Pilecki Fellowship | call for application - Instytut Pileckiego

The fellowship is awarded to both senior and junior researchers, representing disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, especially modern history, sociology, political science, international relations, law studies and political philosophy.

The Pilecki Institute is a research institution based in Warsaw, Poland. It is named after Witold Pilecki (1901–1948), the World War II Polish intelligence agent and officer with the Home Army who volunteered to let himself be caught and sent to the concentration and death camp in Auschwitz in order to organize resistance inside and to report on the atrocities being carried out there by the Germans. After the war he became a victim of the communist regime and was executed in 1948.

The Institute examines 20th-century history with a special focus on totalitarian ideologies and their implementation in Poland and other Central and Eastern European countries. The Institute’s mission is to reinvigorate international scholarly discussion on the German and Soviet occupation of Central and Eastern Europe by initiating interdisciplinary and comparative research projects and scholarship, and by offering grant programs aimed at early-stage, junior, and senior scholars.

The Center for Totalitarian Studies at the Institute gathers researchers who specialize in political science, international relations, sociology, international law, history and Jewish studies. This unique milieu of scholars both initiates and participates in interdisciplinary research projects devoted to totalitarianism and the history of Poland and Central and Eastern Europe in the 20th century. Their studies are concerned primarily with World War II, its consequences, and the cultivation of memory by the second and third postwar generations. They are supported as well by the Institute's team of archival and bibliographic experts.

The Institute seeks scholars to carry out their own research projects in this vibrant and intellectually stimulating environment who will contribute with their approaches, perspectives and new ideas. We are looking for scholars ready to work in a multidisciplinary and vigorous team and participate in vibrant discussions on political, social, economic, cultural, international and legal aspects and implications of the complex phenomenon of totalitarianism.

OBJECTIVE

Researchers across the humanities and social sciences are encouraged to apply. Preference will be given to projects in some way connected to Polish studies or comparative studies of other Central and Eastern European countries as broadly understood and related to the following research areas:

• Totalitarian systems and ideologies in the 20th century and its consequences.
• The German and Soviet occupations of Central and Eastern Europe – legal, social, philosophical and historical aspects.
• Sovereignty, human rights, genocide and international law in the wake of the catastrophe of the World War II.
• Memory and memorialization of World War II.
• Nationalism and political community in 20th-century Europe.
• Personal experiences of war and totalitarianism in Europe.
• Enslaved societies – resistance and strategies of survival in 20th-century Europe. 

The list of research areas is not definitive, and new ideas are also welcomed.

Pilecki Fellows will be invited to spend a term of five or ten months between September 2020 and June 2021 at the Pilecki Institute in Warsaw; it may be possible to extend this time period depending on the project and circumstances.

CONDITIONS

Senior Visiting Fellows will receive a stipend of EUR 3,000 per month, Junior Visiting Fellows EUR 2,000 per month to cover accommodation and living expenses in Warsaw and health insurance. The Pilecki Institute will provide office space, in-house research and administrative facilities, internet access, as well as other services. Travel expenses for flying in-out as well as additional travel expenditures for project-related research trips will be covered by the Pilecki Institute.

Scholars planning to work on Poland-related matters who are not already fluent will be strongly advised to enter the Institute’s fully funded language programs to develop their command of Polish.

Fellowship recipients will be expected to participate in the Institute’s intellectual life, in particular: conduct research according to a submitted and accepted schedule, present their research project at one of the Institute’s seminars (twice in case of a ten-month visit), participate in conferences and other scholarly events organized or co-organized by the Pilecki Institute, and submit a 8,000–10,000-word scholarly paper for publishing consideration.

ELIGIBILITY

Candidates for the Pilecki Junior Fellowships

• must currently be pursuing their doctoral degree at the dissertation stage or have recently obtained a PhD in an academic institution outside Poland in one of the academic disciplines in the humanities and social sciences
• must have at least one publication, preferably in the area of Central/East European studies, Polish studies, Holocaust studies, totalitarianism, WW II or other related subjects
• must speak fluent English (C1 and above)

Candidates for the Pilecki Senior Fellowship

• must hold a PhD/Doctoral degree in the humanities or social science from an academic institution outside of Poland and have at least 10 years of post-Doctoral research experience
• must have a proven record of research and publications related to the above mentioned research areas
• must speak fluent English (C1 and above)

APPLICATION

Candidates shall submit their applications to the following email address: scholarships@instytutpileckiego.pl. 

All application documents must be submitted in English. All applicants will be notified when their applications have been received.

The complete application should contain:

• an application form (you'll find the attachment below) that comprises:
  • an academic curriculum vitae
  • a research project proposal, including research questions/problem, the aims of the project, research methods, the expected results and
    an explanation of the importance of the research to its area of study (up to 1,000 words)
  • list of publications
  • a schedule for the research work to be done in Poland, explaining why it is essential for the project and including a list of archives or other institutions to be consulted
  • in the case of junior fellowships, a letter of recommendation from the applicant's academic supervisor or other scholars familiar with the applicants research/work. The reference letter should be sent directly by the referee from his/her official address to the following email address: scholarships@instytutpileckiego.pl
  • a Personal Data Protection statement (view the attached file)

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Applications will be reviewed by a board of experts appointed by the Institute. Short-listed candidates will be invited to online interviews between February 24 and March 12. Candidates will be contacted individually to schedule the interview.

The list of successful candidates will be announced by March 20, 2020. DEADLINE: Standing offer until February 15, 2020.
For further inquiry, please contact us: scholarships@instytutpileckiego.pl.