Getty Scholars Program at the Villa:

The Classical World in Context: Religious Experience in Antiquity

Deadline: October 1, 2024

A multitude of religions flourished in the Mediterranean and beyond from the second millennium BCE through the Late Roman era. Addressing the diversity of faiths and rituals, scholars will consider the consequences of contact between the Greek and Roman worlds and neighboring civilizations of the Near East, Africa, and transalpine Europe. The intersection of religions entailed continuity and coexistence as well as intolerance and conflict. Conquest, commerce, migration, and the foundation of “international” sanctuaries facilitated new forms of worship. These interactions, which both reflected and shaped religious experience, were widely manifested in art and material culture. Engaging systems of belief that range from state-sponsored religion and local cults to private devotion, researchers will investigate how communities reconciled the spiritually charged and socially fluid landscapes around them.

Residencies at Memorial University (Canada), Summer 2025 - February 2027 

For African Scholars, Artists, and Intellectuals Engaged with Classical Antiquity

Deadline November 1, 2024

The research group Classics at the Crossroads: Partnership, Mobility, and Exchange Between Ghana, Nigeria, and Canada is pleased to announce a call for applications for fully funded one-month residencies at the Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. There is funding for up to three residencies. We welcome applications from African scholars, artists, and intellectuals at all career stages, to be judged by the following criteria: 

1. Quality and originality of the scholarly or artistic proposal

2. Feasibility of the project and its suitability to the resources and academic community of Memorial University: https://www.mun.ca/main/about/;

https://www.mun.ca/research/research-strategy/themes/; https://www.mun.ca/hss/about/strategic-framework/;https://www.mun.ca/classics/; https://www.library.mun.ca

3. Quality and originality of the applicant’s existing published work (e.g., doctoral thesis, book, or substantial article) or equivalent creative output (performance, artworks, etc.) 

The project in question must be engaged with aspects of Greco-Roman or Mediterranean antiquity, but such engagement can take different forms: traditional scholarship; theatrical adaptation; artistic or intellectual endeavours. The selected candidates must be scholars, artists, or intellectuals working in an African country. This competition forms part of a broader project aimed at building global networks and overcoming obstacles to the mobility of students and researchers in Classics. It is hoped that successful applicants to this residency program will benefit from access to library resources, connections with other researchers and/or creative practitioners at Memorial and other Canadian universities, and the opportunity to disseminate their research or artistic creations. The competition will be adjudicated by an international committee of scholars in Classics and related fields.

 The award will cover the costs of travel to Memorial University’s St. John’s campus, meals, accommodation (approx. one month), and visa application fees, up to a maximum of $10,000 CAD per residency. Successful candidates will have access to library resources and office space on campus, and will be invited to offer a public lecture or presentation on their work. All awards are conditional on successful application for a visa for a one-month stay in Canada. The residencies can be scheduled for any time between Summer 2025 and February 2027. Residencies during the main teaching terms (September - December; January - April), though not required, are preferable, as this will maximize the potential for interaction with students and faculty. Six months or more should be allowed for the visa application process. 

To apply, please send the following materials to Luke Roman (romanl@mun.ca) by November 1, 2024:

1. cover letter outlining the project—originality, approach, and projected outcomes—and what the applicant hopes to achieve during their visit at Memorial University (max. 2 pages single-spaced);

2. curriculum vitae;

3. writing sample of published scholarship such as a chapter, article, or excerpt from a doctoral thesis (max. 10,000 words) or sample of creative work;

4. names of two referees;

5. three sets of projected dates for the visit, ranked according to the applicant’s preference. We hope to announce the outcome of the competition by February 2025.

 Classics at the Crossroads: Partnership, Mobility, and Exchange Between Ghana, Nigeria, and Canada, funded by a Social Sciences and Humanities Council of Canada Partnership Development Grant. Co-directors: Olakunbi Olasope (U. Ibadan, Nigeria); Hasskei Majeed (U. Ghana, Legon); Luke Roman (Memorial University, Canada).

Adjudication Committee: Kofi Ackah (Ghana); Felix Budelmann (Groningen); Elena Giusti (Cambridge); Barbara Goff (Reading); Nandini Pandey (Johns Hopkins); Astrid Van Weyenberg (Leiden).