The institution of research fellows is perhaps the most important contribution of the Hellenic Institute of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Studies in Venice. It is inextricably linked to its educational and scientific mission. It was the most basic of the Institute’s commitment, since the first year of its foundation in 1962, a commitment that shakes up precious historical memories of the Flanginian school. The scholarship covers only the researcher’s stay while the amount and duration are described in the call for applications.
The scholarship holders of the Institute must have Greek citizenship, have a qualification obtained from higher education institutions in the country or abroad – but in the latter case, recognized by the Official Interdisciplinary Organization for the Recognition of Qualifications of Study and Information (Δ.Ο.Α.Τ.Α.Π.). The selection takes place according to a specific procedure, described in the relevant scholarship announcement and provided for by the Institute’s Regulations.
This process basically consists in the presentation of a dossier that includes the research proposal and the relative documentation of the candidate and is completed in two phases: the proposal for the anonymous evaluation of the candidate by two external evaluators, recognized scientists in the scientific field concerning the scope of the proposal; and in the personal interview of the candidates selected in the previous phase, with the presence of all the members of the Supervisory Committee of the Institute. The application file is deposited at the headquarters of the Supervisory Committee, which transfers it to the Honorary Scientific Council, which evaluates each case separately on the proposal of the external evaluators. The final results are published on the Hellenic Institute website. The selected candidates sign a contract in accordance with the provisions of the Announcement.
Most of the selected fellows hold research programs at recognized national or foreign higher education institutions; are PhD or postdoctoral candidates in recognized research fields. The research topics are determined by the fellow, in collaboration with the higher education institution he collaborates with on an academic basis. The President of the Institute acts as a research consultant for the fellow and checks the consistency and seriousness of the execution of his obligations. Each scholarship holder reports the progress of his / her work to the President of the Institute at regular intervals. Scholarship holders are required to reside at the Institute’s headquarters, without prejudice to justified and short-term absences, always with prior authorization, in order to cover the needs of research in other archives and libraries in Italy.
The themes of research and scientific studies prepared by the fellow researchers are part of the whole range of Byzantine and post-Byzantine history, modern Greek and European history, art history, institutions. Particular emphasis is given to the history of the Greek regions under Venetian rule and to the more specific issues that arise from the coexistence of the Greek element with the Latin element, due to the wealth of evidence in the Venetian archives and libraries. The research and prototypical studies of the Institute’s fellows have enriched the literature to date with important works and historical notes, in particular on the relations of medieval Hellenism with the West and on the presence of the Greeks in Venice.