The ninth HCA Spring Academy on American History, Culture, and Politics will be held from 26-30 March 2012. The Heidelberg Center for American Studies (HCA) invites applications for this annual one-week conference that provides twenty international Ph.D. students with the opportunity to present and discuss their Ph.D. projects.

The HCA Spring Academy will also offer participants the chance to work closely with experts in their respective fields of study. For this purpose, workshops held by visiting scholars will take place during this week.

We encourage applications that range broadly across the arts, humanities, and social sciences and pursue an interdisciplinary approach. Papers can be presented on any subject relating to the study of the United States of America. Possible topics include American identity, transatlantic relations, U.S. foreign policy, gender, literature, issues of ethnicity, as well as various aspects of American history, religion, and culture.

Participants are requested to prepare a 20-minute presentation of their research project, which will be followed by a 40-minute discussion. Proposals should be a maximum of 300 words with a provisional title. These will be arranged into ten panel groups.

Besides cross-disciplinary and international discussions during the panels, the Spring Academy aims at creating a pleasant collegial atmosphere for further scholarly exchange and contact.

Accommodation will be provided by the Heidelberg Center for American Studies.

Thanks to the generous support of HCA benefactor Herbert A. Jung, we have a small Travel Fund available to cover travel expenses for participants registered and residing in developing and soft-currency countries. Scholarship applicants will need to document the necessity for financial aid and explain how they plan to cover any potentially remaining expenses. In addition, a letter of recommendation from their doctoral advisor is required.

APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED: September 1 - December 15, 2011

SELECTIONS WILL BE MADE BY: January 15, 2012

PLEASE USE OUR ONLINE APPLICATION SYSTEM: http://www.hca-springacademy.de

MORE INFORMATION: http://www.hca.uni-heidelberg.de

FOR FURTHER QUESTIONS: springacademy@hca.uni-heidelberg.de