Category Archives: Professional Development

Funding Opportunity: Global Religion Research Initiative

Posted on by

Hi, I am writing to ask you to share this announcement about three major grant and fellowship opportunities with your faculty and graduate student colleagues. Could you please forward this email to them and anyone else you know who studies global religion or might possibly be interested in incorporating global religion into their current research?

Thank you,

Christian Smith
Center for the Study of Religion and Society
Department of Sociology, University of Notre Dame

Funding Opportunity: Global Religion Research Initiative

The Center for the Study of Religion and Society in the Department of Sociology at the University of Notre Dame is pleased to announce the Global Religion Research Initiative (GRRI), directed by Christian Smith and funded by the Templeton Religion Trust of Nassau, Bahamas.

The GRRI will fund over 150 research proposals by distributing $3.1 million to scholars of global religion between 2017 and 2021. This year, the GRRI offers three distinct competitive research and writing grants and fellowships programs available to scholars at all levels of their careers that intend to significantly advance the social scientific study of religions around the world.

Find out which grant or fellowship fits your idea below.

ei     ei (2)     ei (1)

The application deadline is November 18, 2019.
Apply online at grri.nd.edu.

Global Religion Research Initiative
Center for the Study of Religion and Society
University of Notre Dame
1(800) 434-8441
grri@nd.edu

Further Information about the School of Advanced Training in Sociology of Religion

Posted on by

2019 ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE SCHOOL OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN SOCIOLOGY OF RELIGION (SAFSOR)

16 to 19 December 2019 at the University Roma Tre, Department of Education, in via del Castro Pretorio 20.

Art. 1 – Introduction

  • This notice contains the provisions governing admission to the SCHOOL OF HIGH TRAINING IN RELIGION SOCIOLOGY (SAFSOR).
  • The School provides for the submission of an application for admission.
  • Final admission is subject to checks on self-certification relating to admission tickets and any university careers.

Art. 2 – Access passes and number of admissions

  • The School is aimed at graduates and professionals with a university degree belonging to any class of specialist / master’s degree or a degree of old order at least four years in the disciplines of social sciences.
  • The maximum number of admissions to the School is 15, which can be increased to 20. Admitted students are required to pay a registration fee of 120 euros (which also includes social dinner and daily buffet).

Art. 3 – Submission of application for admission

The application for admission must be submitted or sent no later than 30 September 2019 to the following postal address:

President of ICSOR
Viale delle Milizie 108 – 00192 Rome
tel. + 39 3475160442

or to the following e-mail address:  rciprian@uniroma3.it

The following documents must be attached to the application form:

  1. declaration about the university from which the degree was obtained with the indication of the date and vote;
  2. curriculum vitae of studies, professional activities and research;
  3. list of publications;
  4. self-certification of knowledge of the Italian language (for foreigners) and of at least one other language of the European Union (for Italians).

Applications for admission delivered or received at the address indicated in art. 3 within the indicated deadline will be considered as having been submitted in due time.

Applications submitted with insufficient or irregular documentation and those received after the above deadline will not be accepted for selection.

On penalty of nullity, the following document must be attached to the application:

    • Photocopy of a valid identification document (Identity card and other equivalent document pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 445/2000: passport, driving licence, nautical licence, pension booklet, licence to operate thermal plants, firearms licence, identification cards provided they have a photograph and a stamp or other equivalent mark, issued by a State administration).

    Art. 4 – Admission of students with foreign qualifications

    • Holders of an academic qualification issued by a foreign university will be assessed on the basis of the Declaration of Value issued by the competent Italian diplomatic or consular representations of the country in which the qualification was obtained. The Declaration of Value is essential to assess whether the title held by the candidate is eligible for admission.
    • Foreigners must submit a declaration of value on site of the qualification obtained, an authenticated photocopy of the studies completed and a legalized translation of the entire documentation.
    • Foreigners coming from countries belonging to the European Union, wherever they reside, or foreigners coming from countries not belonging to the European Union and legally residing in Italy are required, however, to submit in the same manner as indicated above – within the established terms – application for participation, together with the same documentation required for non-residents.

    Art. 5 – Period of Activity

    • The activities of the HIGH TRAINING SCHOOL IN SOCIOLOGY OF RELIGION (SAFSOR) will take place from 16 to 19 December 2019 at the University Roma Tre, Department of Education, in via del Castro Pretorio 20.

    Art. 6 – Languages of the Activities

    The activities of the HIGH TRAINING SCHOOL IN SOCIOLOGY OF RELIGION (SAFSOR) will take place in the following languages: French, English, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish.

    Art. 7 – Certificate

    • At the end of the School a Certificate of Participation will be issued.

    Art. 8 – Costs

    • Travel, board and lodging costs have to be paid by the participants.

