Call for Applications:

APSA MENA Research Development Group for Early-Career Scholars | Deadline: April 20th

APSA 2025 Annual Meeting & Exhibition | September 10-14

Vancouver, BC, Canada

APSA invites applications for the 2025 MENA Research Development Group (RDG), a full-day seminar held during the 121st APSA Annual Meeting & Exhibition, in Vancouver, BC, Canada, September 10–14, 2025. The deadline for applications is Sunday, April 20, 2025.

Organized in partnership with the MENA Politics Section, the program offers early-career scholars an opportunity to advance research manuscripts toward publication, participate in the annual meeting, and develop scholarly networks with colleagues. Up to six applicants will be selected and eligible for an APSA Travel Grant of up to $1,000 to support travel and accommodation expenses.

Participation in the Research Development Group is open to early-career scholars (graduate students, post-docs, and faculty members who have been on the tenure track for less than three full years) whose research focuses on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

Scholars currently based in the MENA region are encouraged to apply. Up to six applicants will be selected and eligible for an APSA Travel Grant of up to $1,000 to support travel and accommodation expenses.

How to Apply

Interested applicants should complete the application form to apply. To be considered for participation, applicants should submit an application and necessary materials by April 20, 2025 at 11:59 PM (EST).

Arabic Language and Cultures for Teachers

1 – 2:30 p.m., June 9 – 27, 2025

Join PhD Candidates and experienced teachers Mourad Abdennebi and Brittany Powers to learn more about Arabic language and cultures! During the 15-hour Professional Development Workshop, you will learn some basic Arabic conversation to help you connect with Arabic-speaking students and families. You will also learn about Arabic culture, including ideas about time, gender, religion, food, and differences across the region. The instructors will share resources for you and your students to learn more, and recommend materials to make your classroom more inclusive of Arabic cultures. There will also be plenty of time to address the questions that have come up in your teaching about Arabic language and culture. This will also help social workers and others working with refugee and immigrant populations from the Arabic-speaking world. 

At the end of the session, everyone who attends regularly will receive a certificate for 15 hours of professional development from the University of Arizona Center for Middle Eastern Studies. The session will meet Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays June 9-27, 1-2:30 pm Arizona/ Pacific Time via Zoom.

Brittany Powers is a PhD Candidate in the School of Middle Eastern and North African Studies, as well as an experienced K-12 teacher and a professional chef. 

Mourad Abdennebi grew up in Morocco, and he has worked as a teacher in both Morocco and the US. Currently, he is a PhD candidate in Second Language Acquisition and Training at the University of Arizona. 

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1285083733039?aff=oddtdtcreator

SERMEISS Virtual Research Workshop

In an effort better to serve our academic community across the region, SERMEISS (Southeast Regional Middle East and Islamic Studies Society) is announcing a new initiative to host Virtual Research Workshops. The goal of these workshops is to help scholars prepare manuscripts for submission to a peer-reviewed journal (or other publication outlet). Selected participants will be asked to submit their completed manuscript at least a week before the workshop. At the workshop the scholar will present a brief summary of the paper and then receive feedback from one or more discussants, including a senior scholar with expertise in the topic or discipline, as well as other participants who have pre-registered for the workshop and have agreed to read the manuscript in advance as well.

To apply, scholars must submit a 500-word abstract of the paper, date of completion, suggested possible outlets (if any), suggested discussant (in any). Manuscripts can be in any discipline and address any topic within the Middle East, North Africa, and/or the broader world of Islam.

Priority will be given to scholars based at institutions within the SERMEISS 10-state region, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. The ability to accept a proposal will depend on the ability of SERMEISS to secure discussants for the paper.

Workshops are offered on an as-requested basis. To apply to present a paper, please complete the Presenter Form.

If you are interested in serving as a discussant, please complete the Discussant Form.

If you have any questions about SERMEISS’ Virtual Research Workshops, please contact Dr. Waleed Hazbun at waleed.hazbun@ua.edu.

Previous Virtual Research Workshops have included:

January 11, 2021, Dylan Baun (U of Alabama-Huntsville), “Remembering, Forgetting, and Mobilizing an Individual: The Politics of Memorialization in the Lebanese Civil War.”

April 12, 2021, Lillian Frost (Virginia Tech), "Intentional Ambiguity: Refugee Policies under Pressure in Jordan"