The Policy Leader Fellowship (PLF) is a residential programme at the Florence School of Transnational Governance (STG) aimed for mid-career policy professionals from a range of policy fields: politics, civil service, media, non-governmental organisations and others. This unique programme is nested within one of the most renowned academic institutions in Europe and provides the fellows with an insider view into the EU policy making processes. The programme is particular in its aim to attract individuals with diverse hands-on experiences in policy-making across the world and does not require academic training background. Besides having direct access to the STG and the EUI faculty and researcher community, the fellows learn from each other and form lasting professional and personal connections.
The fellows spend five or ten months at the STG developing policy recommendations and practical solutions for pressing issues of transnational relevance inspired and informed by their work experience. In addition, the fellows attend professional skills trainings and can freely participate in the academic life and activities of the EUI to enhance their fellowship project. At the same time, the fellows enrich the STG community by bringing their first-hand experiences to teaching, training and networking at the School.
In addition to working on individual projects, fellows will contribute to one of four faculty-led thematic projects addressing a question related to transnational governance.
These projects are research and creative initiatives proposed by Faculty members for the 2026–27 academic year. Applicants are required to engage with these projects as part of their application.
Subscribe for scholarship update!
Be among the first to know whenever new European University Institute scholarship is going on
European University Institute Fellowship
Aim and Benefits of European University Institute Fellowship
Duration
The fellowships are offered for a duration of five or ten months. Candidates should indicate their preference from the following options:
- Five months: September 2025 - January 2026
- Ten months: September 2025 - June 2026
Residence
- Fellows must reside in the area of Florence for the duration of their fellowship so that they can take an active part in the activities of the EUI/STG and the fellowship programme (with the possibility of short visits outside Florence and Italy). The fellowship cannot be carried out remotely/online.
Grant
- The basic grant is € 2,500 per month.
- Successful applicants who receive other grants or salaries must disclose this to the EUI. The amount of the Fellowship will be fixed at a lower rate (minimum €1,750 per month) depending on the amount of the additional income (upon production of relevant supporting documents).
- If applicable, family allowances will be added to the basic grant (see below).
Family Allowances
- A household allowance of up to € 310 per month is paid to a Fellow with a partner if the partner lives with him /her in Florence and on the condition that the partner's income is less than € 2,000 per month. The sum of income and allowance cannot exceed € 2,000 per month (i.e. if the income is more than € 1,700, the allowance will be paid only to top up to € 2,000).
- An allowance of € 210 per month is paid for each dependent child. Fellows are entitled to these allowances if they can declare that they are not receiving any similar allowance from another source, and upon submission of relevant supporting documents (i.e. marriage or partner certificate, or proof of cohabitation in Florence; birth certificates).
- For dependent children in full-time education and over the age of 18, a school or university certificate is required. No allowance is paid for dependent children over the age of 26.
Taxation
- The fellowship is not taxed by the EUI. Fellows are, however, required to comply with any other tax provisions which may be applicable to them.
Travel Expenses
Fellows (but not their families) receive reimbursement for the incoming trip from their place of origin to Florence, and for the outgoing trip to their destination at the end of their fellowship.
- First-class rail (travel by car is also reimbursed on this basis)
- Economy class air fare
The maximum amount for travel reimbursement amounts to €1,200 including both incoming and outgoing trip. Taxi expenses are not reimbursed.
Visa and Immigration
Removal/ Re-installment expenses
- There is no provision for removal or installation expenses.
Requirements for European University Institute Fellowship Qualification
The general profile of the candidates:
- Mid-career professionals able to demonstrate solid professional experience (minimum 10 years) and potential for future excellence in a given policy area; candidates with strictly academic profile typically will not be considered;
- Self-motivated and driven, able to autonomously accomplish the activities presented under the fellowship work plan;
- Open-minded and curious individuals willing to engage in peer discussions on topics which may go beyond their area of expertise;
- Flexible with a cooperative group mindset, capable of working with individuals of different backgrounds and skills towards working on shared projects.
Evaluation criteria:
- Accomplishments and potential: Professional excellence is assessed on the basis of the candidate’s contributions to a given policy field based on the CV and any other supporting evidence of the application. Minimum Bachelor’s degree or equivalent is required.
- Focus area: The candidate’s field of work should be broadly aligned with the STG programmes and faculty research.Other themes can also be considered but preference will be given to applicants that cover policy areas of the STG faculty and programmes.
- Fellowship work plan: Applicants are assessed on the professional substance of their work plan as well as its feasibility, applicability in a transnational policy context and potential impact.
- Contribution to collective project and group work: Applicants should demonstrate their ability to work as part of a group with other fellows, and the motivation to work towards a collective project with the supervision of a faculty member. Preference will be given to applicants who clearly highlight how they intend to contribute to the collective project of their choice.
- Motivation: Applicants should be able to articulate what difference the fellowship experience will make to their professional journey as well as what they can offer to the STG. Preference is given to applicants who can both contribute to the STG programmes and activities as well as benefit from their stay at the STG and the EUI.
