European Court of Auditors Postgraduate Research Grant Programme

The European Court of Auditors and the European University Institute in Florence, Italy have set up a grant scheme for researchers in the field of European public finance and the EU budget, at the Historical Archives of the European Union.

Two research grants (€5000 each) are available in 2023 for researchers in the field of European public finance.

The aim is to promote original research into the EU’s public finances and their impact, as well as into the development of the EU's accountability and audit, in addition to forging a community of researchers in this field.

The scheme is open to academic researchers from a wide range of disciplines, including law, political science, economics, sociology, public administration and history.

It is open to postgraduate students (master’s and doctoral candidates) and to postdoctoral students, as well as to university teachers who have completed their master's degree or doctorate within the past ten years and who currently hold an academic post.

Each year two research grants of €5000 each are made available to enable researchers to access the Historical Archives of the European Union, a unique resource for scholars of European integration. Housed in the renaissance Villa Salviati in Florence, the archives contain a wealth of primary documents deposited by the EU institutions, many of which have never been closely examined by researchers.

The scheme began in 2007 and has since enabled original research into many areas: the role of the EU institutions, the evolution of compliance, the development of audit methodology, shared management in policy implementation, multi-level governance, the EU regional policy, the emergence of institutional norms and values, the EU development policy, and more.

Objective

These grants are intended to enable researchers with an interest in public finance in the EU to broaden their research through access to the Historical Archives of the European Union, to which the Court has entrusted its own historical archives and those of the Audit Board (1958-1977).

Through the programme, the Court wishes to make it easier for researchers to access and consult the collections available at the Institute in Florence.

Admission

The following are eligible to apply:

• all current postgraduate students (master’s and doctoral candidates);
• all postdoctoral researchers or university teachers who have completed a master’s degree or doctorate within the ten years preceding the date the application is submitted and who currently hold an academic appointment.

Applicants should be preparing a thesis, dissertation, or scholarly article relating to EU public finance in any of the disciplines of human and social sciences (e.g. law, political science, economics, sociology, public administration and history).

Research projects presented by postgraduate students or postdoctoral researchers should preferably be directly related to their master’s or doctoral field of research.

In view of the nature of the files concerned, candidates should have a sound knowledge of English and French. Knowledge of other EU languages would be an advantage.

Only individual applications will be considered for the programme.

Candidates may not submit an application with the same research subject on more than two occasions.

Candidates must be nationals of a Member State of the European Union. These eligibility criteria will be strictly applied.

Application Procedure and Deadline

The application period will open on 7 July 2024 and the deadline to apply is 7 October 2024.

Applications and all supporting documentation must be submitted in either English or French. The research itself and subsequent publications may be in any of the official languages of the European Union. The application file should include only the information required (see below).

Completed application files should include:

• a detailed presentation of the research proposal, including a description of the research subject, its academic significance and its contribution to research in the field, any previous academic work performed in the field of study, and the proposed research methodology and timetable (five pages maximum);
• a detailed annotated bibliography of sources and studies related to the research (five pages maximum);
• a justification of the need to use the Historical Archives of the European Union in Florence;
• a statement of the applicant’s plans for scholarly publication of the research results;
• a list of the applicant’s previous publications (no more than 10, including the most recent);
• a letter of recommendation from a professor of a university or university-level research institute, providing an evaluation of the scholarly significance of the project and an assessment of the candidate’s qualifications, abilities and motivation to carry out the proposed research.

Grant Awards

Successful applicants will receive a research grant of €5000 to cover all research expenses, including:

• one round trip between the grant holder’s permanent residence and Florence;
• accommodation in Florence for the duration of the grant holder's use of the archives.

The grant will be paid in two instalments:

• a first instalment of €2000 at the start of the research, as attested by the Director of the Historical Archives of the European Union;
• a second instalment of €3000 after an essay on the grant holder’s research subject has been submitted to the Selection Committee.

Selection and Notification

The Selection Committee is composed of current or former officials of the European Court of Auditors, recognised experts in the field of EU public finance and policies and the former Director of the Historical Archives of the European Union. Decisions are based upon the quality of the application file, the significance and originality of the proposed research, the feasibility of the project, the candidate’s ability to carry out the research satisfactorily, and the importance of using the Archives in Florence.

Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application within one month of the deadline.

Publications and Commitments

Grant holders will undertake to ensure that all subsequent publications or productions using in whole or in part the results obtained under the auspices of the research grant will appropriately acknowledge the Postgraduate Research Grant Programme. In addition, they will provide the Historical Archives of the European Union with a copy of any such publications or productions.

Upon completing their stay, grant holders will submit to the Selection Committee an essay on their research subject.

Selection Committee

The Members of the Selection Committee for the 2023 Postgraduate Research Grant Programme are:

• Jean-Jack Beurotte, former Director at the European Court of Auditors (Chairman of the Selection Committee);
• Carlo degli Abbati, former official of the European Court of Auditors and lecturer at the University of Genoa;
• Gilberto Moggia, senior official at the European Court of Auditors
• Jean-Marie Palayret, former Director of the Historical Archives of the European Union and former Associate Professor of the History of European Integration at the University of Strasbourg

Secretariat

Queries should be sent to:

E-mail: applyauditcourt@eui.eu

Tel: +39 055 4685 661

Website: Historical Archives of the European Union (eui.eu)

For more information about the institutional profile and activities of the European Court of Auditors, please consult the Court's website: www.eca.europa.eu.