Call for Proposals - Global Southeast Asias Dissertation Workshop, Association for Asian Studies
March 10 - 12, 2026
Association for Asian Studies Annual Conference 2026 (AAS2026 @ Vancouver)
Submission deadline: October 20, 2025
The Association for Asian Studies, with funding from the Henry Luce Foundation, is pleased to host a dissertation workshop for advanced doctoral students who have completed their research and are writing their dissertations. The workshop will take place March 10-12, 2026, immediately prior to the AAS Annual Conference in Vancouver, Canada (participants should plan to arrive on March 9).
The workshop theme will be “Global Southeast Asias.” We invite proposals considering material and conceptual connections and frictions between Southeast Asia and the World. The dissertation can have a local, national, or regional geographic scope and the period covered can range from the early modern era to the present. We invite applications from across the social sciences and the humanities.
The aim of the workshop is to provide advanced doctoral students with the opportunity to have one of their chapters and the argument of the dissertation subjected to an intensive critique from an inter-disciplinary panel consisting of two faculty members with expertise in the theme of the workshop and their fellow doctoral students. We suggest submitting the introduction of the dissertation to the workshop, but any chapter will serve.
The workshop will be conducted by two mentors knowledgeable in the field. To ensure effectiveness, participation is limited to 9 students. The workshop will be limited to students who have defended their dissertation prospectus.
The AAS encourages students across disciplines to apply for the workshop. We extend a special invitation to those in the underrepresented disciplines in the AAS, including sociology, economics, and political science, to apply. Preference will be given to applicants currently enrolled as students in any institution of higher education in North America.
Students selected for the workshop will receive a grant to cover the costs of:
lowest economy class airfare
AAS conference registration fee
lodging (shared room) during the workshop
meals during the workshop
All application materials must be submitted via the AAS application portal by October 20, 2025.
To apply, please submit the following:
A letter of recommendation from your academic advisor. Letters of recommendation must be emailed directly by your advisor to grants@asianstudies.org no later than October 20, 2025. Please have your advisor include your full name in the subject line and “AAS2026 Dissertation Workshop”
Example subject line: “AAS2026 Dissertation Workshop, Nguyen Thi Dinh”
A three-page proposal, outlining the themes and argument of your dissertation. Your proposal should address the following:
Problem the thesis addresses
Research question
Description of the body of literature relevant to the thesis
Description of the research conducted and methods used.
Significance of the study
Outline of chapters (chapter title and 1-2 sentences about each)
One completed chapter
CV (3 pages maximum)
For any questions about the workshop or application process, email grants@asianstudies.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
When are decisions announced?
Notifications to accepted participants will be sent out no later than December 2025. Alternates and those not accepted will be notified at that time as well.
What preparation is required ahead of the workshop?
A Zoom meeting will take place between mentors and selected participants in January or February 2026. Mentors will provide information on submission requirements, expectations, and deadlines. A preliminary schedule for the dissertation workshop will also be available. Participants will submit the outline and introductory chapter by no later than February 2026. Participants will be expected to read their peers’ chapters in which they are assigned, and at a minimum, be familiar with all participants’ outlines and topics of their chapters.
Is AAS Annual Conference participation required?
You are strongly encouraged to attend the AAS Annual Conference, as you will receive reimbursement of your conference registration fee as part of your grant. You need not be an AAS member, nor be an accepted speaker at the conference, to participate in the workshop.
Will lodging during the conference be provided?
No, lodging after the workshop conclusion and during the conference will not be provided. You will be responsible for booking your own lodging starting the day of March 12. It is recommended that you seek a roommate at one of the AAS blocked hotels.
Please note: AAS is not working with outside entities to make hotel room reservations for the Annual Conference. AAS hotels will not call you to help you make a reservation – any solicitation like that is a scam.
