YOU ARE HERE: > Intended to convene scholars in all fields for short-term collaborations, Exploratory and Advanced Seminars at the Radcliffe Institute offer resources to Harvard faculty and their colleagues at other universities to develop new ideas. The categories of seminar are described below. They are not mutually exclusive. The same topic might first be the subject of an Exploratory Seminar and in a subsequent year receive support as an Advanced Seminar.
Proposals for seminars during the academic year or summer must be submitted to the Institute by Harvard ladder faculty. Former Radcliffe Institute fellows are invited to submit proposals for summer exploratory seminars. Scroll down to "Summer Exploratory Seminars" for further information.
Exploratory Seminars
Advanced Seminars
Read more about this Radcliffe program in "Seminars Convene Harvard Faculty Members and Colleagues from Other Universities."
For descriptions of past and present seminars see:
- 2008–2009 Advanced and Exploratory Seminars
- 2007–2008 Advanced and Exploratory Seminars
- 2006–2007 Advanced and Exploratory Seminars
- 2005–2006 Advanced and Exploratory Seminars
- 2004–2005 Advanced and Exploratory Seminars
- 2003–2004 Advanced and Exploratory Seminars
The deadline to submit proposals for 2008–2009 has passed. The deadline for 2009–2010 proposals is April 8, 2009.
Guidelines:
The Radcliffe Institute convenes scholars in all fields for short-term collaborations, in addition to its longer-term support of residential fellows and research clusters. Exploratory Seminars at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study are intended to offer resources to Harvard faculty and their colleagues around the world to develop new ideas across the social sciences, sciences, and humanities in a congenial atmosphere. This support underlines our commitment to increase the opportunities for Harvard colleagues to work with one another across the University's ten schools as well as with faculty from other universities, and to enhance the intellectual development and visibility of junior faculty. Chairs are expected to prepare a brief report for the Institute on the outcomes of the seminar.
Goals:
Exploratory Seminars are short-term "brainstorming" sessions intended to explore new frontiers, jumpstart collaborations, or initiate future research plans. Exploratory Seminars will bring together approximately eight to sixteen scholars for a short period at Radcliffe. Proposals for these seminars are not expected to provide polished, complete visions for the research. On the contrary, we seek explicitly to provide maximum freedom for intellectual exploration and innovative thinking. Radcliffe does not fund conferences under this program, and these seminars are not intended to be public events. Seminars run for one to three days. Typically they will be composed of one to three members of the Harvard faculty, with the balance of participants coming from other universities in the US and around the world. There is no restriction as to subject matter or disciplinary concentration. Proposals may involve single disciplines or multidisciplinary groups. We encourage the submission of proposals that cross departmental, divisional, or school boundaries. Moreover, we look with special favor upon proposals that provide opportunities for junior as well as senior scholars to participate.
Summer Exploratory Seminars:
Recently Radcliffe announced further development of its program of exploratory seminars. Now, proposals may be submitted by either Harvard faculty or former Radcliffe Institute fellows for seminars up to five days in the summer. This opportunity acknowledges that the summer, as opposed to the academic year, may be an opportune time for Harvard faculty or former Radcliffe fellows to convene groups of colleagues and that the luxury of a group’s working together for up to five days could yield great benefits in advancing a scholarly idea. There is no restriction as to subject matter or disciplinary concentration. Proposals may involve single disciplines or multidisciplinary groups. We encourage the submission of proposals that cross departmental, divisional, or school boundaries. Moreover, we look with special favor upon proposals that provide opportunities for junior as well as senior scholars to participate. Please refer to the Exploratory Seminar Proposal Form 2008 for a comparison of the summer and academic year parameters and funding.
Submission Criteria:
Academic year seminar proposals must be submitted by Harvard ladder faculty who will be centrally involved in the project. Proposals for summer seminar must be submitted by Harvard ladder faculty or former Radcliffe Institute fellows. Please submit proposals using the Exploratory Seminar Proposal Form 2009, which is available both in PDF format and as a downloadable Word document.
Logistics:
The Radcliffe Institute will provide meeting space, meals and travel expenses, and administrative support.
Please submit proposals both electronically and on paper to:
Phyllis Strimling
Exploratory Seminars
Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study
Radcliffe Gymnasium
10 Garden Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
Fax: 617-496-1855
E-mail: phyllis@radcliffe.edu
The deadline to submit proposals for 2008–2009 has passed. The deadline for 2009–2010 proposals is April 8, 2009.
Guidelines:
Advanced Seminars at the Radcliffe Institute support ambitious new research undertakings in and across the social sciences, sciences, and humanities. Colleagues, including at least one Harvard ladder faculty member, who are prepared to develop original research papers with a shared focus or topic are invited to the Institute for one to three days to meet as a group to present their papers for discussion and analysis. Each participant will be provided $1,000 (less taxes) for her/his original paper prepared especially for the seminar, as well as travel expenses to join the seminar. Coauthors of a paper will divide the $1,000 honorarium. Seminar chairs will be provided an additional honorarium of $500 (less taxes; for a maximum of two cochairs) in recognition of the additional time that will be required of them for advance planning and follow up with the group. These groups typically comprise eight to ten members, including the group chairs. Radcliffe does not fund conferences under this program, and these seminars are not intended to be public events. Proposals that involve more than one member of the Harvard faculty and that provide opportunities for junior as well as senior scholars to participate receive special consideration. We encourage the submission of proposals that cross divisional, departmental, or school boundaries. Chairs are expected to prepare a brief report for the Institute on the outcomes of the seminar.
Goals:
Advanced Seminars are designed to contribute finished work to the scholarly community. Participants provide a plan for dissemination of research, preferably in the form of publications in scholarly journals or edited volumes. Selected Advanced Seminar participants may be asked to return to the Institute for public presentation of their work in the form of symposia, and thus contribute to the Institute's intellectual community. Chairs are responsible for reporting to the Institute on the progress of the work at the end of the seminar, as well as one year later as plans for publication solidify.
Submission Criteria:
Proposals must be submitted by Harvard ladder faculty who will be centrally involved in the project. Please submit proposals using the Advanced Seminar Proposal Form 2009, which is available both in PDF format and as a downloadable Word document.
Logistics:
The Radcliffe Institute will provide meeting space, meals, travel expenses, and honoraria for papers, as well as administrative support.
Please submit proposals both electronically and on paper to:
Phyllis Strimling
Advanced Seminars
Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study
Radcliffe Gymnasium
10 Garden Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
Fax: 617-496-1855
E-mail: phyllis@radcliffe.edu
For more information, please contact:
Phyllis Strimling, Program Director, 617-495-8277 or 617-495-8600.
For substantive questions related to:
Science proposals:
Please contact Dean Barbara Grosz, science@radcliffe.edu or 617-496-5545.
Social Science proposals:
Please contact Executive Dean Louise Richardson, 617-495-8185.
Humanities and History proposals:
Please contact Professor Nancy Cott, ncott@fas.harvard.edu.
Questions on cross-disciplinary proposals are welcomed by any of the above.
*In extraordinary circumstances a proposal will be reviewed outside the normal timeline.