    Announcements from the Australian Association for the Study of Religion

    Posted on by

    The AASR 2019 Conference on ‘Religion and Violence’ is now open for registration. Early bird registration ends 30 September 2019. Four postgraduate bursaries are offered (worth $500 each). Application deadline: 30 September 2019. More info.

    Call for Papers:

    Conferences

    • 2019 Conference of the Australian Girard Seminar: Girard, Gender, Victims and Violence, 4-5 Oct 2019. Proposal deadline: 18 September 2019. More info.
    • The Australian Church and the Australian Settlement, University of Newcastle NSW, 4 December 2019. Abstract submission due 30 September 2019. More info.
    • IV ISA Forum conference 2020: ‘Challenges of the 21st century for sociology of religion‘.Open for submissions from April 25 – September 30. More info.
    • The 25th Nordic Conference in the Sociology of Religion. 17-19 August 2020, Gothenburg, Sweden on ‘Religious Organisation(s): Challenges and changes in contemporary society’. Session proposal deadline: 15 November 2019. More info.
    • Rethinking​ ​Media, Religion and Secularities. Conference of the International Society for Media, Religion and Culture Conference location: Sigtuna Foundation, Sigtuna, Sweden. Conference dates: 4-7 of August 2020. Deadline for Paper proposals: 6 December 2019. More info.
    • The XXII Quinquennial World Congress of the IAHR, hosted by the New Zealand Association for the Study of Religions, will take place at the University of Otago, in Dunedin, New Zealand from 23-29 August 2020. Submission deadline 31 December 2019. More info.

    Publications

    • Call for book proposals: Bloomsbury welcomes book proposals for Bloomsbury Studies in Material Religion, edited by Birgit Meyer (University of Utrecht, the Netherlands), David Morgan (Duke University, USA), Crispin Paine (UCL, UK), S. Brent Plate (Hamilton College, USA), and Amy Whitehead (Bath Spa University, UK). More info.
    • ‘Touch’ and Religion. Deadline 1 October 2019. More info.
    • Book Proposals in East Asian Religions. More info.
    • Chapters: Religious Responses to Sex Work and Sex Trafficking – Routledge. Deadline for AASR members: 11 October 2019. More info.
    • Special Issue: Religion, Economy, and Class in Global Context. Abstract deadline 15 October 2019. More info.
    • Call for papers on Religion & Ecology for a special issue of Religions. Deadline 31 May 2020.

    Events/Seminars

    • Islam and Society: Challenges and Prospects. AAIMS Second Conference on the Study of Islam and Muslim Societies, September 30th- October 1st, 2019, Western Sydney University Parramatta South Campus. More info.

    Postgrad/ECR Opportunities

    • AASR 2019 Conference HDR/ECR Workshop on 4 Dec 2019. More info.
    • AASR 2019 Conference postgraduate bursaries (worth $500 each) are open for application.More info.
    • “Researching New Religions: Qualitative Methods in a Controversial Field” by guest instructor, Susan J. Palmer. Run by the Religion and Society Research Cluster (RSRC) at Western Sydney University. 19 September, 1-4pm. More info.

    Job Opportunities

    New Publications

    RFP: The Sociology of Science and Religion: Identity and Belief Formation

    Posted on by

    REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

    The Sociology of Science and Religion: Identity and Belief Formation

    Rice University and the University of California, San Diego are pleased to announce a $2.9 million re-granting initiative.  The “Science and Religion: Identity and Belief Formation” project will specifically fund sociological research that empirically examines how identities and beliefs are related to science and religion.  This project has been designed to provide support for new scholarship in the sociology of science and religion. The project, led by Elaine Howard Ecklund (Rice University) and John H. Evans (University of California, San Diego), is funded through the Templeton Religion Trust and coordinated by The Issachar Fund.

    Religion and science are perhaps the dominant ways of meaning making in the late modern world.  While theologians and philosophers have built an impressive body of work on how science and religion should relate, and historians on how people have connected science and religion in the past, we know little about how contemporary people actually understand the science and religion interface.  This project on the sociology of science and religion, with a focus on beliefs and identities, is running concurrently with, and interacting with, separate yet aligned proposals in cognitive science/psychology and evolutionary anthropology.

    We can imagine sociologists asking a number of questions within this broad framework.  We offer just a few examples: How do aligned identities (such as race, class, and gender identities) intersect with religious identities to shape beliefs about science, and beliefs about the relationship between religion and science? How do people use religion and science to anchor their identities in the modern world?  For example, are there people for whom science is an identity that operates in a manner similar to how religion operates as a source of identity?  Do people use religion and science to establish other identities? Given that people experience religion and science at the same time in their lives, how do people combine these perspectives to form meaningful action?

