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Call for Applications: EIL Research Fellows Programme
Application Deadline: 31 October 2026, 23:59 CET
The European Institute of Law (EIL) invites applications for its Research Fellows Programme, an international programme bringing together scholars, researchers and practitioners working on contemporary legal and policy challenges.
The Programme is designed to foster independent, comparative and interdisciplinary legal research across national, European and international legal orders. Research Fellows become part of EIL’s academic community and contribute to the Institute’s research activities through publications, academic dialogue, collaborative initiatives and public events.
Fellows are encouraged to develop their own research agendas while engaging with EIL’s broader mission: to understand how law and legal institutions are evolving in response to technological, economic, institutional and societal transformation.
Research Areas
Applications are welcomed across EIL’s research agenda. Applicants may identify one or two research areas most closely connected to their proposed work.
1. Artificial Intelligence, Law & Governance
Legal and institutional responses to artificial intelligence, including AI regulation, algorithmic decision-making, social scoring, generative AI, automated systems, accountability and the allocation of responsibility across AI systems and value chains.
2. Data Law & Digital Governance
Data protection, privacy, data governance, international data transfers, access to and use of data, digital identity, data spaces and the evolving relationship between individuals, states and digital markets.
3. Digital Sovereignty & Infrastructure
The legal dimensions of digital sovereignty, critical digital infrastructure, cloud computing, computing capacity, telecommunications, technological dependencies and the changing relationship between sovereignty, jurisdiction and digital systems.
4. Fundamental Rights & the Digital Society
The impact of technological transformation on fundamental rights, including privacy, equality, autonomy, freedom of expression, access to information, non-discrimination and human dignity.
5. Rule of Law, Justice & Legal Institutions
The evolution of courts and legal institutions, judicial independence, access to justice, procedural fairness and the use of artificial intelligence and automated technologies in judicial and administrative decision-making.
6. Platforms, Information & Digital Regulation
Platform governance, online information environments, disinformation, recommender systems, synthetic content, deepfakes, online advertising and the interaction between technology regulation and democratic institutions.
7. Digital Economy, Finance & Emerging Technologies
The legal and regulatory implications of the digital economy, including digital assets, blockchain, digital finance, tokenisation, fintech and emerging technologies, as well as their interaction with financial regulation, markets and technological innovation.
8. European, International & Comparative Law
Research examining the development and interaction of national, European and international legal orders, including regulatory convergence and divergence, transnational governance, comparative legal methodology and the circulation of legal principles and regulatory models across jurisdictions.
Comparative and International Research
EIL particularly welcomes research that moves beyond the study of a single legal system.
Projects may examine individual jurisdictions or undertake comparative analysis across different legal traditions and regulatory systems, including Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa, the Americas and other regions.
Comparative research may address regulatory convergence and divergence, institutional design, cross-border legal challenges and the interaction between national, regional and international legal frameworks.
EIL welcomes perspectives that contribute to a broader understanding of how different legal systems respond to common challenges and how legal principles and regulatory approaches evolve across jurisdictions.
Who We Are Looking For
The EIL Research Fellows Programme welcomes applications from postdoctoral researchers, doctoral researchers at an advanced stage, early-career and established academics, as well as legal practitioners, policymakers and professionals with equivalent research expertise.
Applicants should demonstrate a clear research interest relevant to EIL’s research agenda and the ability to contribute independently to an international academic community.
Candidates must be able to work professionally in English.
There is no nationality or residence requirement. The Programme operates primarily online and welcomes applications from researchers and practitioners worldwide.
What an EIL Research Fellow Undertakes
During the one-year term, Research Fellows are expected to produce at least one substantial research output, such as an EIL Working Paper, peer-reviewed article or equivalent scholarly publication.
Fellows are also expected to contribute shorter research analysis or commentary to EIL’s publication channels, participate in research seminars and Fellows’ meetings, contribute to at least one EIL conference, workshop, webinar or other academic event, and engage, where relevant, with collaborative research activities within the Institute.
Research Fellows may use their EIL affiliation for research and academic activities undertaken within the framework of the Programme.
All research produced under EIL affiliation is expected to meet appropriate standards of academic quality, independence and research integrity.
What EIL Offers
Research Fellows receive formal affiliation with the European Institute of Law (EIL) for the duration of the fellowship and an individual profile on the EIL website.
Fellows will have opportunities to publish through EIL’s research and publication channels, participate in seminars, workshops and academic discussions, collaborate with researchers across institutions and jurisdictions, and contribute to EIL conferences and public events.
The Programme also provides Fellows with access to EIL’s growing international research community and opportunities to develop new academic and professional collaborations.
EIL will provide certification of the fellowship for academic and professional purposes upon appropriate completion of the Programme.
The Research Fellowship is an academic affiliation and is not an employment position. Unless otherwise specified for a particular project or activity, the fellowship does not include a salary, stipend or reimbursement of travel or subsistence expenses.
Term
The fellowship is awarded for an initial period of one year, from 2026 to 2027.
Fellowships may be renewed following a review of the Fellow’s research activity, contribution to the Institute and fulfilment of the Programme’s academic commitments.
Renewal is not automatic.
How to Apply
Applicants should submit the following documents:
1. Curriculum Vitae
A current CV outlining academic and professional experience, institutional affiliations and a list of relevant publications, where applicable.
2. Motivation Letter
A motivation letter of no more than one page, explaining the applicant’s research background and interests, the EIL research area or areas most relevant to their work, and how they expect to contribute to EIL’s academic community.
3. Research Proposal
A concise research proposal of approximately 1,000–1,500 words, outlining:
the proposed research question and its significance;
the relevant legal and academic context;
the proposed methodology;
the expected contribution of the research; and
the intended research output during the fellowship.
Applications should be submitted as PDF files to: info@eilaw.eu , with the subject line: EIL Research Fellows Programme – [Surname]
Applications must be received no later than: 31 October 2026, 23:59 CET
Incomplete applications or

Work arrangement
Yes