Apply European University Institute (EUI) Special Doctoral Fellowships(Open to developing country nationals worldwide)

Applications are now open until 15 January 2026 (14:00 CET)

The European University Institute (EUI) is offering 130 special scholarships for its PhD Programme to support candidates from specific countries lacking access to other funding options.

To ensure equity and inclusiveness within its PhD Programme and community, the EUI earmarks special scholarships for candidates from the countries listed below who are not eligible for any other funding programme.

• the Adam Smith doctoral fellowship in Economics
• the Jacob Burckhardt doctoral fellowship in History
• the Hans Kelsen doctoral fellowship in Law
• the Hannah Arendt doctoral fellowship in Political and Social Sciences

The Departments will consider academic merit as the primary criterion for awarding the fellowships. In the academic year 2026-27, the Departments of History, Law and Political and Social Sciences will give special consideration to candidates who can demonstrate that their academic progress has been impeded by an ongoing war or other armed conflicts, e.g. the war in the Middle East.

A world-class PhD experience built on excellence, support, and opportunity

• Fully-funded, internationally recognised PhD
• Structured programme with comprehensive support
• Intellectual independence and cutting-edge research
• World-class resources, welfare and wellbeing support
• International mobility and continuous development

Eligibility Criteria

Candidates may apply for the EUI Special Doctoral Scholarships if they hold the nationality of one of the following countries.

History, Law and Political and Social Sciences candidates who do not hold the nationality of a country listed below may exceptionally apply if their academic progress has been impeded by an ongoing war or other armed conflicts, e.g. the war in the Middle East.

All other candidates who are not eligible for this or any other funding programme may be admitted on condition that they are able to secure an external scholarship.

Afghanistan Algeria Angola Armenia Azerbaijan Bangladesh Belize Benin Bolivia (Plurinational State of) Brazil Bhutan Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Central African Republic Chad Comoros Congo Congo (Democratic Rep. of the) Colombia Côte d’Ivoire Cuba Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Eswatini (Kingdom of) Fiji Gabon Gambia Georgia Ghana

Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras India Indonesia Iran (Islamic Rep. of) Iraq Jamaica Jordan Kenya Kiribati Korea (Democratic People’s Rep. of) Kyrgyzstan Lao People’s Democratic Republic Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Maldives Mali Marshall Islands Mauritania Mexico Micronesia (Federated States of) Mongolia Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Nicaragua Niger

Pakistan Palau Palestine, State of Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Rwanda Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa Sao Tome and Principe Senegal Sierra Leone Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Sudan Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Syrian Arab Republic Tajikistan Tanzania (United Rep. of) Timor-Leste Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Turkmenistan Tuvalu Uganda Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) Viet Nam Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe

 

Degree Requirements

To be eligible for an EUI Special Doctoral Fellowship, candidates must have completed a Master’s or equivalent degree in an academic discipline relevant to the doctoral programme of the department and the research proposal. The degree must be awarded before 31 August.

Application Procedure

There is no separate grant application procedure to follow. The application for admission to the EUI doctoral programme is automatically an application for an EUI Doctoral Fellowship:

Candidates wishing to apply for the fellowship should choose the “EUI Special Doctoral Fellowship Programme” option in the Funding Authorities section of the online application form and indicate their nationality in the “Justification” field.

History, Law and Political and Social Sciences candidates affected by an ongoing war or by other armed conflicts should include a statement (up to 700 words) detailing their circumstances following the conflict and how it is disrupting their academic path. This statement should be submitted as a separate file following the instructions provided on the online application form. The information provided in this statement will be treated confidentially and only processed to assess your funding eligibility and application. It will be accessible solely to authorised staff involved in the selection and admission process. The data will not be retained beyond the conclusion of the admission process. Complete details are available on the online application form.

Grants and Allowances

Monthly grant: 1.650 EUR as of 1st January 2026

Family allowance: Yes

Travel allowance: Yes

Insurance: Yes

Funding Authority

European University Institute