The Transatlantic Post-Doc Fellowship for International Relations and Security (TAPIR) is open to candidates who have recently received their doctorate in social and political sciences or economics and whose research focuses on topics of international relations and/or international peace and security issues. Fellowships are granted for a duration of 24 months to prepare Fellows for a career in policy-oriented and international research at renowned think tanks and political consulting research institutes. Fellows spend three eight-month stays at research institutions or think tanks participating in the program - at least one on the Eastern, and one on the Western side of the Atlantic.
Participating institutes include: Chatham House, Center for International Relations (CIR), Center for Security Studies (CSS), European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS), Institute for Strategic and International Studies (IEEI), Institut français des relations internationales (IFRI), RAND Corporation, SAIS Center for Transatlantic Relations (SAIS), United States Institute of Peace (USIP), Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies (IFS), and German Institute for International and Security Affairs/ Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP).
Fellows will be supervised by a researcher at each host institute, while being integrated into the relevant research units or projects. Fellows will have the opportunity to work on issues of major and immediate political significance, and to publish their work in journals or paper series that will be read by decision-makers at national and international levels. The Fellowship aims to involve participants actively in the work and research of leading international think tanks. It is not intended to primarily fund the completion of major individual publications or of academic peer-reviewed journal articles.
The fellowship consists of
- a monthly stipend of Euro 1,800.-
- a monthly allowance for health insurance of Euro 200.-
- and a one-time travel allowance of Euro 3,500 for travel to and from the host institutions.
Fees for residence permits are not included.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the Transatlantic Post-Doc Fellowship, candidates should have successfully defended their Ph.D. by the start of the program (October 1st, 2011). Candidates must have a strong interest in working in a policy-oriented international environment and must demonstrate their ability to do so by previous international academic experience. U.S., Canadian and European (in a broader geographical definition) nationals can apply to the program.
Application procedure
Applications should contain
- a five-page research statement outlining the candidate's current and longer-term academic interests (research proposal). This does not have to be limited to transatlantic issues.
- a terse Curriculum Vitae with a list of principal publications (max. four pages in total)
- two letters of recommendation (attached to your application or separately sent by your referee)
All files, including letters of recommendation, should be sent in PDF format to transatlanticfellowship@swp-berlin.org by February 01, 2011. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. Successful candidates will be informed by May 2011.
Selection
Up to five Fellowships will be awarded in 2011. Fellows will be selected by a jury composed of members of the participating institutes. Selection criteria are the academic excellence of the candidate and the quality of the research statement.
The decision of the jury is final and no appeal is possible. All candidates are informed of the outcome of their applications by e-mail.
Funders
The program is funded by, among others, DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service), Deutsche Bank, Fritz Thyssen Stiftung, Otto Group, Robert Bosch-Stiftung, and Transatlantikprogramm der Bundesregierung.