The European Doctorate in the Social History of Europe and the Mediterranean, "Building on the Past", allows early stage researchers access to a training programme offered by a network of ten universities in different European countries.
Project Overview
The European Doctorate in the Social History of Europe and the Mediterranean (ED) provides qualitatively innovative research and training for early stage researchers. It is open to early stage researchers in history and related disciplines researching on any period of Europe’s history, from its classical origins to the present day. They should normally be undertaking a doctoral degree, or actually engaged in research without being registered for a doctorate.
The ED is a consortium of departments of history and related disciplines in ten leading academic institutions in different European countries. Coordinated by the Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia (Italy), the network partners are: Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia (Italy); National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Greece); Universität Bielefeld (Germany); Slovak Academy of Sciences (Slovakia); Rijksuniversiteit Groningen (Netherlands); Instituto de Ciências Sociais da Universidade de Lisboa (Portugal); University College London (United Kingdom); Ecole Normale Supérieure de Paris (France); Universidad Pablo de Olavide de Sevilla (Spain); Södertörns högskola (Sweden).
The ED is directed towards early stage researchers who can benefit from a period of mobility in the doctoral school of one of the consortium universities in another country. Each researcher participates in the regular postgraduate training and research seminars of the host university, where he/she is guided by a expert supervisor. At the beginning of the year, all researchers who have been awarded a fellowship take part in an introductory seminar, together with academics from each of the ED participant institutions; at the end of the academic year, a second seminar is held, in which the ED fellows present the results of their research during their period of mobility and assess its significance in terms of the overall trajectory of their research and training. For doctoral students, in addition to the PhD granted by their home university, it is possible to obtain a second diploma of the European Doctorate.
Training programme
The Fellowships exist to facilitate the mobility of early stage researchers within the EU. The fellows, supervised jointly by experts from both the home institution and the host department, spend a period up to one year in research and training in another country. They are expected to carry on their research during their period in the host institution and, where appropriate, are facilitated in their work in archives and libraries located elsewhere in the country. The research training seminars and courses provided by the participant institutions form an intrinsic part of the scheme and require the active participation of fellows. So it is essential that each fellow, during the period at the host institution, pursue both his/her research activity and the training programme.
An annual Introductory Seminar, of 2-3 days, is held early in the academic year (normally September), each year moving to a different partner university. All European Doctorate fellows selected for that year, a scientific member of each participant university, the doctoral students of the host university, and outside experts take part. There are normally two parts to the course: lectures by experts on specific themes of Europe’s present and past (such as the heterogeneity and unity of European history, diversity and homogeneity, the methodology of comparative history, the concept of Europe, etc); and the presentation by all the fellows of their research themes; both are followed by intensive discussion involving researchers and the specialized staff.
Each ED fellow has two supervisors, respectively in the home institution and the host department. They are responsible for constructing a tailor-made programme for the fellow, stemming from the individual research project, and directing his/her research. The supervisor in the host department meets regularly with the research student during his/her period of mobility and monitors his/her progress.
The ED fellow sends regular written reports to his/her two supervisors; and a report to the Coordinator of the ED at the end of the fellowship with a further report on progress 12 months later. At their host university all ED fellows attend the regular postgraduate training and research seminars of the history departments and, where appropriate, other departments.
A second Concluding Seminar of the entire annual cohort of fellows is held at the end of each academic year (normally June), again with all ED fellows and scientific representatives of each partner institution, when the fellows present the results of their research during their period of mobility and report on its significance in terms of the overall trajectory of their PhD training.
Expected benefits to the fellows
Professionally the European Doctorate allows structured training and creates the conditions for more rapid completion of research projects and doctoral dissertations. It offers a means of deepening the fellows’ skills in social and comparative European history, providing them with a broader approach than the ‘national’ filters through which the variety of European experiences tend to be interpreted. The doctoral fellows emerge linguistically better equipped. In terms of employment, the additional title gives a clear competitive advantage. The European Doctorate creates lasting contacts between early stage researchers at a crucial formative period of their careers that will lead to an influential network in university history teaching about the cultural bases of the future Europe. The fellows share a sense of commitment, through participation in such an innovative programme to forge a community of European-oriented professional historians, to explain and transmit the cultural and practical importance of the links between Europe’s past and its present.
European Doctorate Title
For PhD students, in addition to the Doctoral Diploma delivered by the candidate's own University, successful candidates can also receive a formal 'European Doctorate' certificate, in accordance with the recommendations of the Conference of European Rectors.
Requirements
1. The candidate must have completed at least one trimester spent in another European country within the framework of the “Building on the Past” programme.
2. The PhD board must include an academic or expert from an EU higher education institution in a country different from that of the home institution. This appointment to the PhD board is made in accordance with the procedures of the home university. The host institution is consulted.
3. The written assessment of an expert from a third EU country is taken into account in the decision to award the certificate of the European Doctorate. The external assessor may not be a member of the “Building on the Past” participant institutions.
4. The oral examination of the thesis includes the use of a second language of the European Union.
5. The doctoral thesis may be written in the language of the country where the doctorate is sustained. A summary must be written in one of the major languages of the European Union.
