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The Forum Transregionale Studien invites applications for 15 Fellowships in two tracks from October 2025 to July 2026 in Germany. This unique Fellowship program supports early-career scholars and practitioners working on democracy and the rule of law in Europe. Designed around Europe-wide mobility, interdisciplinary exchange, and a growing European Alumni Network, the program enhances critical debate and collaboration across academia and practice.
Opportunity Details
The rule of law and democracy are interlinked and mutually reinforcing, however increasingly contested in Europe. A growing European Union needs to rest on a broad consensus of the rule of law and democracy and its components such as freedom, equality and dignity as primary common principles ensuring legitimacy and stability in Europe and beyond. In light of the existing and future challenges in the European Union and its neighbourhood, re:constitution aims to strengthen the common ground for the rule of law and democratic principles by encouraging pan-European mobility, interdisciplinary debate and the formation of a network of scholars and practitioners of law and democracy. Since 2019, re:constitution annually awards Fellowships to early- and mid-career scholars and practitioners to work on individual projects related to the rule of law and democracy in Europe. The programme enables Fellows to contribute to the debate on the state and future of the constitution of democracy and rule of law in Europe, encourages critical debates across and within national positions, across academia and practice. Based on a unique concept centred around Europe-wide mobility for collaboration combined with opportunities of exchange and a European Alumni Network, the Fellowship programme is designed to contribute to safeguarding and strengthening the rule of law, democracy and the respect of fundamental rights.
re:constitution Fellowships are designed for both academics and practitioners and will be awarded for the period from October 2025 to July 2026. The Fellowships are offered in two tracks to better accommodate individual professional requirements and personal circumstances of the applicants. Fellows from both tracks will have equal access to all parts of the programme and together they will constitute the interdisciplinary and international re:constitution cohort of 2025/26.
TRACK 1 - Full Time
TRACK 2 - Shorter mobility period with part-time option
CALLS FOR APPLICATIONS
Stipend: € 2.500 per month during mobility periods between October 2025 and July 2026
Independence to research and publish on an issue of choice conneced to democracy and the rule of law in Europe.
Funding for mobility via collaboration with selected host institutions across the EU, non-EU EEA, EU candidate countries, the UK or CH, offering new personal and remote work and exchange opportunities.
Exchange and debate on topical issues in interdisciplinary, high-quality and flexible environment of mutual learning and professional development among scholars, legal practitioners and journalists from across Europe.
Networking through multi-faceted exchange about democracy and the rule of law in personal meetings with leading experts and decision makers from across Europe and different backgrounds offering diverse perspectives.
Shaping the re:constitution alumni network to build a sustainable community of knowledge and discussion with
potential for further collaboration and support.
Support by the coordination team and access to a secure digital collaborative working space provided by Forum Transregionale Studien.
Opportunities to become involved in the broader analytical work of the re:constitution programme run by DRI, based on interests and availability.
Training courses to promote Fellows’ further career development, particularly in the areas of interdisciplinary, intersectoral and transregional competences and to expand methodological knowledge.
re:constitution invites applications from residents* in the European Union, non-EU EEA countries, EU candidate countries in active accession negotiations or pursuing the start of negotiations,** as well as from residents in Switzerland and the United Kingdom in the early stages of their careers as
(This list is non-exhaustive. For practitioners, comparable work experience is expected, but a PhD is not required.)
* It is important to be a resident of one of these countries for the duration of the Fellowship. Citizenship in these countries is not required.
** „EU candidate countries“ in the context of the re:constitution Call for Applications include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Ukraine.
With accepting the Fellowship, the applicants will agree
Please submit your application via our secure online application platform by 3 April 2025, 12 noon CEST: https://application.trafo-berlin.de/.
Please make sure to choose the correct Fellowship Track (1 or 2) when starting the application process. We only accept one application per person.
Important! Applications by e-mail will not be considered!
As part of your application, you will be asked to prepare and upload the following:
• Curriculum vitae including a list of publications (2-3 pages),
• Project outline (max. 1500 words)
• Short abstract of your project (max. 300 words),
• Two references (university faculty members or practitioners in a field relevant to your project).
Please note: Letters of recommendation are NOT REQUIRED.
• Potential host institutions (your preferred research and practice institutions in Europe to spend part of your mobility period, ideally including an indication of preferred dates and/or existing personal contacts. By the time of submitting your application you are not yet required to organise your stays.)
The working language of re:constitution is English.
If you have any questions, please refer to the FAQ or contact the programme coordination team: [email protected].
Apply for Re:Constitution Fellowships