Join Us

MCEL members actively contribute to the development of our community, as membership to the Centre enables researchers to participate in all our events and activities, in particular MCEL Fora, which are reserved to members and visiting researchers. We especially encourage applications for membership by PhD researchers in European Law who conduct research on any topic related to MCEL’s research strands.

• To join, please send a motivated request indicating the alignment between MCEL and your own research to mcel@maastrichtuniversity.nl. 

More generally, we welcome researchers who focus on European law to follow our activities and take part in our open events, such as MCEL Seminars.

MCEL offers research stays to a limited number of scholars each year. Visiting researchers participate to the activities of the Centre and work on personal projects in close supervision with a specified MCEL Advisor. Interested? Read more about our eligibility criteria below or apply here.

What we offer:

• Research stays for a period between one and five months;

• The opportunity to discuss your topic with the academic staff and other visiting fellows of MCEL and to participate in our regular research activities*;

• A flexible workspace with an internet connection;

• An e-mail account and staff card, which gives access to the facilities of our library, online databases, and photocopying and printing facilities;

• A stimulating and international working environment.

*Note: As a research centre, we do not provide access to courses in the regular programme for our bachelor's and master's degrees. Please also note that we do not offer any financial support. The applicant must cover expenses related to travel, accommodation, and sustenance.

Requirements:

• Applicants must have a current affiliation with an academic institution. Bachelor and Master students are not eligible to apply;
• Applicants commit to at least one deliverable that must be produced before the end of the research visit, and to referencing MCEL in any research output generated during or as result of the research visit;
• Applicants must participate actively in MCEL's regular research activities and have regular contact moments with their intended MCEL Advisor during the visit.

Application procedure: 

Applications must be submitted through this form. There are two application periods:

• From March 1^st to March 31^st, we accept applications for research visits scheduled between September 1^st and January 31^st. 

• From September 1^st to September 30^th, we accept applications for research visits scheduled between February 1st and June 30th.  

We do not consider applications outside these periods.

The following documents and information are required as part of the application:

• A short biography of your academic and professional background and your research interests.

• The Letter of Intent & Research Plan. You must secure the support of an MCEL member prior to applying. Please download our template and complete the Research Plan (Annex 1), detailing your motivation, activities, and the concrete deliverable(s) you intend to complete. You must then obtain the signature of your hosting MCEL Advisor on the Letter of Intent to confirm their acceptance of the role and their approval of your plan. Click here for a list of our MCEL members.
• A detailed CV (.pdf) outlining your academic and professional background, relevant research experience, publications, and any other information that demonstrates your qualifications and expertise in the field.
• A professional headshot. Please provide a clear, recent picture in colour that shows your full face against a neutral background. This image will be used for identification and to introduce you to the Research Centre; therefore, informal selfies or cropped group photos are not accepted.
• A scanned copy of your ID or passport.

For any questions related to the visiting researchers programme or to the application process, please do not hesitate to contact us at mcel@maastrichtuniversity.nl.

 View a list of our visiting scholars.

MCEL offers trainee positions to a limited number of excellent students. The traineeship at MCEL takes place on site at Maastricht University, it starts at the beginning of the academic year and lasts 12 months. 

What we offer: 

• gain working experience and valuable insights into current issues of European law
• become acquainted with the academic community and research culture at the Maastricht Centre for European Law and, more generally, at the Faculty
• receive a fixed amount of payment as a reward for their work

The requirements:

• be an excellence student with a keen interest in European law
• be present on site for the duration of the traineeship
• be enrolled in a Bachelor or Master at Maastricht University Faculty of Law

The application process:

A call for application is usually published in June, and students are selected based on CV, grades, motivation letter, and a personal interview. For further information, please contact mcel@maastrichtuniversity.nl