The procedures for the European Doctorate certificate are the exclusive responsibility of the coordinator of the programme. Eligibility criteria for applicants
The fellowships are specifically for early stage researchers who have obtained a degree that gives them access to doctoral studies. They should normally be undertaking a doctoral degree in History or related fields; they may, however, be actively engaged in a research project without being registered for a doctorate. These fellowships are not open to post doctoral researchers.
The following criteria are essential to be eligible for an ED fellowship, at the date of appointment:
Nationality
· Member State of the Community or;
· Associated State or;
· Third country if legal residence/main activity has been in a Member State or Associated State for at least 4 years of the 5 years prior to the appointment. (In this case the candidate will be considered a national of the State in which he/she has resided for the longest period.) Mobility
· Nationality must be different from the State in which the host institution is located.
· In case of multiple nationalities, the applicant could be hosted by an institution located in the country of his/her nationality provided the applicant has not resided there during the previous 5 years.
· At the time of appointment, the legal residence/main activity may not have been in the country of the host institution for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the appointment.
· Applicants holding the nationality of a Member State or an Associated Candidate State can carry out their research training activities in their country of nationality if they can provide evidence testifying that their legal residence/main activity was in a third country for at least 4 of the last 5 years immediately prior to the appointment.
Qualification and research experience
· An applicant must be within the first 4 years (full time equivalent) of research activity (including periods of research training) since gaining a university degree (or equivalent) that gives access to doctoral studies in the country in which the degree was obtained. The degree must entitle the holder to embark on doctoral studies without having to acquire any further qualifications.
· Applicants who have already obtained a doctoral degree are not eligible.
Please note that the candidate must have a good working knowledge of English. The ability to communicate in the language of the host training site will be expected insofar as it is necessary for the research project proposed.
Applications
Applications can be made for periods from 3 to 12 months. They should be preferably in English and must include:
· The application form completed in all sections.
· A brief curriculum vitae, including language skills and any publications.
· An outline of the PhD or research project including reasons for applying for the Fellowship: the outline should not exceed 6000 characters and should be accompanied by a brief abstract.
· A photocopy of your passport.
· A confidential letter of support written by the academic supervisor or the director of research, that includes the reasons why the period of research and training in the host country is necessary for the candidate’s doctoral studies or research project. All the documents required should be sent by the deadline as an email attachment (Word or RTF format) to: eurodoct@unive.it. The letter of support should be sent us by e-mail directly by your academic supervisor or director of research.
A hard copy of the same documents should be sent by registered mail, including the sealed letter of support, by the deadline (postal date of mailing) to:
European Doctorate
Dipartimento di Studi Storici
Università Ca’ Foscari di Venezia
San Marco 2546
30124 Venezia – Italy
The final date for the next call for applications is 28st February 2007. Applications will not be accepted before 1st February 2006.
This is a 4-year programme and the present call is the third round. There will be a further call early for 2008. Please check the web site for the exact date.
Financial Support
Financial support to the fellows includes a monthly living allowance, a monthly mobility allowance and a travel allowance.
Monthly living allowance
The amounts calculated for the monthly living allowance vary from country to country. The three conditions that determine the monthly living allowance are:
· the EC cost of living index in different countries;
· the duration of the ED fellowship;
· whether the host institution is obliged to deduct social security contributions and taxation.
The living allowance is a gross contribution to the salary costs of the fellow. Consequently, the net salary results from deducting from the gross amounts all compulsory social security contributions as well as direct taxes, which vary from country to country.
Fellows can be recruited either under an employment contract or under a fixed-amount stipend:
· The employment contract includes a compulsory deduction under national legislation both in terms of taxation and in terms of social security coverage.
· The fixed-amount fellowship is a sort of grant that ensures minimum social security coverage. The fixed-amount stipends are liable only to a partial taxation or none, depending on national legislation.
The choice between employment contract and fixed-amount stipend depends on national legislation and on the number of months for which a fellowship is granted. Candidates should note that, due to national and EC regulations, they do not have the option of choosing between the two alternatives.
Monthly mobility allowance
The monthly mobility allowance is a monthly payment of a fixed amount to cover expenses related to moving to another country for a limited period. It depends on the family status of each eligible candidate at the time of the recruitment.
Travel allowance
The travel allowance is granted for one return journey and depends on the direct distance between the location of origin and the host institution. The location of origin means the place where the researcher was residing or carrying out his/her main activity at the time of selection as a Marie Curie Fellow.
The monthly living allowance (employment contract or fixed-amount stipend) and the monthly mobility allowance are adjusted to the cost of living in each country according to the correction coefficients of the European Commission.
Please note that Marie Curie regulations do not allow fellows in this programme to receive other incomes than those granted by this fellowship. However, doctoral students who have been granted a scholarship normally will be able to continue to receive it. The fellowships are subject to the legislation of the host country. For the amounts of the monthly living allowance, monthly mobility allowance and travel allowance for each host country, please refer to the page of the institution for which you are applying.
Contact us
The coordinating institution of the European Doctorate in the Social History of Europe and the Mediterranean is the History Department of the Università Ca’ Foscari of Venice (Italy)
The European Doctorate in the Social History of Europe and the Mediterranean (ED) provides qualitatively innovative research and training for early stage researchers. It is open to early stage researchers in history and related disciplines researching on any period of Europe’s history, from its classical origins to the present day. They should normally be undertaking a doctoral degree, or actually engaged in research without being registered for a doctorate.