Medieval Academy of America Summer Research Program, Zoom + final in-person event, summer 2024

The Medieval Academy of America’s Mentoring Program Committee is excited to announce the 2024 Summer Research and Professional Development Workshop for PhD-track students. This program is designed to foster the growth of essential skills and mentorship relationships, and improve the educational experiences for graduate students in fields intersecting with Medieval Studies. Our primary goals are to facilitate the development of successful dissertation projects, foster networking and community-building, and improve competitiveness for grants and academic positions.

In Zoom sessions over the summer, and then at the in-person event, workshop leaders will help student participants learn about the range of available grants, develop successful strategies for securing these funding opportunities, and begin to work with them to produce their own grant proposals (with specific attention on identifying the broader contributions of their research, developing budgets, and proposing viable schedules). In the latter sessions, participants will break into two cohorts, and leaders will help them each develop a targeted written work relating to their dissertation project: a dissertation prospectus, a grant proposal, or an introduction to an article addressing and contextualizing the broader goals of the project. Ideally, workshop leaders will provide guidance or tips on library and archival research, writing strategies and techniques, networking, community-building, and other vital professional skills, as well.

The in-person event for US, Canadian, and Mexican participants will take place at the University of California at Berkeley on August 1-4 (participants from other regions will join via Zoom). During this long weekend, participants will continue their collaborations, meet and learn from mentors and other invited experts, and finalize and ultimately present the work they have been developing and sharing virtually in their workshops.

We seek twelve graduate students who are currently enrolled in U.S., Canadian, or Mexican PhD programs, and five graduate students from other countries, who will have finished their second year but not yet completed or defended their dissertations. There are no disciplinary or geographical limitations. The only restriction is that the applicant’s research project intersects somehow with Medieval Studies. The MAA seeks to incorporate and enable access to resources for people from underrepresented groups. We especially encourage applicants from communities and backgrounds that have been traditionally underrepresented or marginalized within Medieval Studies. Preference will also be given to applicants who do not already have access to the resources this program provides.

Participants from the US, Canada and Mexico will receive a stipend of $1000, reimbursement for round-trip travel costs up to $500, and three nights lodging at the Women's Faculty Club on the UC Berkeley campus during the hybrid event. Those from other countries attending only via Zoom will also receive a stipend of $1000. All participants will receive a one-year free membership to the MAA.