BTAA Summer Institute in Central Asian Studies & Humanities Research Methods
BTAA Summer Institute in Central Asian Studies & Humanities Research Methods
BTAA Summer Institute in Central Asian Studies & Humanities Research Methods
July 2026 • Indiana University Bloomington
A selective, NEH (National Endowment for the Humanities)-funded, 3-credit summer institute for doctoral students in Central Asian Studies and related humanities fields across the Big Ten Academic Alliance.
The BTAA Summer Institute brings together doctoral students and faculty from across consortium institutions for an intensive program in research methods and dissertation development. The 2026 pilot focuses on Central Asia as a model for collaborative, regionally grounded humanities training.
Participating faculty include Jeff Eden (Northwestern University), Marianne Kamp (Indiana University), Scott Levi (The Ohio State University), Douglas Northrop (University of Michigan), and Ron Sela (Indiana University), among others.
Deepen your research training. Faculty will teach through concrete research case studies, unpacking archival challenges, linguistic constraints, methodological decision-making, and project design.
Accelerate dissertation progress. Participants will refine research questions, clarify source strategies, and move toward prospectus development.
Build a consortium-wide network. Engage with peers and faculty working across Central Asian, Islamic, Soviet/post-Soviet, and comparative imperial contexts.
Two virtual sessions (Early July 2026)
Five-day in-person intensive (week of July 20, 2026, Bloomington)
Two virtual follow-up sessions
Final research project submission
Equivalent to a 3-credit graduate course (subject to home-institution approval).
NEH and Indiana University support will cover:
Tuition
Lodging in Bloomington
$1,000 participation stipend
Doctoral students (any stage) whose work engages Central Asia and related fields in the humanities (History, Anthropology, Religious Studies, Folklore, Slavic/Eurasian Studies, and related disciplines). Priority will be given to students in the BTAA.
To apply, submit the following as a single PDF:
1-page statement of research interests (including potential dissertation topic)
Current CV (3 pages max.)
Name and email of your advisor (advisors will be notified of participation)
Send materials to Ron Sela through the form below.
