Marie Curie fellowships

Held at UCL for the first time, the annual conference was attended by 40 Marie Curie fellows, providing a culmination of their experience on the scheme. The programme was opened with a keynote lecture by Professor Martin Daunton, President of the Royal Historical Society, and then ran into a series of chaired panel sessions. UCL's President and Provost, Professor Malcolm Grant, and Vice Provost (Academic & International), Professor Michael Worton, both attended over the course of the three days.

UCL is the only UK partner in the European Doctorate scheme, which brings together European institutions renowned for their research in history, such as the University Ca' Foscari in Venice, where the programme is based, the Ecole Normale Superieure de Paris, the Academy of Science in Bratislava  and the Universities of Athens and Lisbon, in order to offer the Marie Curie Fellows the chance to experience their research subject for a new perspective. The programme has been running for four years and has been renewed for another four years, starting from the next academic year. Participants on the scheme benefit from financial allowances, research seminars, as well as supervision by academic experts at their host university.

Modern European historian Dr Axel Körner is the UCL coordinator for the scheme. He commented: "Doctoral students from any EU- and associated countries, researching on any aspect of Europe's history, from the ancient period to the modern day, are eligible to apply for a Marie Curie Fellowship. The scheme offers generous funding for the time you are abroad, and provides students with a fresh perspective on their discipline. For instance, I regularly encourage students of British history to apply to the programme, as I believe that the confrontation with different historiographical approaches and transnational historical developments may help them to develop new ways of thinking about their subject."

When completing their PhD thesis, Marie Curie Fellows are also given the opportunity to earn the additional qualification of European Doctorate by submitting an additional piece of work in the language of the host university and undergoing an additional viva examination.

Dr Körner said: "Numerous UCL PhD students in history or related disciplines have held the fellowships in the past, from a variety of departments across the university. I'd very much encourage doctoral students to apply to the scheme." 

Image: The conference organisers and Marie Curie fellows at UCL.

To see the full programme of the conference and learn more about the fellowships use the links below.

Links:
European Doctorate In the Social History of Europe and the Mediterranean
UCL Department of History events