Research Opportunity: Max Planck Institute Scholarships for International Legal Scholars 2026

Background for the Opportunity

The Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law, a world-renowned heart for authorized analysis, is happy to announce its scholarship program for worldwide authorized students. This prestigious program is designed to assist high-quality educational analysis by offering alternatives for authorized students whose major place of residence is exterior of Germany to conduct targeted analysis on the Institute. These scholarships are totally financed by the esteemed Max Planck Society, underscoring a major dedication to fostering worldwide educational collaboration and advancing authorized scholarship globally.

The Institute is now accepting functions for its 2026 scholarship awards. It is necessary for potential candidates to notice that, at current, there aren’t any plans for a second application spherical for the yr 2026. Therefore, students are strongly inspired to submit their functions throughout this present name. While the Institute endeavors to accommodate all profitable candidates, it’s important to grasp that securing a scholarship doesn’t assure a devoted workstation for your complete interval requested within the application. Nevertheless, candidates ought to clearly point out their most well-liked analysis interval of their submission. This scholarship represents a singular probability for worldwide authorized researchers to have interaction with main consultants and make the most of intensive assets inside a vibrant educational setting.

Detailed Information About the Opportunity

The Max Planck Institute Scholarship Program provides restricted, extremely aggressive scholarships for authorized students trying to conduct analysis in Hamburg, Germany.

• What is it?

  The scholarship supplies monetary assist for authorized students to undertake a analysis keep on the Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law.

  • Scholarship Duration: The scholarship interval ranges from a minimal of 1 month to a most of three months. The requested variety of months in an application doesn’t affect the possibilities of approval, however candidates could also be provided a shorter interval than initially utilized for.
  • Financial Support: The scholarships are financed by the Max Planck Society. While particular quantities should not detailed, the aim is to assist analysis actions.
  • Workstation: While scholarships are granted, the Institute can not assure a devoted workstation for your complete requested interval.
  • Research Focus: The proposed analysis challenge should align with the tutorial pursuits of the Institute to make sure significant educational trade with employees and entry to related literature within the Institute’s intensive library.
• Who is it for? (Eligibility Criteria)

  The scholarship program is primarily geared toward authorized students whose principal residence is exterior Germany. Specific classes of eligible candidates embrace:

  • Foreign doctoral candidates.
  • Foreign Postdocs.
  • Foreign scientists with their very own analysis profile whose doctorate was accomplished lower than 12 years in the past, and who both maintain a place as an assistant professor or Junior Research Group Leader, or can show a number of years of unbiased scientific work.
  • W3 professors, full professors, Directors, or Institute Managers.
  • Project Stage: For large-scale analysis tasks, significantly dissertations, scholarships are typically granted solely when the challenge is at a sophisticated stage, not a preliminary one.
  • Language Proficiency: Applicants should not required to be proficient in German. However, a robust command of both German or English is important for efficient communication with Institute employees and different visitors. If analysis entails German regulation, the proposal ought to clarify how foreign-language sources will probably be utilized if German proficiency is missing.
  • Research Topic Alignment: The analysis challenge should correspond to the tutorial pursuits of the Institute. Current focus areas embrace:
    • Theory and historical past of personal worldwide regulation.
    • Conflict of legal guidelines as a regulatory mechanism.
    • Decolonial comparative regulation.
    • Family regulation and succession regulation.
    • Law of personhood, privateness, and personal life.
    • ECHR and household regulation.
    • Partnership regulation.
    • Close firms.
    • Company valuation regulation.
    • Company regulation in China.
    • Family and succession regulation in Turkey (International Private Law and comparative regulation).
    • Role of comparative regulation in Japan.
  • Broader Research: Applications on subjects typically throughout the Institute’s discipline of analysis, however exterior the fast focus areas, are additionally accepted. However, in circumstances of equal high quality, desire will probably be given to focus subjects.
  • Specific Exclusions: Research areas reminiscent of Intellectual Property, Procedural Law, Social Law, and Public International Law are primarily investigated at different Max Planck Institutes. If your analysis subject touches upon these, a separate explanatory assertion have to be offered detailing why this Institute is the suitable establishment for your analysis.

