European Foreign and Security Policy Studies

In 2004, the Riksbankens Jubileumsfond established a post-doctoral programme to honour Anna Lindh, together with the Italian Compagnia de San Paolo and the German VolkswagenStiftung. The programme runs over four years and provides financial support to approximately one hundred young researchers within the fields of foreign and security policy.

The purpose is to provide young researchers with the opportunity to conduct research in a foreign country for a period of up to two years. Each year, cohorts of 20-25 grantees are selected.

A prize awarded for the greatest achievement by researchers or writers within the field is also announced. This prize is established to honour the memory of Anna Lindh, whose tragic departure motivated the establishment of the programme. The prize is referred to as “The Anna Lindh Award” and was granted for the first time at a ceremony in Brussels in 2006. In that year, the prize was awarded to Professor Helene Sjursen working at the Arena, Oslo University.

Information in English about the international programme is provided below.

Though the question of how the European Union can ensure the security of its citizens and contribute to worldwide peace has become increasingly relevant, foreign and security policies in Europe are still widely considered as national responsibilities. The research and training programme “European Foreign and Security Policy Studies” aims at overcoming this gap by analysing and debating the preconditions and prospects of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) of the EU and the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP).

The programme has been jointly developed by the foundations Compagnia di San Paolo, Torino/Italy, Riksbankens Jubileumsfond, Stockholm/Sweden, and VolkswagenStiftung, Hanover/Germany. A first round of applications in 2004 resulted in the selection of 26 research projects and last year another 23 young researchers were allowed to join the programme.

With their joint initiative the three foundations want to strengthen the European dimension in the next generation of intellectual leaders and security experts. The dominance of national approaches to international security in large parts of the academic debate and day-to-day politics should recede in favour of a transnational perspective. Therefore international mobility of participants is an important objective of the initiative.

The research and training programme will give European researchers and young professionals opportunities to conduct research at two or more European institutions, and to build networks, thereby making an impact on the wider debate in the field of foreign and security policy. Within this thematic framework applicants can freely choose their research topics.

Eligible for funding are post-doctoral researchers and PhD candidates. Young professionals (e.g. civil servants, diplomats, journalists, lawyers, and employees of nongovernmental organisations) with equivalent background are also invited to apply. Applicants should be based in Europe and not be older than 32 years. Specific disciplines, nationality or EU citizenship do not form criteria for exclusion in the selection process. In total, we envision that 80 to 100 researchers and young professionals, divided into cohorts of 20 to 25 persons each, will participate in the programme during the next few years.

For further information please contact Fredrik Lundmark, telephone: + 46 8 50 62 64 21.