    Awards for projects related to this initiative are available through the following five award types:

    1. Sociology graduate student fellowships ($50,000 each for a total of two years of funding).
    2. A two-year postdoctoral fellowship for a sociologist to be in residence at Rice University.
    3. Research grants ($100,000 each) for early career sociologists.
    4. Research grants ($200,000 each) for mid-career sociologists.
    5. Research grants ($200,000 each) for senior sociologists.

    All awards will run two years in length. Early-career, mid-career, and senior scholar awards are eligible to begin as early as April 1, 2020; all projects must be completed by June 30, 2022. Graduate student and post-doctoral fellowships will begin on July 1, 2020 and must be completed by June 30, 2022. Letters of Intent are due October 15, 2019 for faculty grants, and January 15, 2020 for graduate student and postdoc awards.

    For complete information about grant application eligibility, instructions and deadlines, download the full RFP from:  www.religion-science-sociology.com

    John H. Evans
    Tata Chancellor’s Chair in Social Sciences
    Professor of Sociology
    Associate Dean of Social Sciences,
    Co-Director, Institute for Practical Ethics
    University of California, San Diego

    Job Opening: Muslim-Christian Studies Research Fellow

    Posted on by

    The Centre for Muslim-Christian Studies <www.cmcsoxford.org.uk>, an
    independent academic centre, is seeking to appoint a full-time Muslim
    Research Fellow, based in Oxford, for a three-year contract commencing
    on 1st October 2019, or as soon as possible thereafter.
    The Research Fellow will conduct research in the area of
    Muslim-Christian studies, either  theological, historical or
    sociological. The main aim would be to produce a high-quality  monograph
    on an area of the candidate’s choosing in discussion with CMCS. In
    addition, the Research Fellow would participate in other academic
    activities at CMCS, including (for example) teaching and advising a
    range of students who come to the Centre,  engaging with practitioners
    in the field of Muslim-Christian Relations, and contributing on
    an agreed basis to CMCS projects such as the Summer School for Christian
    and Muslim leaders in training, Hikmah Guides and the Christians and
    Muslims in Public Life Project.
    For further information see
    https://www.timeshighereducation.com/unijobs/listing/172669/muslim-research-fellow-/

    Apply for Generations in Dialogue about the Sociology of Religion

    Posted on by

    The Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies at the University of Southern California (USC) is seeking applications for its Generations in Dialogue (GID) program about the Sociology of Religion.

    The GID program involves a widely-recognized senior Catholic scholar sharing his or her time, expertise, and wisdom with several junior scholars in the same or related disciplines. Over a two-year period these scholars convene for four weekend dialogues that include discipline-specific discussions, personal reflection, shared prayer, and presentations from distinguished scholars and public intellectuals.  Besides benefitting from two years of mentorship, junior scholars will establish relationships with other dedicated scholars in their field.

    A generous stipend is included. Early-career (pre-tenure and dissertation stage) social scientists are eligible. Applications are welcome from anyone interested in a substantive and critical engagement with Catholicism’s multiple intellectual traditions

    For more information and an application:

    https://ifacs.com/programs/generations-in-dialogue/

    Job Opening: Post-Doc on Clerical Authority in Transhational Shii Islam

    Posted on by

    The Department of Theology and Religion seeks to appoint a Post-doctoral Research Fellow to work on the ERC-funded project ‘Creating an Alternative umma: Clerical Authority and Religio-political Mobilisation in Transnational Shii Islam (ALTERUMMA)’ project, led by Professor Oliver Scharbrodt. This interdisciplinary project investigates the transformation of Shii Islam in the Middle East and Europe since the 1950s. The research fellow will investigate the role of exilic and diasporic networks and their hubs (e.g. Kuwait, Damascus, London etc.) in the transnational mobilisation of Twelver Shii communities in the last 50 years.

    The research fellow will have PhD on a topic related to thematic remit of the post (e.g. transnational religio-political activism in the contemporary Middle East), a very good command of Arabic, a high level analytical capability, as well as a demonstrated ability to work independently to the very highest levels of research excellence.

    The Department of Theology and Religion has an outstanding international reputation in the study of all types of religion in the contemporary world, including inter-cultural theology, textual studies, pentecostal and charismatic studies, inter-religious relations, Islamic studies and Quaker studies. The department came second in the country in the Research Excellence Framework 2014 and is home to a number of important research groups and projects. As a member of Department, the research fellow will join a lively and flourishing department where they will enjoy opportunities for intellectual and other leadership in a collegiate and highly ambitious research community.

    Further information about the project: http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/211385_en.html

    This is a full-time post with duration of three years, with an anticipated start date of January 2019.

    Full time starting salary is normally in the range £29,799 to £38,832. With potential progression once in post to £41,212 a year.

