Call for Applications 2024–2025
Objective
The Jan Patočka Fellowship Program aims to foster research inspired by Jan Patočka’s legacy and his intellectual endeavor to rethink Europe under Post-European paradigms. It welcomes scholars working on the manifold philosophical, societal, economic, geopolitical, or historical dimensions of this challenging topic.
As a name-giver for this program, Patočka’s critical investigations into the history of philosophy, the meaning of modernity, (post)colonialism, war, technology, and the dialectics of enlightenment offer exemplary––though by no means exclusive––fields of research. The call invites project applications that offer inspiring perspectives on the idea of (Post-)Europe and its critical reflection in contemporary debates.
The fellowship is open to all academic disciplines in the Humanities and Social Sciences.
Conditions
Jan Patočka Junior Fellows will be invited to spend five months between September 2024 and July 2025 at the IWM to pursue their research projects.
Postdoctoral candidates––i.e., those who have defended their PhD by the date of the fellowship application deadline––will receive a stipend of EUR 3,000 per month; candidates currently pursuing their doctoral degree will receive a stipend of EUR 2,500 per month to cover accommodation, living expenses, travel, health insurance and any incidental costs related to their stay in Vienna. In addition, the IWM provides fellows with office space and Internet access, in-house research and administrative facilities, as well as an in-house lunch and other services free of charge.
The visiting fellows will join the scholarly community and participate in the activities of the Institute. Generally, fellowships start on the first day of the month and end on the last day of the month.
Eligibility
Applicants to the Patočka Junior Visiting Fellowship must be currently pursuing their doctoral degree or have obtained a PhD not longer than four years ago at the time of application.
Jan Patočka Senior Visiting Fellowships are granted by invitation only.
Application
Applications must be submitted through the IWM's online application form; we will be unable to consider applications sent via email.
Application materials consist of the following:
- Project description (max. 550 characters)
- Project proposal (max. 7,500 characters incl. spaces) containing a) a description of the project’s objectives, b) a discussion of the current state of the art, c) methods, and d) a work plan
- Curriculum vitae, including a list of publications
- A brief letter of motivation that addresses how the project would benefit from time at the IWM, the connection to the IWM’s mission and research, and concrete research/writing goals during the fellowship
- Two letters of recommendation from scholars familiar with the applicant’s academic work (has to be submitted by the applicant together with the other application materials)
All application materials should be in English.
Important! Attached documents must be combined into a single PDF, as the online submission form only allows for one attachment. File names of attachments must use Latin characters.
Applications are now closed. The next call is planned to be published in winter 2024.
Selection
The finalists will be selected by a jury of experts. Applicants will be notified of the jury’s decision in the spring semester of 2024.
The jury is not required to publicly justify its decisions, nor to provide applicants with individual feedback on their applications.
Kasper Nowak
Fellowship Program Coordinator
fellowships@iwm.at
The Czech philosopher Jan Patočka (1907–1977) is considered one of the most important Central European thinkers of the twentieth century. With a few short exceptions, Patočka was banned from teaching and publishing in communist Czechoslovakia. However, he became an intellectual and moral authority, most notably through his legendary underground seminars.
Patočka was a co-founder and speaker of the civil rights movement Charter 77. He died in March 1977 after a series of police interrogations. This program is dedicated to commemorating his name and work.