Mecila (Maria Sibylla Merian International Centre for Advanced Studies in the Humanities and Social Sciences Conviviality-Inequality in Latin America) is a joint project of the following German and Latin American research institutions: Freie Universität Berlin (coordination); Ibero-Amerikanisches Institut (Berlin); Universität zu Köln (Cologne); Universidade de São Paulo and Centro Brasileiro de Análise e Planejamento (São Paulo); Instituto de Investigaciones en Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales (Universidad Nacional de La Plata/Conicet, La Plata); and El Colegio de México (Mexico City).

Funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and established in São Paulo in April 2017, Mecila cordially invites postdoctoral researchers to apply for Junior Fellowships. Successful applicants are expected to participate in an international research network that focuses on the co-constitution of conviviality and inequality from an interdisciplinary perspective. Accordingly, the Centre addresses the processes of negotiation, legitimation, transformation, and representation of existing hierarchies as they take place in everyday interactions and within institutions. The Centre is open to proposals focused on theoretical or empirical research as well as to all pertinent methods and sources. A general outline of the Centre’s research programme is available on our website: http://mecila.net/research/executive-summary/.

Mecila will award 4 Junior Fellowships to excellent early-career scholars who have obtained their doctoral degree in the humanities or the social sciences. Due to unforeseeable developments related to the COVID-19 pandemic, recipients may be awarded a digital, hybrid, or in-person Fellowship depending on individual circumstances. The duration of each Fellowship is 9 months (from 1 April to 31 December) and in-person participation is based in São Paulo, if applicable. The monthly stipend covers local living costs.

Requirements
- A PhD degree in the humanities or the social sciences obtained within the last 5 years from the date of application
- A track record of training, research, and publications on Mecila’s subject areas
- Excellent command of the English language
- Ability to and interest in actively participating in an international, interdisciplinary, and collective research environment
- An appropriately ambitious research project of relevance to Mecila that will enhance the applicant’s career prospects

Expectations
- Develop an independent research project within the field of conviviality-inequality, making a contribution to the project’s Research Areas
- Participate actively in the Centre’s activities (including the weekly colloquia) and engage in interdisciplinary exchange

- Present and discuss scientific research results within and outside the Centre
- Contribute to external funding applications
- Contribute at least one issue to Mecila’s Working Paper Series
- Contribute at least one outreach activity (interview, blog entry, video, public lecture, policy paper, etc.)
- Undertake at least one relevant activity (e.g. a lecture) at El Colegio de México, Mexico City or at Instituto de Investigaciones en Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales (Universidad Nacional de La Plata/Conicet) in La Plata, Argentina

Application
Applicants must send the following documents in English, Spanish or Portuguese via e-mail in a single pdf-attachment no later than 6 December 2020 to the Coordination Office in São Paulo (mecila@cebrap.org.br):
- Application form (please send it as a separate file) – download it here: https://cloud.mecila.uni-koeln.de/index.php/s/AZnzxR3DCgN8FB9
- Motivation letter (max. 500 words)
- Research outline describing current research and envisioned contribution to the Centre (max. 1.500 words)
- Curriculum Vitae, including a list of publications
- Two recent writing samples: journal article (published or forthcoming), book chapter, or thesis chapter

Selection criteria
Applications from prospective Junior Fellows will be submitted to a peer-review process. The primary selection criterion is the applicant’s potential to yield original and excellent research results through a Mecila Junior Fellowship. The scientific merit of the project will be assessed in terms of its originality, the importance of the scientific questions addressed, and its relevance to Mecila. An appropriate methodology and a feasible timeframe will also be part of the assessment. Additionally, an adequate regional representation of Latin America and the Caribbean in each cohort of Fellows and their research topics will be taken into consideration. Final decisions will be taken by Mecila’s Executive Board, in close consultation with its Advisory Board and Ethics Committee, aiming at disciplinary and gender balance as well as intersectional equity.

For further inquiries regarding the Fellowship or the application process, please contact Mecila’s Coordination Office in São Paulo via e-mail (mecila@cebrap.org.br).