Postgraduate research grants on European public finances – 10th edition

The global economic and European financial crises have brought serious political challenges and raised fundamental questions about accountability and auditing in the European Union. In fact, European Public Finance has been an important topic for six decades. The institutions and bodies that manage and control European taxpayers’ money, and the policies and programmes through which it is spent, have been evolving over this time. Two grants (5 000 € each) for researchers in the field of European public finance The European Court of Auditors in Luxembourg and the European University Institute (Historical Archives of the European Union) in Florence (Italy) have set up a grant programme for researchers in the field of European public finance and the EU budget. 

• The aim is to promote original research into EU’s public finances and their impact, as well as into the development of the EU's "external audit" work, in addition to forging a community of researchers in this field.
• The programme is open to academic researchers from a range of disciplines, including law, political science, economics, sociology, public administration and history.
• It is open to postgraduate students (master’s and doctoral candidates) and to postdoctoral students, as well as to university teachers who have completed their master's degree or doctorate within the past five years and who currently hold an academic post.
• Each year two grants of 5 000 € are made available to enable researchers to visit the newlyhoused archives in Florence.

The Historical Archives of the European Union contain a wealth of primary documents deposited by the EU institutions, many of which have never been closely examined by researchers. The programme began in 2007 and has since enabled original research into many areas: the role of the EU institutions, the evolution of compliance, the development of audit methodology, shared management in policy implementation, multi-level governance, regional policy, the emergence of institutional norms and values, etc. Application procedure and deadline for 2016: 13 June 2016 Apply here.