This program will assist students to prepare for dissertation research on topics related to Bridging, Bonding and Bordering: Migrant Strategies and State Policies through participation in a conference of field experts, two training workshops, and summer research under the mentorship of Professors Virginie Guiraudon (CNRS, Political Science) and Rubén Hernández-León (UCLA, Sociology). The conference and workshops will assist students to map and draw upon cross-disciplinary and transatlantic research on immigration in Western Europe and the United States; define their own research questions; assess the utility of various research methods; undertake exploratory summer research; and prepare cogent and fundable doctoral research and funding proposals.

• An international conference with leading researchers in Marseille
• Two four-day interdisciplinary training workshops
• Assistance with research design and preparing funding proposals
• Up to $5,000/3,600 Euros for exploratory summer research

Objectives:

This program  will assist students to prepare for dissertation research on topics related to Bridging, Bonding and Bordering: Migrant Strategies and State Policies through participation in a conference of field experts, two training workshops, and summer research under the mentorship of Professors Virginie Guiraudon (CNRS, Political Science) and Rubén Hernández-León (UCLA, Sociology).  The conference and workshops will assist students to map and draw upon cross-disciplinary and transatlantic research on immigration in Western Europe and the United States; define their own research questions; assess the utility of various research methods; undertake exploratory summer research; and prepare cogent and fundable doctoral research and funding proposals.

The Research Field:

Over the past two decades, a gap has developed in the field of migration studies between scholars studying border controls and transnational migration flows -- the building and bridging of borders.  It is time to go one step beyond and study exactly how bordering, rebordering, bridging and bonding interact. For example, what are the national and local policies that affect migrant practices? How have border control policies affected not only migration but also migrants’ social strategies, economic achievements and cultural practices? How do non-state actors and organizations assist migrants in bridging the ‘here’ and ‘there’ despite new forms of border enforcement?  How do local social and economic effects if immigration inform government border policies?  

Eligibility:

Six students from France and six from United States will be selected competitively. Doctoral students in any discipline of the social sciences or the humanities who meet the following criteria are welcome to apply:

• The student’s dissertation research project clearly fits within the research field.
• The student is currently enrolled full-time in a PhD program at a French or American university and is preparing for dissertation research.
• The student’s English proficiency will enable participation in the conference and workshops, and completion of the application in English.

Note:  This is the only field of the DPDF Program open to doctoral students not enrolled in a US institution.

More information and the application can be found at: http://www.ssrc.org/fellowships/dpdf-fellowship

[Select ‘2011’ from the ‘Competitions’ drop-down menu.]

Please direct any questions to DPDF program staff:   dpdf@ssrc.org

APPLICATION DEADLINE:    28 January 2011 at 6:00 PM EST

This organization of this field is a collaborative undertaking between the Agence Nationale de Recherche (ANR), the Réseau Français des Instituts d'Études Avancées (RFIEA), with the l’Institut Méditerranéen de Recherches Avancées de Marseille (IMéRA), the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the Social Science Research Council.