Council for European Studies
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| Abbreviation | CES |
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| Formation | 1970 |
| Headquarters | Columbia University, New York, NY |
| Website | |
The Council for European Studies (CES) is the leading international organization for the study of Europe. The Council promotes and recognizes outstanding, multidisciplinary research on Europe and European affairs through a range of programs, including conferences, publications, grants, and awards. It also publishes a semiannual, multi-disciplinary journal, Perspectives on Europe, and coordinates the annual International Conference of Europeanists.
Mission
The Council’s mission is to produce, support, and recognize outstanding, multi-disciplinary research on Europe and European affairs through a wide range of programs and initiatives. These include fellowships, grants, publications, awards, conferences and meetings, public lectures, and symposia, as well as direct research. The Council is particularly committed to supporting advanced research on Europe that can play a critical role in both understanding and applying the lessons of European history and integration to contemporary problems, including those in the areas of global security, prosperity, and democracy.
History
The Council was founded in 1970 with a grant from the Ford Foundation. First located at the University of Pittsburgh and later moved to Columbia University, its current institutional host, the Council was originally formed as a limited consortium of Western European studies programs at eight major U.S. universities: University of California Berkeley, Columbia University, Harvard, Princeton, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin, and Yale. However, it ceased to be a consortium of eight in 1972, when twenty other universities were invited to become institutional members of the Council.
Since that time, the Council’s institutional membership has grown substantially. Its institutional members currently include over 100 universities, colleges, and institutes around the world. Moreover, although membership was once restricted to institutions, the Council has opened its membership rolls to individuals and now counts about 1,200 individuals as organization members. Membership in the Council provides access to the full range of CES fellowship and award competitions, publications, research resources, and professional development opportunities.
The Council for European Studies is an independent, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.
Grants, Fellowships, and Awards
The Council sponsors a variety of fellowship and award competitions for graduate students and scholars of European Studies, which are available exclusively to individual members of the Council, as well as students, faculty, and researchers affiliated with CES member institutions. In particular, the Council is a major funder of dissertation research and early career development for academics and policy specialists working on Europe. Likewise, the Council recognizes and encourages outstanding scholarly work on Europe by awarding prizes to those whose work has significantly advanced the field of European Studies. The Council currently hosts six grant, fellowship, and award competitions:
- Mellon-CES Dissertation Completion Fellowships: Funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Mellon-CES Dissertation Completion Fellowships are awarded to late-stage doctoral students in European Studies. Each fellowship includes a $25,000 stipend, an invitation to present at the Council’s annual International Conference of Europeanists, and the opportunity to publish in Perspectives on Europe.
- CES Pre-Dissertation Research Fellowships: CES Pre-Dissertation Research Fellowships support early dissertation research by funding two months’ travel in Europe for doctoral students. Each fellowship includes a $4,000 stipend, the opportunity to publish in Perspectives on Europe, and travel support to attend the Council’s annual International Conference of Europeanists.
- Harriman-CES Pre-Dissertation Research Fellowships: Co-sponsored by the Harriman Institute, Harriman-CES Pre-Dissertation Research Fellowships are open to doctoral students enrolled at Columbia University. Each fellowship includes a $4,000 stipend, travel support for attending and presenting at the International Conference of Europeanists, and the opportunity to publish in Perspectives on Europe.
- European Studies First Book Award: The European Studies First Book Award is awarded every two years and honors the best first book on any subject in European Studies published within a two-year period. The winning author receives $1,000 and travel assistance to attend the Council's annual conference and award ceremony.
- European Studies First Article Prizes: The European Studies First Article Prizes honor the writers of the best first articles on European Studies published within a two-year period. Each prize winner will receive $500 and public recognition on the Council's website and publications.
- Conference Travel Grants: CES Conference Travel Grants support trans-Atlantic travel for junior faculty and graduate students already scheduled to present at the Council's International Conference of Europeanists. Winners receive a cash grant of $500 and a waiver of their registration fee, resulting in a cumulative grant value of as much as $725.
Publications
The Council is a leading publisher of research on Europe. The Council’s publications, which are available to all members of the Council, include:
- Perspectives on Europe: An online-only journal published twice a year that spotlights interdisciplinary and public-oriented research on European politics, history, and culture.
- CES Resource Guide (series): A collection of publications that serve as a reference tool for scholars of Europe at all levels. The series includes A Guide to Grants & Fellowships for Europeanists and A Guide to Institutions Committed to the Study of Europe.
- Reviews & Critical Commentary (CritCom): An online forum of critical review, informed commentary, and public discussion focused on European history, society, and politics.
- European Studies Newsletter: A monthly newsletter providing a timely mix of news about the Council and its programming, as well as external jobs, fellowships, conference calls, and other items of interest to the broad community of researchers and scholars studying Europe.
