CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

Sorbonne University – Paris IAS research Chair on “Major Societal Changes” around Europe and Democracy

In partnership with Sorbonne University, the Paris Institute for Advanced Study is offering a 10-month chair or two 5-month chairs for high level international researchers in the humanities and social sciences (HSS) during the academic year 2025-2026.

The Sorbonne University – Paris IAS Chair gives a researcher the possibility to work on an innovative project advancing knowledge on the societal impacts and ethical dimensions of major, global changes, more specifically focused on the topics of Europe and democracy. Candidates selected for this Chair will have the opportunity to collaborate with the SHS DEMOS plan coordinated by the Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University, a broad consortium of universities and other players working on issues of democracy in which Sorbonne University participates.

The researchers will benefit from the outstanding work conditions and the scientific environment of the Paris IAS, and will collaborate chiefly with Sorbonne University’s research teams and Interdisciplinary Institutes.

Deadline for applications: Thursday, October 31st., 2024, 6:00 pm (Paris, CET time)

Applicants may request either

- a 10-month fellowship from September 1^st 2025 to June 30^th 2026;

- or a 5-month fellowship from September 1^st  2025 to January 31^st 2026;

- or a 5-month fellowship from February 1^st to June 30^th 2026.

THEMES

Societies facing major changes: Europe and Democracy
This research chair is focused on the humanities and social sciences (HSS) with a strong interdisciplinary dimension (philosophy, political science, history, economics, law). Perspectives could include but are not limited to the following issues:

• European and post-national democracy: can the European Union play a beneficial role in the process of redefining popular sovereignty? How can we address the so-called "democratic deficit" within the EU?

• Political and Cultural Identity in Europe: how can we put European Identity in perspective? What was the legacy of the Enlightenment in Europe? How did the focus on human rights transform its culture and politics ?

• Green democracy in the EU: is Europe able to tackle climate change and to prompt ambitious action in environmental matters? Is there a case in favor of environmental justice and fair transition at the EU level?

On each of the themes mentioned above, the goal of the Sorbonne University – Paris IAS Chair on "Major Societal Changes" is to provide society with knowledge and solutions that are useful for taking action, while questioning the boundary between basic and applied research. It promotes participatory approaches in which social actors (ordinary citizens, public institutions, economic actors, NGOs) are considered as partners in research, because of the relevance of their knowledge -be it traditional, hybrid or technical- for the construction of research objects and methodologies, but also with a view to empower citizens to better understand the challenges and act upon them.

Research on the societal impacts of major changes should therefore also be an opportunity to reflect on the impacts of research itself, including the acceptability of change by citizens and the implementation of accompanying and regulatory policies (nudges and legislations) by territorial, state or transnational institutions.

The Chair offers international researchers in HSS a 10-month research fellowship at the Paris Institute for Advanced Study, in order to develop innovative research in conjunction with the Sorbonne University laboratories and more generally with the scientific and economic fabric of the Paris area, one of the densest in Europe. The stay at the IEA guarantees the constitution of scientific collaborations of excellence and academic visibility of the results obtained.

SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITIES

During the stay, the holder of the Chair is expected to give lectures as well as to organize an international interdisciplinary conference in Paris on themes related to the research project, in collaboration with the research teams and Interdisciplinary Institutes at Sorbonne Université.

S/he will also have the possibility to convene smaller meetings and invite researchers for short stays at the Paris IAS to contribute to the research project, give lectures, etc. In addition, s/he will benefit from the help of the institute to set up innovative mechanisms to enable citizens to participate in research and to disseminate the results.

At the end of the fellowship, the holder of the Chair must write at least one research report which will be made public.

CONDITIONS OF ELIGIBILITY

Researchers from all countries are eligible.

Applicants who have spent more than a total of 12 months in France during the 3 years prior to the application are not eligible.

This call for applications is open to:

- Senior university professors or researchers holding a position in a university or research institution or emeritus and having a minimum of 10 years of full time research experience after their PhD (at the time of the application). To be considered a senior, the applicant must have received her/his PhD before January 1^st 2015.

- Junior scholars having the status of postdoctoral researcher or holding a position in a university or research institution, and having a minimum of 2 and maximum of 9 years of research experience after the PhD. To be eligible and considered a junior, the applicant must have received her/his PhD between January 1^st 2015 and January 1^st 2023.

Advanced knowledge of English is required, as all scientific and social activities at the Institute are held in English.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Projects will be assessed and prioritised following four selection criteria:

1. Scientific excellence and innovation of the research project and the candidate.

2. Scientific ambition: capacity to offer insights into the functioning of human beings and societiesbeyond the researcher’s own discipline or field, and beyond academia.

