2025 Summer Institute for the Study of East Central and Southeastern Europe

Deadline: October 30, 2024

SISECSE will provide participating scholars with time and space to dedicate to their own research and writing in a collaborative and interdisciplinary setting. The program covers travel, accommodation, and per diem expenses. Scholars are expected to be in residence and to participate in all planned events for the duration of the institute.

Learn More and Apply

In addition to conducting their own research, scholars will have the opportunity to participate in a series of immersive discussions on a broad topic of shared academic interest. In 2025, discussions will explore “Epistemic Mistrust: Authorship, Credibility, and Knowledge Production.” Whether in times of crisis and war, or times of peace and stability, who do we trust to tell the truth? Whose stories do we listen to? With a growing lack of trust in traditional sources of knowledge—including suspicion of academic institutions—public confidence in the value of research is eroding. Nevertheless, humanistic approaches are essential for fostering critical thinking and promoting interdisciplinary dialogue. Participants will consider diverse questions: how can scholars in the humanities or interpretive social sciences help cultivate a more nuanced understanding of truth? How can we enhance the relevance and accessibility of academic research? How can we make the process of knowledge production and dissemination more inclusive?

Eligibility 
The competition is open to scholars in any field or discipline in the humanities and interpretive social sciences pursuing postdoctoral or advanced research in East Central and Southeastern Europe, including Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Ukraine. We seek to foster conversations across generations and fields.
 
Scholars must be based at institutions in North America (Canada, Mexico, US) or East Central and Southeastern Europe (see the list above).
 
Applications must be submitted in English, but the written work produced by the grantee can be in any language. Work proposed must be in the humanities and interpretive social sciences and must employ humanistic approaches and methods.

This program is made possible thanks to a generous donation by Carl and Betty Pforzheimer.

SISECSE will provide participating scholars with time and space to dedicate to their own research and writing in a collaborative and interdisciplinary setting. The program covers travel, accommodation, and per diem expenses. Scholars are expected to be in residence and to participate in all planned events for the duration of the institute.

Learn More and Apply

In addition to conducting their own research, scholars will have the opportunity to participate in a series of immersive discussions on a broad topic of shared academic interest. In 2025, discussions will explore “Epistemic Mistrust: Authorship, Credibility, and Knowledge Production.” Whether in times of crisis and war, or times of peace and stability, who do we trust to tell the truth? Whose stories do we listen to? With a growing lack of trust in traditional sources of knowledge—including suspicion of academic institutions—public confidence in the value of research is eroding. Nevertheless, humanistic approaches are essential for fostering critical thinking and promoting interdisciplinary dialogue. Participants will consider diverse questions: how can scholars in the humanities or interpretive social sciences help cultivate a more nuanced understanding of truth? How can we enhance the relevance and accessibility of academic research? How can we make the process of knowledge production and dissemination more inclusive?

Eligibility 
The competition is open to scholars in any field or discipline in the humanities and interpretive social sciences pursuing postdoctoral or advanced research in East Central and Southeastern Europe, including Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Ukraine. We seek to foster conversations across generations and fields.
 
Scholars must be based at institutions in North America (Canada, Mexico, US) or East Central and Southeastern Europe (see the list above).
 
Applications must be submitted in English, but the written work produced by the grantee can be in any language. Work proposed must be in the humanities and interpretive social sciences and must employ humanistic approaches and methods.

Deadline: October 30, 2024, 9:00 PM EDT

Questions?  Contact us at SISECSE@acls.org.

This program is made possible thanks to a generous donation by Carl and Betty Pforzheimer.