- Diversity: The programme strives for thematic and geographic diversity as well as gender balance among the fellows.
Interview date, Process and Venue for European University Institute Fellowship
- The Florence School of Transnational Governance can allocate approximately twenty to twenty-five fellowships per academic year. The programme can usually select around four to five percent of those who apply.
- During the first step of the selection procedure, all complete applications are reviewed to perform basic eligibility check and, if eligible, are forwarded for review by the Selection Committee. Incomplete or late applications are discarded at this stage.
- In the second step of the selection procedure, the Selection Committee members review the applications in light of each applicant’s professional profile, their proposed work plan and the match between the perceived needs of the candidate and the opportunities the programme offers. The Committee also considers the reciprocal contribution the applicant can make to the STG as a fellow as well as the synergies and diversity among the future cohort.
- A shortlist and a reserve list are presented to the EUI Executive Committee for its consideration; their decision is final, and no appeal is possible. The STG is not in a position to give advice on individual applications nor to give feedback on the applications. Applicants cannot contact the decision makers in this process.
- The final decision is communicated to the applicants within four months of the application deadline by the Academic Service of the EUI.
Documents Required for Application
- CV (maximum 3 pages);
- Short biography (maximum 250 words); the bio serves as a quick overview of the candidate’s profile for the selection process and will also be used for communications purposes if the applicant is accepted for the fellowship.
- Two reference letters (see separate section on reference letters);
- Copy of highest educational certificate;
- Letter of motivation (maximum 1000 words) outlining the applicant’s main reasons to apply for the fellowship, the objectives to be pursued during the programme highlighting interest in specific transnational policy issues and future professional aspirations;
- Work plan (maximum 2500 words) should include the project title, a short summary/abstract, the main objectives, milestones and the related activities to achieve the envisaged outputs; the activities should be allocated appropriately based on five or ten months’ fellowship timeline; the applicant should highlight any individuals/groups/resources at the STG and/or EUI where they see potential synergies or opportunities for collaboration as well as any external partners (if relevant); the work plan should take into account several of the required STG outputs/deliverables (more information and examples can be found here); the applicant should include a section on the desired impact of the proposed project beyond the STG as well as a short dissemination plan for the final outputs. There is no template for the work plan but it should be clear, well-structured and include all the above mentioned sections.
- Collective project interest statement (maximum 400 words each). In addition to their individual project, fellows will get an opportunity to contribute to one (1) collective project led by an STG faculty member in the academic year 2026-27. For more details on the available collective projects offered in AY2026-27, please see the themes and their descriptions here.
In your application, select two of the available collective projects in order of preference, and write an interest statement for both while ensuring the following:
1) highlight how you intend to contribute to the project given your expertise and background
2) mention how your contribution is in alignment with the collective project theme and with the respective faculty member’s field and expertise
3) briefly outline your envisioned outcome and team contribution (while keeping in mind that outputs and distribution of responsibilities will be decided collectively once in post)
4) describe how our envisioned contribution to the collective project complements your individual project proposal
5) ensure that each statement does not exceed 400 words
Both statements should be clear and straightforward, and applicants must indicate their first and second preferences. Please note that if you are successful in your application, we cannot guarantee access to your preferred collective projects and reserve the right to reallocate groups as needed. More information and resources can be found here.
- Optional work sample(s) (maximum 2 samples) If relevant, you can submit work samples to support your application and to demonstrate your expertise in a given topic e.g. a policy paper/report/brief, an article, an op-ed, a weblink, interview, social media piece, blogpost, etc.
The requested documents must follow the length and format requirements. Any attachments that do not comply with the requested will be automatically discarded. Documents should be submitted in English and should also meet the requirements established by the EUI Guidelines for the Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence for Research. In particular, candidates should refrain from having Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) autonomously write substantial or integral parts of the documents. When using AI to produce novel content, they must acknowledge and reference the parts of the content that have been AI-generated.
Letters of References
Reference letters must be submitted online directly by the referees up to a week after the deadline. Reference letters will not be accepted after 31 January (14:00 CET).
It is recommended to start this process as soon as possible by registering your application on the platform early.
The process works as follows:
- Applicants insert the referees’ names and contact details in the application form;
- An automatic email is sent to referees asking them to upload a letter directly on the application platform.
Preference should be given to non-academic referees and ideally individuals who know the applicant in a professional capacity. References from current full-time or part-time EUI professors or staff members will not be accepted.
It is the applicant’s responsibility to contact the referees directly to inform them of the request and to verify that they have received the automatic email. The applicant can track the submission of the reference letters directly on the platform. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Reference letters will be only accepted in PDF format. Letters in a language other than English may be accepted, but English will guarantee the widest possible reading.
If in doubt, or if your referee prefers to submit your reference letter by email, please contact: [email protected]
Check also:
Erasmus Mundus Scholarship 2027
Global Korea Scholarship 2027
Application Deadline
January 23, 2026How to Apply
Interested and qualified? Go to
European University Institute (EUI) on apply.eui.eu to apply
For more information, kindly visit EUI scholarship webpage.
Menu
