Collaborative International Research Grants

About

As a member of the International Association for the History of Religions (IAHR), the AAR provides Collaborative International Research Grants to support generative research collaborations between and among scholars located in different geographical regions who wish to pursue focused, joint projects in any area of the study of religion.

The ICC encourages creative projects grounded in international research relationships that bring together scholars from disparate backgrounds and methodological approaches to advance our critical research and understanding of religious traditions, practices, and issues. These grants may be used for a variety of project expenses, including to enhance communication and to enable travel. Junior as well as more established scholars are encouraged to apply, as are independent scholars.

Criteria

  • Grants may fund the research activities of two or more collaborators, at least one of whom must hold the doctoral degree.
  • No individual can apply as part of more than one collaborative team.
  • Applicants who have received an AAR grant in the previous year will not be considered.
  • A minimum of one scholar on the research team must be a current AAR member and have had a previous full year's membership that did not end more than 3 months before the current membership began
  • At least one other collaborator is expected to be a member in good standing of IAHR national or regional associations. Please direct any questions regarding the IAHR membership requirement to [email protected].
  • One scholar on the research team must be designated the Primary Contact.
  • The Primary Contact will receive all grant correspondence for the group.

Applications will be evaluated by a jury comprised of the members of AAR’s International Connections Committee and will be judged on:

  • The clarity and focus of the research proposed
  • The potential of the project to promote meaningful international collaborations between scholars from different regions
  • The significance of the research project’s contribution to religious studies scholarship, particularly in underexplored areas or subfields 
  • The feasibility of the research project, including its aims, timeline, outcomes, and proposed collaborations

How to Apply

Applicants must meet the qualifications and AAR membership eligibility requirements.

To ensure that the AAR membership eligibility requirements have been met, applicants can check their AAR membership record by contacting AAR Membership at [email protected].

Applicants must submit their application form and required materials through the online AAR grant application submission system.

Hard copies, late, emailed, or incomplete applications or materials cannot be accepted.

Applications can be submitted in English or in French.

Applicants should be prepared to upload the following required materials, all of which must be compiled into a single document in PDF or Word format:

  • Completed Application Form
  • Cover Page
    • Project Title
    • Name and contact details for Primary Contact
    • Names of and contact details for all project collaborators
    • Requested grant amount in USD
  • A 150-word Project Abstract
  • 500-word Narrative Proposal: clearly outlines the aims and significance of the research project; discusses the specific logistical details regarding the international collaboration; delineates the roles of each collaborator; and identifies the project’s expected outcomes
  • One-page Project Budget: includes a short narrative explanation of relevant expenses and an accounting of other sources of support for this project, both pending and confirmed; project funds must be requested in US dollars (USD)
  • One-page Curriculum Vitae for each collaborator: details previous and current grants/competitive research funding and international research travel, and lists current memberships in relevant scholarly organizations
  • Full contact information for two references for each of the collaborators

Any evidence in support of the proposed collaboration (e.g., a letter of invitation from a research center or library that will provide resources or facilities) may be provided but is not required.

Additional supplementary documents cannot be accepted.   

Submit an Application

To submit an application, click the button below which will take you to our online grant application submission system accessible only to AAR members. 
SUBMIT AN APPLICATION

Winner Notification and Expectations

  • Notification of the application status will be sent to the Primary Contact by January 31
  • For awarded projects, the Primary Contact will receive all grant correspondence for the group
  • For awarded projects, the grant funds will be disbursed until June 30 of the grant award year
  • For awarded projects, research expenses may be undertaken anytime within the calendar year of the award year
  • Awardees must maintain AAR membership throughout the grant period
  • Awardees must submit an expense report along with receipts as well as the AAR Grants Close-Out Report by January 31
  • Awardees who wish to extend the research collaboration beyond the initial year are eligible to reapply once for a second year of funding. Unsuccessful applicants are similarly encouraged to reapply in subsequent years.

Grant Reports

Awardees must submit an AAR Grants Close-Out Report and an expense report along with receipts by January 31.

Acceptance of this grant requires that one or more of the participants share the findings of the research collaboration publicly in at least two different ways. These might include reporting the results of the collaboration in a publication, a blog, or a web page, or in a presentation at the AAR Annual meeting or at another conference sponsored by an IAHR member association.

In addition to these public reports, which may be in any language, an abstract of 150 words summarizing the results and findings of the research project should be submitted in either English or French, the official languages of the IAHR. This abstract should be submitted along with an AAR Grants Close-Out Report summarizing the research activities undertaken, publications produced, and public presentations or other disseminations executed or planned.

While the award may be used to support travel for the collaborators to meet in order to undertake work on the proposed project, the grant is not primarily intended to fund travel to professional meetings (including the AAR Annual Meeting for current AAR members) and cannot be used to buy release time from a scholar’s institution, for supplemental salary (including honoraria for applicants), or to cover institutional overhead costs.

Questions

For any questions, please contact us at [email protected].

Deadline

November 3, 2022, 6:00 PM ET

Status

Open

Award Amount

$500 to $5,000

Past Winners