    To download the details and submit an electronic application online please click on the Apply Online button below; please quote Job Reference 59423 in all enquiries. Alternatively information can be obtained from 0121 415 9000 or visit www.birmingham.ac.uk/jobs

    Valuing excellence; sustaining investment

    Informal enquiries should be directed to Oliver Scharbrodt at O.Scharbrodt@bham.ac.uk

    Job Opening: Post-Doc on Clerical Authority in Transhational Shii Islam

    Posted on by

    The Department of Theology and Religion seeks to appoint a Post-doctoral Research Fellow to work on the ERC-funded project ‘Creating an Alternative umma: Clerical Authority and Religio-political Mobilisation in Transnational Shii Islam (ALTERUMMA)’ project, led by Professor Oliver Scharbrodt. This interdisciplinary project investigates the transformation of Shii Islam in the Middle East and Europe since the 1950s. The research fellow will investigate the role of exilic and diasporic networks and their hubs (e.g. Kuwait, Damascus, London etc.) in the transnational mobilisation of Twelver Shii communities in the last 50 years.

    The research fellow will have PhD on a topic related to thematic remit of the post (e.g. transnational religio-political activism in the contemporary Middle East), a very good command of Arabic, a high level analytical capability, as well as a demonstrated ability to work independently to the very highest levels of research excellence.

    The Department of Theology and Religion has an outstanding international reputation in the study of all types of religion in the contemporary world, including inter-cultural theology, textual studies, pentecostal and charismatic studies, inter-religious relations, Islamic studies and Quaker studies. The department came second in the country in the Research Excellence Framework 2014 and is home to a number of important research groups and projects. As a member of Department, the research fellow will join a lively and flourishing department where they will enjoy opportunities for intellectual and other leadership in a collegiate and highly ambitious research community.

    Further information about the project: http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/211385_en.html

    This is a full-time post with duration of three years, with an anticipated start date of January 2019.

    Full time starting salary is normally in the range £29,799 to £38,832. With potential progression once in post to £41,212 a year.

    To download the details and submit an electronic application online please click on the Apply Online button below; please quote Job Reference 59423 in all enquiries. Alternatively information can be obtained from 0121 415 9000 or visit www.birmingham.ac.uk/jobs

    Valuing excellence; sustaining investment

    Informal enquiries should be directed to Oliver Scharbrodt at O.Scharbrodt@bham.ac.uk

    Call for Papers: Doctoral Colloquium Pre-Conference of the International Society for Media, Religion and Culture

    Posted on by

    Pre-Conference date: August 7, 2018
    Deadline for paper proposals: January 15, 2018
    Notification of acceptances: End of February 2018

    The International Society of Media, Religion & Culture will be hosting a Pre-Conference for doctoral students on the day before the ISMRC bi-annual conference at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

    This pre-conference will provide doctoral students the opportunity to present their research, receive feedback from leaders in the field, discuss theoretical, methodological and professional challenges, as well as network with other peers.

    Interested students should prepare a) 1-2 page (500-800 word) extended abstract of the student’s thesis/major research project and b) a sample paper/chapter (up to 5000 words) of writing related to the topic.

    All materials are to be prepared in English and are due on or before 15th of January 2018.

    Please send all applications to the Doctoral Colloquium Chair, Associate Professor Heidi Campbell (heidic@tamu.edu), with subject: ISMRC doctoral colloquium application.

    Questions may also be directed to the same email.

    https://www.colorado.edu/ismrc/conferences/conference-media-religion-and-public-scholarship/call-papers-doctoral-colloquium-pre

    Call for Papers: Doctoral Colloquium Pre-Conference of the International Society for Media, Religion and Culture

    Posted on by

    Pre-Conference date: August 7, 2018
    Deadline for paper proposals: January 15, 2018
    Notification of acceptances: End of February 2018

    The International Society of Media, Religion & Culture will be hosting a Pre-Conference for doctoral students on the day before the ISMRC bi-annual conference at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

    This pre-conference will provide doctoral students the opportunity to present their research, receive feedback from leaders in the field, discuss theoretical, methodological and professional challenges, as well as network with other peers.

    Interested students should prepare a) 1-2 page (500-800 word) extended abstract of the student’s thesis/major research project and b) a sample paper/chapter (up to 5000 words) of writing related to the topic.

    All materials are to be prepared in English and are due on or before 15th of January 2018.

    Please send all applications to the Doctoral Colloquium Chair, Associate Professor Heidi Campbell (heidic@tamu.edu), with subject: ISMRC doctoral colloquium application.

    Questions may also be directed to the same email.

    https://www.colorado.edu/ismrc/conferences/conference-media-religion-and-public-scholarship/call-papers-doctoral-colloquium-pre