The Summer Institute for the Study of East Central and Southeastern Europe (SISECSE) is a two-week residential workshop, that provides scholars of Eastern Europe time and space to dedicate to their own research and writing in a collaborative and interdisciplinary setting. In addition to conducting their own research, scholars will also 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.

Presentation

The Summer Institute for the Study of East Central and Southeastern Europe (SISECSE) is a two-week residential workshop, that provides scholars of Eastern Europe time and space to dedicate to their own research and writing in a collaborative and interdisciplinary setting. ACLS in partnership with the Centre for Advanced Study Sofia (CAS) will convene leading scholars from Eastern Europe and North America for a two-week residency in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria from June 5, 2025 to June 20, 2025.

SISECSE will also provide participating scholars with the opportunity to undertake local fieldwork, including archival or collections research, interviews, site surveys, or other forms of data collection. Fieldwork is not a requirement for participation.

• The program will offer a travel stipend and cover accommodation and per diem expenses for the two-week residency.
• Institute members will be expected to be in residence and to participate in all planned events for the duration of the institute.
• Scholars will also be provided with opportunities to travel locally during this time.
• Scholars should apply with their own research proposals through the ACLS online system. 

In addition to conducting their own research, scholars will also 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?

Discussions will be held over several meals and in one seminar session.

It is not required or expected that applicant’s research projects are connected to the workshop theme. Thematic discussions are intended for the enrichment of the participants.

Eligibility

• Applicants must have a PhD degree conferred (officially awarded) by an accredited university by the application deadline. An established scholar who can demonstrate the equivalent of the PhD in publications and professional experience may also qualify.
• The competition is open to scholars in any field or discipline in the humanities or interpretive social sciences pursuing postdoctoral or advanced research in East Central and Southeastern Europe, including Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czechia, Croatia, Hungary, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Ukraine.
• Applicants must have an affiliation—a long-term regular research or teaching appointment—with an institution (i.e., college, museum, university) in North America (Canada, Mexico, US) or East Central and Southeastern Europe (see the list above). Applicants who do not have tenure-track or permanent positions should describe their future commitment to working in North America or East Central and Southeastern Europe.
• There are no restrictions as to the citizenship of applicants.
• The application must be submitted in English, but the written work produced may be in any language.

Application guidelines

Applications must be submitted through the ACLS Online Fellowship and Grant Administration (OFA) System 

no later than 9:00 PM Eastern Time on October 30, 2024.

They must include:

• A completed application form including demographic information.
• An application essay (no more than four double-spaced pages in Arial or Helvetica 11-point font). The application essay should lay out the research project—what it is about, its location in the current literature, what sources are to be examined, and how the applicant plans to carry out the work.
• An optional one to two pages of images, musical scores, or other similar supporting non-text materials.
• A bibliography (no more than two pages, double-spaced between entries, in Arial or Helvetica 11-point font).
• A list of the applicant’s publications (no more than two pages, double-spaced between entries, in Arial or Helvetica 11-point font). Applicants should indicate if any of their publications resulted from prior ACLS funding.
• An applicant’s statement (no more than two double-spaced pages in Arial or Helvetica 11-point font). The statement should describe the type of research, writing, or fieldwork an applicant intends to carry out in Bulgaria, the impact of this work on the applicant’s research project, and the applicant’s interest in participating in interdisciplinary conversations. 

ACLS is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of the fellowship application process. Please use the applicant’s statement to note any relevant information about your personal background and/or ways in which your proposed research addresses issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Evaluation criteria

• Significance of the topic and its potential contribution to the study of East Central and Southeastern Europe.
• The quality and innovativeness of the proposal with regard to its methodology, scope, theoretical framework, and grounding in the relevant scholarly literature.
• The impact of the fieldwork on the applicant’s research project, if applicable.

Committee responsible for the selection 

• Maria Sonevytsky, Department of Anthropology, Bard College
• Galin Tihanov, School of Languages, Linguistics and Film, Queen Mary University of London
• Balázs Trencsényi, Department of History, Central European University

Supporting documents

• 2024-25 Sample Application for the Study of East Central and Southeastern Europe Summer Institute
• “Writing Proposals for ACLS Fellowship Competitions” by Christina M. Gillis

Contact

Questions should be directed to sisecse@acls.org.

Please read the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) before making inquiries.

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