Turin Humanities Programme 6th Call for Applications - 2025

2026-2028 RESEARCH CYCLE

After the Enlightenment: Histories, Debates, and Reinterpretations

INTRODUCTION

Fondazione 1563 per l’Arte e la Cultura (hereinafter “Fondazione 1563”) has since 2013 supported research and advanced training in the field of the humanities.

In a wider effort to pursue this goal, in 2020 Fondazione 1563 has launched the Turin Humanities Programme, a research initiative that allows junior scholars to work on interrelated research projects under the guidance of especially appointed Senior Fellows.

THP aims at promoting two-year research projects about relevant global history topics.

Under THP in 2020 Fondazione 1563 launched a first call for application for research on the Enlightenmnent legacy: the rights of man in a global perspective, in 2021 a second call for application for research on Political Thought and the Body: Europe and East Asia, ca. 1100­1650, in 2022 a third call for application for research on Slavery, ethnicity and race in the Mediterranean. Ideas and attitudes from Homer to Columbus, in 2023 a fourth call for application for research on Slavery and Serfdom in Europe and the New World: Debates in the Early Modern Period, and in 2024 a fifth call for application for research on Rethinking the Origins of Political Economy in the European World: Needs, Justice, and the Wealth of Nations.

SUBJECT OF THE CALL

Fondazione 1563 is now pleased to launch the sixth call for applications to award up to 4 two-year fellowships for advanced studies on After the Enlightenment: Histories, Debates, and Reinterpretations.

The Director of Studies for this programme (2026-2028) will be Elisabeth Décultot, the Director of the IZEA Interdisciplinary Centre for research on the European Enlightenment studies and Humboldt Professor for modern written culture and European knowledge transfer at the Institute of German Literature, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg.

For information and questions please email: info@fondazione1563.it

Applicants are invited to submit research projects of a maximum of 3000 words, plus bibliography. Projects are expected to engage with one or more aspects of the general research framework After the Enlightenment: Histories, Debates, and Reinterpretations.

Candidates are invited to propose projects examining how the concept of the Enlightenment has been constructed, adapted, contested and (re)appropriated in the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries—that is, after the historical period conventionally associated with it.

The project will focus on the diverse issues surrounding the construction of the concept of the Enlightenment during this period, potentially in connection with related notions such as civilisation, colonisation, Eurocentrism, public space, and secularisation (among others).

It will pay particular attention to the interplay between national, transnational, and global dimensions of the Enlightenment, privileging both comparative and interdisciplinary perspectives.

The subject potentially encompasses all disciplines within the humanities, including history, art history, cultural history, history of science, philosophy, European and non-European literature, political science, and many other fields.

Details of the research framework can be found here.

In addition to the research proposal, applicants must submit their Curriculum vitae et studiorum and:

• An article-length piece of writing, published or unpublished, which demonstrates innovative thinking (written in English, French, German, Italian, or Spanish) and
• The contact information of two scholars familiar with the applicant’s work and willing to act as their referees (one of whom can be their PhD supervisor); only the referees of shortlisted candidates will be contacted by the Fondazione 1563.

Successful candidates will carry out their individual research projects under the supervision of the Director of Studies. They will also collaborate to the organization of activities such as seminars, conferences, exhibitions and summer schools, during which they will be invited to share their research projects with a wider community of academics as well as students and the general public.

ELIGIBLE APPLICATIONS

The call is open to applicants holding a doctorate in the Humanities.

Applicants who will be awarded their doctoral title before 30 September, 2026 are also eligible to apply. Applicants should normally be within 7 years of the award of their Ph.D.

They must be fluent in English, both spoken and written. English will be the working language of THP.

There are no nationality requirements.

Fondazione 1563 encourages applications from scholars of all backgrounds. We welcome diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive working environment.

FELLOWSHIP GRANTS

Each of the 4 Fellowships consists of an overall grant of €60000 (before taxes) to be paid according to the terms and conditions available here.

The grant covers a period of two years, from November 1, 2026 to October 31, 2028. These grants may not be held in conjunction with any other award.

Fellows will be required to reside in Turin for at least seven months per calendar year. All the activities of the programme will take place in person, and the presence of the fellows is expected.

If a fellow is awarded any other grant during the THP fellowship, Fondazione 1563 reserves the right to withdraw and cancel the remaining part of the grant to be disbursed.

For any further information on the grants please refer to the THP Terms and Conditions of Grant, that can be found here.

HOW TO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL

Applications must be submitted online by filling in the form available on the website of Fondazione 1563 by clicking the 'Apply' button

Applications submitted by other means will not be considered.

For the application instructions please visit the following page.

Applications must be submitted by February 16, 2026 (12.00 PM CET).

EVALUATION CRITERIA

The Scientific Committee of the THP and the Director of Studies of the sixth research cycle of the THP will evaluate eligible applications according to the applicant’s qualifications and the quality and feasibility of the research project proposed.

The committee will make its decisions on the basis of a comprehensive evaluation of the dossiers.

The research proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria (in no particular order):

1. Coherence with the call and the research framework;
2. Originality, quality, and scientific relevance of the research proposal;
3. cCarity of the research questions, methods, and expected outcomes;
4. Contribution to the geographical and chronological remit of the project;
5. Appropriate planning in terms of research and implementation.

Applicants shortlisted after the first selection will be contacted by email in order to arrange on­line interviews that will focus on the research proposal and the applicant’s curriculum.

The interviews will be held in English and will take place remotely in March 2026.

Once the interview has been scheduled, it will not be possible to reschedule it. Candidates who do not attend the interview will be deemed to have withdrawn.

HOW THE FELLOWSHIPS ARE AWARDED

The fellowships will be awarded by the Scientific Committee of the THP, by the Director of Studies of the sixth research cycle and with the approval of the Board of Directors of Fondazione 1563.

Successful applicants will be notified in writing via email and will be required to fill out and return the fellowship acceptance form, accepting the terms contained therein, within 7 working days from the notification. Candidates who do not return this form will be deemed to have withdrawn.