Haas Junior Scholars Program
Call for Proposals
Institute of East Asian Studies
Haas Junior Scholars Program for Doctoral Candidates, 2012-13
Program Description
The Haas Junior Scholars Program for Doctoral Candidates (HJS) at the Institute of East Asian Studies (IEAS) allows Berkeley PhD candidates from various disciplines to come together for twice-monthly forums at IEAS during the academic year to discuss perspectives, methodological approaches, empirical research and original findings centered on their dissertation projects. Participants are expected to share draft chapters of research in progress and to receive feedback from peers. Collaboration between humanists, social scientists and additional fields such as environmental or health sciences, city planning, architecture and design, journalism, and so forth is not required but much encouraged. Preference in awards will be given to groups that bring diverse disciplinary perspectives and empirical expertise to shed light on related research questions that may cohere around underlying themes.
Proposals are invited from two UC Berkeley doctoral candidates who will act as co-conveners responsible for articulating the intellectual agenda of the group, and for assembling the names and project titles of at least five other doctoral candidates interested in the group. While not an absolute requirement, it is strongly preferred that the two co-conveners be from different departments. Student organizers are encouraged, with the assistance of the IEAS staff if necessary, to convene planning sessions and to open bSpace accounts or use other online methods to involve a maximum number of interested candidates from various departments. Ideally a group should consist of about 10 core members who are committed and obligated to attend the forums on a regular basis. Each regular member will receive a stipend of $2,000 over the duration of the project for individual research support; the two co-conveners will each receive a $2,500 stipend. Each group will be offered, in addition, a sum of up to $2,500 to help with the payment of refreshments for group meetings and inviting visiting speakers. Group meetings are not required to be open to the public. Groups may, however, choose to invite faculty members and graduate students as visiting participants on an ad hoc basis.
Groups are expected to organize a public conference within 6 months upon the conclusion of the funding period, or within a reasonable period of time if the group has applied for extramural funding to subsidize the conference. These conferences should be open to the public and publicized on the IEAS events calendar well in advance of the event. All regular members of the group are expected to be paper-presenters. In addition, the conveners, in consultation with regular group members, may issue invitations to additional junior scholars from off campus to serve as paper-givers, and to faculty members on or off campus to serve as commentators. These Haas Junior Scholars Conferences will be provided funding on top of the allocation for the Haas Doctoral Candidate Working Groups. The IEAS-supported portion of the budget for the Haas Junior Scholars Conference should not exceed $8,000, and ideally should include support from other sources, especially if international airfares need to be purchased (international travel should be kept to a minimum). Group organizers for the 2012-2013 program will be expected to submit for review a proposed conference agenda and budget for the Haas Junior Scholars Conference by June, 2013 at the latest.
The two conveners of the group will be responsible for the group’s administration. The IEAS, when necessary, will provide space for meetings and limited clerical assistance (i.e. supplying meeting needs, processing business transactions such as reimbursements, and helping with the organization of the Haas Junior Scholars Conferences on East Asia).
Application and Deadlines
Proposals for IEAS Haas Junior Scholars Program for Doctoral Candidates may come from any two UC Berkeley doctoral candidates in good standing, preferably from different departments. Proposals should include:
- Application cover sheet, with (a) name of the proposed Group; (b) contact information (email, department address, phone) for the two conveners, and (c) proposed membership list with contact information. A viable proposal should contain commitments from at least 5 doctoral candidates at the time of application. Ideally the size of the group may expand to somewhere between 8 and 10 core members (inclusive of the conveners).
- A brief narrative (single-page and single-spaced) describing the intellectual agenda or rationale of the Group’s project along with a proposed tentative meeting schedule for the academic year. Groups should meet at least twice a month during the academic year.
- Dissertation title and brief description (not to exceed 600 words) for each committed participant.
- CV’s for the two conveners.
The application deadline for the 2012-13 Haas Junior Scholars Program for Doctoral Candidates is April 9, 2012.
Applications should be sent by email to Martin Backstrom, IEAS Associate Director at backstrom@berkeley.edu. Any questions about the program may also be addressed to him.
Awards will be announced by early May, 2012.
Funded Groups will be expected to meet during fall 2012 semester, through the spring of 2013.
The deadline for a written report about Group activities is July 1, 2013. The Haas Junior Scholars Conference should ideally be convened within 6 months upon the conclusion of the group meetings in AY 2012-2013.
Download the announcement here.