UC African Studies MRG

UPCOMING: Dissertation Workshop at UC Davis:

Call for Proposals

The UC African Studies Dissertation Workshop
University of California, Davis, May 30-31, 2009

The African Studies Multi-Campus Research Group (MRG) invites applications for a dissertation workshop to be held at the University of California, Davis on Saturday/Sunday, May 30-31, 2009 (non-UCD participants are requested to arrive in the evening of Friday, May 29).

Eligibility: Applicants shall be current University of California graduate students in the humanities, arts, law, or social sciences in good academic standing. Preference will be given to students who expect to submit proposals for funding in the 2009-10 academic year.

Description of African Studies Multi-Campus Research Group: In July 2008, the University of California launched an initiative to re-conceptualize African Studies as a multi-sited post-colonial discipline in order to foment change in the study and engagement with the African continent. Over a five-year period, the new African Studies Multi-Campus Research Group (MRG) will organize an array of activities on the African continent that include three international conferences in Ghana, Senegal, and South Africa. By combining resources among the ten UC campuses, the MRG will arrange visiting fellowship for academics from the African continent, performances of African cultural groups, as well as graduate student workshops and other events so that African studies may be further integrated into teaching and research within the humanities and social sciences across the UC system and beyond. Further information is available at http://www.ihc.ucsb.edu/africanstudies/home.html

Objective of the Dissertation Workshop: The objective of the dissertation workshop is to facilitate interdisciplinary research across the disciplines in African Studies. The workshop will provide an opportunity for ten graduate students to present their current dissertation research proposal and receive critical feedback on their projects from five to six UC faculty members in African studies from a diversity of disciplines. Dissertation participants will be expected to post their research descriptions on a web-based discussion board prior to the May meeting created on a section of the African Studies MRG website. All participants will read and provide comments on all proposals. For students from campuses other than UCD, students are invited to request support from their respective campuses through their own departments and the African Studies-related program or center. The African Studies MRG will provide limited funding to support travel and accommodation for non-UCD students.

Proposal Submission: Proposal package must include the following items: (1) a short cover letter that includes your contact information, campus location, department, with a 100-word bio, (2) a one-page CV, (3) a three-page (single-spaced) proposal including a project description, research methods, and statement on the current stage of the applicant’s research, (4) a one-page research schedule; (5) a one-page bibliography, and (6) a list of three referees including the applicant’s primary dissertation advisor who may be contacted.

Applications must be submitted electronically as one PDF or MSWord document to: africanstudiesmrg@ihc.ucsb.edu. Completed applications must be received by: March 31, 2009. Ten successful applicants will be notified by April 15, 2009.

Please direct queries regarding the workshop to africanstudiesmrg@ihc.ucsb.edu.