• When is it? (Key Dates)

  • Application Deadline: August 15, 2025. This is the one application spherical deliberate for 2026 scholarships.
  • Decision Notification: Applicants will probably be suggested on the standing of their application roughly 8-10 weeks after the application deadline has closed. Notification will initially be by e mail, adopted by put up.
  • Scholarship Period: Scholarships are for the yr 2026. The precise dates of the analysis keep will probably be mentioned and confirmed with profitable candidates, with a minimal length of 1 month.

Application Process and Required Documents

Applications have to be submitted solely by means of the Institute’s on-line portal. Incomplete functions or these deviating from the rules won’t be thought-about. All submitted paperwork ought to typically be in German or English; in distinctive circumstances, French could also be accepted.

• Step 1: Preparation of Application Documents

  Applicants should put together the next paperwork for add to the net portal. An in depth guidelines is really useful for preparation.

  • Document A: Statement of Purpose (most 1 web page): Explain your motivation for making use of, objectives, expectations, hyperlinks to the Institute’s work, potential dialogue companions (contact not required), and why this Institute is appropriate over others. Must be signed.
  • Document B: Curriculum Vitae (max 2 pages): A present CV reflecting skilled coaching, earlier educational actions and positions, and present skilled standing.
  • Document C: Research Proposal (most 2 pages): This is essentially the most essential part of the application. It ought to describe the challenge, establish central issues and challenges, and be comprehensible to authorized researchers from various specializations. It shouldn’t be a easy define.
  • Document D: Updated List of Publications: A complete overview of all scientific publications.
  • Document E: Letters of Recommendation:
    • Required for doctoral and post-doctoral candidates (as much as 5 years post-doctorate): Two letters. One from the doctoral supervisor is anticipated for doctoral candidates; if not potential, an official affirmation of doctoral candidate standing can be required.
    • Highly really useful to be on official letterhead with signature.
    • Referees could ship letters on to the Institute (ideally by way of e mail to welcome@mpipriv.de, or by put up for sealed letters, guaranteeing they meet the deadline).
    • Optional for different applicant classes.
  • Document F: Proof of Doctoral Degree: For these with a doctorate, add the diploma or official affirmation. If nonetheless a doctoral candidate and not using a supervisor’s letter, present official affirmation of standing.

• Step 2: Transmission of Documents by way of the Online Portal

  • Applicants should register on the online portal (first identify, final identify, e mail, password) to entry it. A affirmation e mail will observe.
  • Ensure all vital paperwork are assembled earlier than beginning the net application.
  • Carefully fill out the net application kind and add all ready paperwork.
  • Letters of Recommendation (various submission): While ideally uploaded, sealed letters of advice could be despatched by put up to: Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law, Scholarship Administration, Mittelweg 187, 20148 Hamburg, Germany. Email submissions for letters are accepted at welcome@mpipriv.de. Letters obtained after the application deadline won’t be thought-about.
  • The application course of is full as soon as the shape is stuffed and paperwork uploaded. A affirmation e mail will probably be despatched.

Additional Important Information:

• Additional Funding: Any extra revenue from third events have to be disclosed and could also be deducted from the scholarship quantity.
• Health Insurance: Compulsory for stays in Germany, should cowl your complete interval. Proof is required at scholarship graduation. Further data will probably be supplied with the scholarship letter.
• Visa Assistance: The Institute can present a Hosting Agreement for visa functions.
• Hamburg Registration: For stays over 3 months, registration with Hamburg authorities is required inside 2 weeks of arrival.

Application Deadline: August 15, 2025

Conclusion

The Max Planck Institute Scholarship Program provides an unparalleled alternative for worldwide authorized students to immerse themselves in superior analysis inside a world-leading establishment. By offering devoted time, assets, and entry to a vibrant educational group, these scholarships allow students to considerably advance their tasks and contribute to key areas of comparative and worldwide personal regulation. If you’re a devoted authorized scholar exterior Germany with a analysis challenge aligned with the Institute’s pursuits, that is an distinctive probability to deepen your experience and increase your educational community. Ensure all application pointers are meticulously adopted for this aggressive alternative in 2026.

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