Description
The International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) invites applications for Residential Fellowship, for the period of three to five consecutive months, starting on or after March 1, 2017, and ending by December 31, 2017. The Fellowship awards the monthly stipend of $4,500. The Fellow is required to spend the full Fellowship term at IIIT offices in Herndon, VA, except for research and conference travel approved by IIIT’s Director of Research and Academic Programs. Besides the stipend, the Fellow will be reimbursed for a return ticket from/to their residence at the beginning and end of the Fellowship (up to $750). Moreover, she/he will be given an accommodation allowance for the first week of the Fellowship (if needed and up to $500) until the procurement of suitable local accommodation, and a $1,250 allowance for conference travel. The Fellow will be provided with office space, a computer with internet access, and privilege to use the IIIT Library which houses about 100,000 volumes. Other libraries, such as the Library of Congress and university libraries in the area (George Mason, Georgetown, George Washington, American University, etc.), are within a short commuting distance.
Fellow’s obligations
The Fellow is required to be free of other obligations (at their home institutions, etc.) and is expected to come daily to the Institute. She/he will be dedicating herself/himself full-time to the work outlined in the proposal. In addition to spending the Fellowship term in residence at IIIT, the Fellow will deliver public lectures, based on their ongoing research at the Institute; the number of lectures will be mutually agreed upon. The Fellow is required to teach a short course (12 hours) for The Fairfax Institute, a school of IIIT, on a topic that would be jointly decided. She or he has to participate in the intellectual life of the Institute and attend public events (lectures, presentations, etc.) at the Institute. Furthermore, the Fellow is expected to acknowledge IIIT’s support when she/he produces a publishable outcome. In some cases, and based on mutual agreement, IIIT may make Fellowship offer conditional on first right of refusal to publish the Fellow’s work. IIIT may also arrange for the Fellow to deliver a lecture at one of the universities in the DC Metro area. The Fellow must write a detailed report at the end of her/his Fellowship, outlining the work accomplished while at the Institute.
Projects supported
IIIT Residential Fellowship is ideal for a faculty member on a sabbatical, a researcher working on a long-term project (eg., a book) or a researcher who has completed data collection and preliminary research and needs to write a paper, series of papers, or book chapter(s). Other projects will also be considered.
Research Areas and Priorities
While the IIIT supports research in all areas of Islamic thought, the Institute has a special interest in following themes:
- Epistemology and decolonization of knowledge – Methodologies of integrating revealed knowledge (al-wahy) and human/social sciences; Revelation as a source of knowledge; reason and revelation; decolonization of knowledge and its impact on education; integration of knowledge as decolonization; research methods in Islamic studies/thought.
- Renewal of Islamic Thought – Theoretical/methodological studies that would bring new awareness of crucial issues related to the renewal of Islamic thought; developing theologies and methodologies to deal with major issues of our time (New Atheism, violence, gender and sexuality, environment, social and political organization, secularism); study of reform movements, their successes and failures; Qur’anic and Prophetic methodologies of societal reform; legal and constitutional reforms in Muslim societies: new directions in Islamic social, political, and/or economic thought.
- New Methodologies in the Study of the Qur’an and Sunnah (‘Ulum al-Qur’an and ‘Ulum al-Hadith) – Studies in modern logic, linguistics, and other areas that may yield new insights into the approaches to the Qur’an and Sunnah; textual criticism in hadith (naqd mutun al-hadith); new approaches to the tafsir; objectives (Maqasid) of the Qur’an; new directions in the study of the Qur’an and Hadith.
- Maqasid al-Shari‘ah, Ethics and Public Policy – The maqasidi discourse and its relationship with usul al-fiqh; how can the maqasidi approaches inform ethical considerations, public policy making and/or implementation?; what new insights into public policy making could be obtained by using the maqasidi theories and approaches?; uses and limits of the maqasidi discourses.
- Islamic philosophy, spirituality and literary criticism – Rethinking and reappropriation of Islamic philosophy; tazkiyah al-nafs; psychospiritual studies; technologies of the self; literature, literary criticism, and cultural production.
- Reform of Education – Theoretical works, case studies, ‘success’ stories, and other issues related to reform of all levels of education in Muslim states and societies; case studies on lessons learned from reform of education in non-Muslim states and societies; reform of curriculum and pedagogical practices.
- Social science studies – Priority is given to studies that integrate Islamic epistemologies with contemporary social sciences, or social studies that improve our understanding of various issues related to Muslim communities in the US and abroad.
Evaluation Criteria
Grant applications are evaluated internally by IIIT Research Grant Committee and by external reviewers who are experts in areas in which grant applications are made. Main evaluation criteria include the following:
- the proposal’s academic strength, integrity, originality, and creativity
- use of appropriate and relevant methodologies and methods
- the applicant’s qualification to address the proposed topic
- the potential for generating excellent research
- the proposal’s relevance to the Institute’s aims and objectives
- competitive strength of the proposal in relation to other submitted proposals
- the applicant’s potential to contribute to collaborative work and projects.
Eligibility
The applicant must have their PhD degree in hand and be a resident of the U.S. or Canada.
Project outcome and publication
The Fellow agrees that IIIT reserves first right of refusal to publish the outcome of this research project. An exception to this rule may be granted in some instances.
Deadline for application
The deadline for IIIT Residential Fellowship application is February 15, 2017. The application should be received latest by 11:59pm ET on February 15.
How to apply?
Full application contains the following:
- Completed application form
- Proposal (5 pages maximum, Times New Roman 12-point font), which includes: description of the project, timeline for completion, nature of work to be done at IIIT, and proposed outcome(s).
- Bibliography (should not exceed 2 pages)
- Academic CV (6 pages maximum)
- Sample of published work (not more than two: a chapter from the book, an article, etc.)
- A letter from the applicant’s institution (the department’s chair or dean) indicating that the applicant will be released from her/his duties at the home institution for the duration of Fellowship (if applicable)
- IRB approval letter (if applicable)
All items related to the application should be combined into a single PDF file. Shortlisted candidates may be interviewed via phone.
Completed application should be emailed to submissions@iiit.org with the subject heading: “IIIT Residential Fellowships 2017.”
All related inquiries should be emailed to Saulat Pervez, Executive Assistant to Director of Research and Academic Programs, at saulat@iiit.org.
For more information click "Further official information" below.
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http://www.iiit.org/iiit-residential-fellowship.html