CfP: Virtual and Regional Meetings

Call for Proposals: Virtual and Regional Meetings

The German Studies Association (GSA) is piloting and helping to sponsor two new types of scholarly gatherings that would occur outside of the annual meeting: regional and virtual meetings.  The purpose of this initiative is to provide scholars with accessible venues where they can build communities and exchange ideas about topics and themes in German, Austrian, and/or Swiss art history, anthropology, culture studies, economics, history, language, linguistics, literature, music, and political science.  We are calling for proposals for either regional meetings or virtual meetings that could take place between August 1, 2025 and July 31, 2026.  Applications will be due on March 1, 2025.  Organizers will be informed of the outcome of their application no later than May 1, 2025.

 

The GSA invites proposals for regional meetings where participants would be located within a reasonable distance from each other.  Such meetings could take place anywhere in the world.  Organizers will have flexibility in structuring the regional meetings, but they should broadly help to promote scholarly exchange and build communities within German studies.  These gatherings could include informal presentations and discussions of current projects, or pre-circulated papers, or common readings, or more creative collaborative projects; or a combination of them.

  These regional conferences are intended to help scholars at all career stages and from different disciplines to foster new networks; therefore, they should not replicate already existing regional conferences and workshops.  Such meetings can include a hybrid element, but it is the responsibility of the organizers to secure and cover the costs of the necessary technology.

Each group must contain at least one graduate student or contingent faculty member and at least one tenure-track or tenured faculty member (or the equivalent).  The organizers of the regional meetings must be members of the GSA, but the other participants do not have to be.  Applicants should include language indicating that they will ensure ADA compliance, or, if outside the United States, accessibility.

In their applications, the organizers should: 

Proposals should be no longer than six pages double spaced, excluding the budget and CVs.  Budgets should be limited to one page.  CVs should be shortened to four pages for each organizer.

To highlight their connection to the GSA, organizers must acknowledge GSA sponsorship in a meaningful way in publicity for the event and at the gathering.  The GSA will also help to publicize the meeting.  

Additionally, all organizers will have to complete a report that includes the topic of the regional gathering, the format of the gathering, a list of the participants, a summary of what occurred during the gathering, and any continuing collaborations among participants.  These reports will then be circulated to the GSA membership.  Organizers must also submit an expense report and receipts.  All documents should be submitted in a single PDF to the Chair of the Regional and Virtual Meetings Committee no later than one month after the end of the event.  

Participants are also encouraged to develop their projects for possible presentation at future GSA Annual Conferences or to submit them to the German Studies Review for publication.  

The GSA will provide $1,500 for accepted proposals to help defray the costs of transportation, lodging, and/or shared meals.  For administrative reasons, the funding must be sent directly to the hosting institution (not to the individual organizers).  Organizers are also encouraged to seek additional funding from other sources.  

Proposals will be evaluated on the following criteria: 

Please submit your application for regional meetings as a single PDF to the chair of the committee, Erin Hochman, at ehochman@smu.edu.  You can also contact her with any questions.

 

The GSA invites proposals for virtual meetings.  Organizers will have flexibility in structuring the virtual meetings, which could include a workshop for current projects, a traditional conference with panels and presented papers, a seminar with pre-circulated readings, or something more creative, like an imagination session or a joint artistic project.  Regardless of format, there should be some central theme to the endeavor.  These virtual gatherings are intended to help scholars at all career stages and from different disciplines to foster new networks and exchange knowledge about German studies.

Each group must contain at least one graduate student or contingent faculty member and at least one tenure-track or tenured faculty member (or the equivalent).  The organizers of the virtual meetings must be members of the GSA, but the other participants do not have to be.  Auditors who are not speaking or presenting are permitted to join as the audience.  Applicants should include language indicating that they will ensure ADA compliance, or, if outside the United States, accessibility.

In their applications, the organizers should: 

Proposals should be no longer than six pages double spaced, excluding the budget and CVs.  Budgets should be limited to one page.  CVs should be shortened to four pages for each organizer.

To highlight their connection to the GSA, organizers must acknowledge GSA sponsorship in a meaningful way in publicity for the event and at the gathering.  The GSA will also help to publicize the meeting.  

Additionally, all organizers will have to complete a report that includes the topic of the virtual gathering, the format of the gathering, a list of the participants, a summary of what occurred during the gathering, and any continuing collaborations among participants.  These reports will then be circulated to the GSA membership.  Organizers must also submit an expense report and receipts.  All documents should be submitted in a single PDF to the Chair of the Regional and Virtual Meetings Committee no later than one month after the end of the event.  

Participants are also encouraged to develop their projects for possible presentation at future GSA Annual Conferences or to submit them to the German Studies Review for publication.  

For accepted proposals, the GSA will provide $500 to the organizers to help defray any costs as well as pay for the time and labor involved in organizing the event.

Proposals will be evaluated on the following criteria: 

Please submit your application for virtual meetings as a single PDF to the chair of the committee, Erin Hochman, at ehochman@smu.edu.  You can also contact her with any questions.