Max Weber Programme 2027-2028 Opens Applications
The European University Institute’s Max Weber Programme for 2027-2028 is accepting applications until October 16, 2026, offering a monthly grant of 2,500
Applications are open for the Max Weber Programme (MWP) at the European University Institute for the 2027-2028 academic year. The deadline to apply is October 16, 2026. The programme is a highly selective postdoctoral opportunity in the historical, humanities and social sciences fields.
The MWP accepts candidates of any nationality who have completed their Ph.D. Within the past five years or have official approval to defend their thesis by the programme start date of September 1, 2027. This means applicants for the 2027-2028 cycle must have received or submitted their Ph.D. Between September 1, 2022 and September 1, 2027, with defence completed no later than December 31, 2027. Extensions to the five-year rule are permitted for maternity or paternity leave, illness or mandatory military service, provided circumstances are cited in the application.
Selected fellows receive a monthly grant of 2,500 EUR, plus family allowances when appropriate. Additional benefits include health insurance, mission and research funds. During the second year, qualifying fellows may apply for a part-time assistant professor contract (level ASSPR6/3) for 12 months, which includes teaching duties and Ph.D. Mentorship, with net remuneration of approximately 850 EUR in addition to the monthly grant.
Fellows are required to reside in the Florence area for the duration of the fellowship to participate fully in programme activities and academic unit events. The cohort typically includes around 65 fellows across EUI’s academic units: Economics, History, Law, Political and Social Sciences, the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies and the Florence School of Transnational Governance. The programme has an annual acceptance rate of less than 2%.
Applicants must submit a CV with publications, a one-page academic career statement, and a two-page research proposal, all in PDF format. The research proposal must outline goals for the first and second year of the fellowship and include a reflection on gender and diversity relevance to the research. A passport copy in JPEG format is also required. Documents must use standard international fonts and avoid macros, special characters or password protection.
The academic career statement and research proposal must comply with EUI guidelines on the responsible use of artificial intelligence in research. Candidates must not use generative AI to write substantial parts of these documents autonomously. When AI is used to generate novel content, the AI-generated portions must be acknowledged and referenced.
Applicants must provide the names of two to three academic referees. At least two letters of reference must be submitted online directly by the referees by the deadline of October 16, 2026 at 14:00 CEST. References from current full-time or part-time EUI professors are not accepted. Former EUI members may apply only after being away from the institute in a full-time occupation or fellowship for at least one year by the application deadline.
English proficiency at CEFR level C1 is expected. While no English certificate is required with the application, successful candidates must provide proof upon registration. Acceptable proof includes an international English certificate, a document showing the doctorate was written in English, a published article or book chapter of at least 6,000 words in English, or evidence of postgraduate study in an English-language programme. Native English speakers are exempt from this requirement.
The source for this information is the OpportunityDesk announcement titled 'Max Weber Programme (MWP) at the European University Institute 2027-2028 (Funded)'.
