Summer Research and Mentoring Fellowship Myanmar’s Borderlands: Past, Present, and Future June 21-July 28, 2023
Application deadline extended to March 31, 2023, 11:59 PM (EST)
The Inya Institute is now accepting applications for a Fellow to lead the Summer 2023 Research and Mentoring program devoted to supporting the study of Myanmar’s borderlands.
The Fellow may be based in Thailand, India, or Bangladesh and will lead a series of online workshops sponsored by the institute with a group of 6-8 Myanmar researchers. During the online workshop sessions, the Fellow will mentor the group of Myanmar researchers on the development of their research papers. The first batch of online sessions will focus on research design, guidance on research methods and field research with all participating Myanmar researchers. The remaining weeks will involve one-on-one online mentoring sessions with each of the 6-8 Myanmar researchers.
The Fellow will be expected to mentor researchers whose work may address any of the following themes related to Myanmar’s borderlands:
- legacy of colonial knowledge on borderlands and their communities;
- ethno-history of borderlands;
- natural resources and challenges to environmental protection in borderlands;
- communities, networks, and trade across borders;
- legal and illegal border migration;
- humanitarian relief to refugees and public health in borderlands;
- borders at the time of the Covid-19 pandemic;
- formal and informal governance of borderlands;
- externalized economic development of borderlands;
- formal and non-formal education in borderlands;
- other themes related to borderlands.
The Inya Institute will cover international airfare (to Thailand, India, or Bangladesh, as per the Fellow’s proposed choice) and additional costs (including domestic travel, local accommodation, meals, internet costs). Within the limits of the time available outside of the Fellow’s mentoring duties, the Fellow may also engage in their own personal research work.
Following the Summer 2023 research and mentoring program, the Inya Institute will organize a conference in 2024 in Thailand on ‘Myanmar’s borderlands: past, present, and future’ in which both the Fellow and the Myanmar researchers will participate and present their papers.
Eligibility
- The fellowship is open to post-doctoral scholars whose past or current research interests and work align with the study of Myanmar’s borderlands (see list above);
- The fellowship is open to: (1) U.S. citizens who obtained their PhD degree in the last 10 years in a U.S. university or a university overseas; (2) foreign nationals who obtained their PhD degree in the last 10 years in a U.S. university.
Application requirement
- Completed application form including information about the selected country, location for running the online mentoring sessions, and statement detailing past or current research on Myanmar’s borderlands, and its relevance to one or more of the topics listed above (max. 1,200 words);
- Proposed Work Schedule showing how the online mentoring sessions will be conducted throughout the fellowship period;
- Proposed Itemized Budget with Budget Narrative; Allowable costs include airfare, ground transportation (in the U.S. and selected country), lodging, meals and incidental expenses, and internet costs;
- Curriculum Vitae;
- One Academic Reference Letter; The applicant is responsible for notifying the referee of their request for letter and for ensuring the letter is submitted to the Inya Institute by the deadline.
All documents must be sent by email to the following email address: contact@inyainstitute.org
Fellowship Benefits
In addition to a stipend covering international travel, ground transportation, lodging, local subsistence, and internet costs, the Fellow will receive US $4,800 as teaching and mentorship fees.
Terms and conditions
- The Fellow must submit a five-page Final Report to the Inya Institute within a month of completing the fellowship as well as an account of the program experience and outcomes (no longer than 2,000 words) to be published in the institute’s quarterly newsletter.
- The Fellow is responsible for obtaining the appropriate visa (if needed).
- Air Travel from the U.S. must meet the conditions of the Fly America Act.
Deadline, Selection, and Notification
Applications must be sent by March 31, 2023 (11:59 PM EST).
The fellowship will be awarded by a Selection Committee composed of academics with long-standing experience and recognized expertise on Myanmar. Applicants will be judged according to the following criteria:
- Merits of the statement, its significance, and relevance;
- Merits of the proposed work schedule and its potential for meeting the research needs of the Myanmar participants;
- Applicant’s qualifications and prior experience.
Awards will be announced by April 21, 2023.
Questions
For any inquiry, please contact us at: contact@inyainstitute.org.
We will also host virtual Q&A Sessions on the following days and time.
February 23, 2023, 09:00-10:00am EST
February 27, 2023, 08:30-09:30pm EST
March 2, 2023, 08:30-09:30am EST
Registration required at the following link: https://forms.gle/BB1LGS8tSjNRPUy47
The Summer 2023 Research and Mentoring Fellowship is funded by the U.S. Department of Education under Title VI of the Higher Education Act.