website, under “Apply for a Fellowship”: applications.nec.ro
Candidates need to upload the following documents onto the application platform:
- a recent photo
- a scan of their PhD diploma
Candidates need to answer all the questions in the application form without exceeding the space allotted. The project description must not exceed 12,000 characters (with spaces), including bibliographical references, and it should mention the current stage of the research project that the candidate is submitting in her/his particular area of interest, as well as its objectives.
Optionally, candidates can also upload their CV and/or one or two letters of reference, neither of which is mandatory. If the candidates do decide to include references, the following requirements have to be fulfilled:
- letters of reference (in English, French or German) have to be written expressly to support the application for the NEC Fellowship. Once the candidate has submitted the application, the referees receive an automatic message with the link and the deadline for uploading their reference. We strongly recommend that candidates announce the referees in advance that the letters of reference are to be submitted by 25 JANUARY 2026.
Selection Criteria
- high quality of the candidate’s academic track record, publications and participation in international research
- innovative research proposal with significant contribution to scholarship
- interdisciplinary and/or comparative approaches are an advantage
GDPR
NEC stores and processes personal data in accordance with current GDPR regulations.