3. A strong interdisciplinary aspect.

4. Solid plans for collaboration with the Sorbonne University research community and with other Paris IAS fellows. 

The selection process is highly competitive. Projects that do not respond explicitly to all four criteria need not apply. 

THE APPLICATION

The application, in English, must be submitted via an online application form. Paper or e-mail applications are not accepted.

The application consists of the following items:

• The completed application form;
• A curriculum vitae (10 pages maximum) including a list of publications and a list of the 5 publications considered as most important by the applicant;
• A detailed research proposal (25 000 characters maximum, spaces included. This count does not include the bibliography). The proposal should include :
  • Theme
  • State of the art in the field, innovative character of the proposal
  • Theoretical framework and methodology
  • Expected outcomes and impact
  • Work planning, timescales
  • Existing or planned scientific cooperation and contacts in Sorbonne University and in France
  • Bibliography (books and articles cited);
• A summary of the research project (1500 characters maximum for each, spaces included);
• Letter(s) of cooperation with one or more research teams of Sorbonne University, signed by a member of the team. The letter(s) must state the nature of the planned collaboration;
• A list of four topics (two of them at least related to the theme of the research proposal) on which the applicant could give a lecture during the fellowship;
• in the case of Junior Fellows (2 to 9 years after the PhD at the time of the application), two letters of recommendation.

CALENDAR

Application deadline: Thursday, October 31st., 2024, 6:00 pm (Paris, CET time)

Final selection and notification of results: January 2026

Starting dates of the chair:

            - September 1^st 2025 for a 10-month chair

            - September 1^st 2025 or February 1^st 2026 for a 5-month chair

THE PARIS IAS – WHAT WE OFFER

The holder of the Sorbonne University - Paris IAS Chair on “Major Societal Changes” benefits from all the advantages the Paris IAS provides its fellows.

As a place of work, meeting place and interface between the local research community and international science, the Paris Institute for Advanced Study stimulates high-level research whose innovative character contributes to the understanding of the social world and its transformations. As a tool of collective intelligence, it encourages interdisciplinary dialogue and the development of new research methods and perspectives within the Institute and beyond. To meet the challenges of our time and those to come, it encourages collaboration between research, administration, the economic world, and citizens. The Paris IAS is a place where openness to collaboration and appetite to walk out of one’s comfort zone is expected.

The fellowship aims to provide researchers with uninterrupted time to develop their research agenda, in ideal conditions, away from teaching and administrative responsibilities, and in a welcoming and stimulating environment. It is also the ideal place to create strong links with the exceptionally rich research ecosystem of Paris and its area: over 100,000 scientists are located within a range of one hour or less of travel.

Many major institutions are within walking distance from the Institute in the heart of Paris.  With its strong international and interdisciplinary environment, the Institute is an ideal place to take the fellow’s research to the “next level” in terms of quality, reach beyond their own discipline, and potential impact. Support includes:

• Insertion in an interdisciplinary and international community of top-level researchers.

• An office, meeting and event spaces in the prestigious Hôtel de Lauzun, a 17th century mansion in the very heart of Paris, on the Île Saint-Louis.

• Daily access to the excellent restaurant of the Institute, on the ground floor of their office, with the possibility of inviting academic guests for lunch.

• A fully furnished apartment for the fellow and their family, in a comfortable building on in the midst of the campus of the Cité Internationale with its great park and services, including a station with four metro lines to all key locations in Paris’s centre and the wider region direct by metro and RER (four stations).

• Travel expenses for the fellow from their country of origin.

• Depending on individual circumstances, a living allowance for expenses in Paris and health coverage. Once fellows are admitted, a separate application will be required for this. In all cases, the remuneration depends on the researcher’s personal and professional situation and on whether s/he continues to receive pay from her/his home institution. The benchmark pay scale corresponds to prevailing standards in French academia.

• Access to a large network of university libraries in Paris and contacts with local scientific partners.

• Logistical and financial support for events or for other initiatives related to their work (intersectoral collaborations, doctoral training, publications) in collaboration with local universities.

• Communication support including a scientific publication outlet (the Proceedings of the Paris Institute for Advanced Study)

HOW TO APPLY

The application form is now open in this link: https://forms.gle/6ebz2Tqe2H155LDi9

Deadline: Thursday, October 31st., 2024, 6:00 pm (Paris, CET time)

For additional information:

About the Paris IAS: https://www.paris-iea.fr/en/presentation-of-the-institute/about-us

About Sorbonne University: http://www.sorbonne-universite.fr/

Contact address for this call: candidature@paris-iea.fr