Our yearlong ISERP-sponsored seminar continues to seek to foster a conversation across the
social science communities at Columbia to discuss the diverse ways in which interdisciplinarity
can be mobilized. The ultimate goal of the seminar series is to explore how interdisciplinary
approaches can contribute to and enrich traditional disciplines and what such interdisciplinarity
demands from them.
This semester’s IIGSS invites proposals on the theme of ‘crisis,’ broadly defined, from social
sciences and humanities fields. Projects which address current crises of migration and border
regulation, continuing economic turbulence, democracy and political upheaval, opioid
addiction, incarceration and police violence, environmental change and its effects, or historical
crises in similar arenas would all make welcome proposals. Projects could also explore
disciplinary crises of methodology that exist within the Academy, addressing paradigm shifts
and the evolving challenges of research and replication.
The Fall 2018 submission guidelines are as follows:
1. In order to qualify, papers should address the semester’s theme of ‘crisis’ and attempt
to further the efforts of ISERP and the IIGSS to develop collaborative and
interdisciplinary research and methods. Collaborative projects by students in different
disciplines are especially encouraged.
2. To apply, please email applications to the IIGSS Committee at iserpiigss@columbia.edu
by August 20, 2018. Final decisions for papers to be presented at
the annual workshop will be announced by September 1st, 2018.
3. Applications should include:
a. A Research Proposal. Research proposals (at least 250 words, maximum of
1000) should focus primarily on how the project addresses the semester’s theme
and describe how the speaker and project will benefit from participation in the
IIGSS. Research proposals will be judged by the IIGSS committee composed
of doctoral students from 5 social science departments, so you should ensure
that your research proposal can be understood by those outside of your own
field.
b. Curriculum Vitae or Resume.
If selected, presenters are expected to send papers to the IIGSS committee one week before the
workshop. The committee will circulate papers to other participants.
A $500 honorarium will be provided for selected presentations.
