Research and Policy Forum

May 11-14, 2010

The Research and Policy Forum has three objectives:

1. To identify talented scholars with common interests from across academic disciplines so as to introduce them to additional perspectives on their research.
2. To introduce young scholars to top non-academic professionals who also share these interests. Journalists from leading national papers, experts from think-tanks, congressional staff members, as well as DC representatives of international organizations like the UN Population Fund, NGOs and lobbying organizations will speak about how they try to shape policy, and how academics can influence the policymaking process.
3. To offer participants the opportunity to meet with scholars who have successfully bridged the academic and policy worlds.

The focus of this Forum will be on the resources used by Eurasian countries for energy, power and development. While the oil and gas sectors may represent the most prominent of Eurasian resources, the SSRC encourages interested applicants to think creatively about how their work may apply to this topic.

Advanced graduate students and junior post-doctoral scholars or faculty are invited to apply to join this intensive four-day workshop. The Forum will offer participants the chance to present and develop their work in consultation with an interdisciplinary group of colleagues, as well as with experts from both government and non-governmental organizations. The Forum will also include a public event to give participants the opportunity to expand their networks while observing the application of academic analysis to policy debates.

This Forum is open to scholars of all disciplines in the social sciences and humanities. Proposals that demonstrate a readiness to apply academic skills and research to issues of critical, national importance are most likely to be chosen for participation. Applicants need not have already published in the topic of interest, but may use the Forum as an opportunity to explore new directions for future research.

Funding for the Research & Policy Forum is provided by the U.S. Department of State under the Program for Research and Training for Eastern Europe and the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union. Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents currently enrolled in an accredited PhD program, or have recently defended their dissertation.

Application Deadline: March 10th

To apply: All applicants must submit a 5-page summary of a past research project; a 500-word abstract of an existing or proposed paper with relevance to the contemporary regional or global issues to be discussed at the forum; a CV; and one letter of recommendation from a primary advisor.

For questions on application procedures and eligibility requirements, please contact Eurasia Program staff at eurasia@ssrc.org.