PROPOSING
AN ANNUAL THEME FOR A RESEARCH GROUP AT THE KATZ CENTER:
Any
individual or group of scholars in the fields of Jewish
studies may submit a proposal for an annual theme. Proposals
will be considered and evaluated by the two academic advisory
committees that assist the director in selecting annual
topics.
Since
all the Katz Center research groups are interdisciplinary, we encourage
scholars to design themes in consultation or collaboration
with colleagues in different fields, who represent different
scholarly perspectives.
Before
submitting a formal proposal, the proposers should consult
with the director who can offer specific guidance and advice
in developing the proposal. Once submitted, proposals will
be carefully evaluated, and proposers can expect collaborative
input from members of the reviewing committee as part of
the process of refining the proposal.
Guidelines:
A
proposal for a research group is not the same as a grant
proposal. There is little need to justify the value of studying
a given subject. Rather, proposers should present a rationale
for long-term collective investigation. Why does this theme
merit gathering some 20 scholars for a year? In what ways
will the proposed theme enrich, enlighten, and move the
field forward? How does this theme engage methodological,
substantive, and disciplinary issues that require serious
discussion at this time?
•
While a proposal need not contain a full history of the
field, it does need to explain to outsiders why the proposed
theme is timely and critical in advancing knowledge in
the field at this juncture.
•
A strong proposal should be broad, interdisciplinary,
comparative, and attractive to large numbers of scholars,
internationally, from both within Judaic studies and from
adjacent disciplines. A good proposal will attract as
many as 80-100 applicants from which 20 will be selected.
•
The proposal should include a set of questions that address
the most critical issues of the field.
•
Proposals should include a list of potential participants
in order to demonstrate how broad and how appealing the
subject might be to a wide range of scholars. Those appearing
on the list need not be approached in any formal way.
The list should only provide some indication of potential
interest on the part of scholars around the world.
•
The proposal process is ongoing, there is no formal deadline.
The center usually plans the seminar themes years in advance.
Successful proposals will result in a research year scheduled
anywhere from 3-5 years from the date of the original
proposal.
•
Proposals should be no more than 5 pages long, and should
include an appendix of potential applicants (see samples).
Please submit the proposal directly to:
David B. Ruderman, Director
Herbert D. Katz
Center for Advanced Judaic Studies
The University of Pennsylvania
420 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
(215) 238-1290 Fax: (215) 238-1540
ruderman@sas.upenn.edu
Click
on the links below to see some successful proposals from
previous years:
2007-2008
Jewish and Other Imperial Cultures in Late Antiquity: Literary,
Social, and Material Histories (200-750 c.e.)
2002-2003
Jewish History and Culture in Eastern Europe
2001-2002
Jewish Biblical Interpretation in a Comparative Context:
Jewish, Christian and Islamic
