American Political Science Association's (ARPA) MENA Methods Workshop

📖 About the Workshop

The American Political Science Association (APSA) is pleased to announce a Call for Applications for the MENA Methods Workshop, a four-day in-person program that explores the theme of participatory and engaged research in the MENA region.

• Dates: January 5–8, 2026
• Location: Doha Institute (DI), Doha, Qatar

This workshop is part of a multi-year effort to support political science research among early-career scholars in the MENA region and to strengthen research networks linking Arab scholars with their colleagues overseas.

The program is organized in partnership with the Doha Institute (DI), and the organizers will cover participation costs for up to 20 qualified applicants.

🎁 Benefits

Participants of the workshop will receive the following benefits:

• Full coverage of participation costs, including:
  • Travel
  • Lodging
  • Materials
• A one-year membership to the American Political Science Association (APSA) upon full participation in the program.

✅ Eligibility Criteria

Applications are open to:

• Advanced doctoral students, postdoctoral fellows, and early-career scholars (those who received their PhDs within the past 5 years).
• Early-career PhD-holding practitioners who are citizens of countries in the MENA region.
• Scholars in political science and other social science disciplines, including:
  • Peace and conflict studies
  • International studies
  • Development studies
  • Adjacent fields
• Researchers employing participatory and engaged research methods in the MENA region, particularly those:
  • Conducting in-country fieldwork.
  • Relying on original data collection.
  • Exploring methodological, ethical, and practical challenges of social science research in applied settings.

Additional Requirements:

• Priority will be given to scholars currently based at universities or research institutes in the MENA region.
• Professional fluency in English is required.

📝 Application Process

Applicants must submit the following documents:

1. Completed online application form.
2. Detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV)/Resume.
3. For advanced graduate students and early-career scholars:
   • A research statement (maximum 2,000 words) describing the work-in-progress to be discussed at the workshop. The statement should include:
     • Research question(s)
     • Brief literature review
     • Methods used or planned for data collection/fieldwork
     • Anticipated contributions to the field
     • Relevance to the workshop theme(s)
   • Note: The research project should not be part of a co-authored project or an excerpt from completed/published work. Projects in progress (proposal stage, data collection/analysis, or writing stage) are acceptable.
4. For PhD-holding practitioners:
   • A cover letter (maximum 1,500 words) describing:
     • Motivation to attend the program.
     • Current research interests and methodologies.
     • How the training will benefit professional development and/or future research plans.
     • If applicable, a description of current or planned applied research projects, including research questions, methods employed, and alignment with workshop themes.
5. One letter of reference:
   • For graduate students: From a dissertation/academic supervisor.
   • For postdoctoral fellows, faculty members, or PhD-holding practitioners: From a former dissertation supervisor, colleague, university official, or employer.

📅 Key Dates

• Application Deadline: September 14, 2025
• Workshop Dates: January 5–8, 2026

🌟 Opportunity Details

• Category:
  • Postgraduate
  • Masters
  • PhD
  • Fully Funded
  • Postdoctoral
• Location: Doha, Qatar
• Sponsor Organization: American Political Science Association (APSA)

🔗 Additional Information

For more details, view the official Call for Applications.

• The organizers will cover participation costs, including travel, lodging, and materials for up to 20 qualified applicants.
• Following their full participation in the program, fellows will receive a one-year membership to APSA.