The University of Michigan has announced a new call for fellowship applications under the “Cohesion under Crisis” research initiative, offering emerging scholars an opportunity to conduct fieldwork across Southeast Asia while contributing to an international research project focused on social cohesion.

The fellowship programme is supported through a Minerva research grant and led by a team of distinguished scholars including Professors Cesi Cruz, Allen Hicken, Anil Menon, Tom Pepinsky, and Dan Slater. The initiative seeks to deepen understanding of how social cohesion evolves during periods of political, social, and economic crisis.

Fellowship Offers $18,000 for Southeast Asia Fieldwork

The programme will award five fellowships worth $18,000 each to current graduate students or recent graduates interested in conducting field research in one of the following countries:

Cambodia
Indonesia
Malaysia
Philippines
Vietnam

Selected fellows will spend three months conducting fieldwork focused on social cohesion and community dynamics within their chosen country.

The fellowship aims to support both independent academic research and collaborative contributions to the broader “Cohesion under Crisis” project.

Research Focus on Social Cohesion During Crisis

The fellowship programme explores how societies respond to crises and how these events reshape relationships between communities, institutions, and social groups.

Fellows will be expected to examine:

Historical patterns of social cohesion
Key political and social turning points
Community divisions and social cleavages
Relations between ethnic, political, or religious groups
Responses to crises at community and elite levels

Researchers will also support the project team in conducting interviews and focus groups involving political leaders, social elites, and community stakeholders.

The goal is to better understand how social cohesion influences responses to crises and how crises, in turn, transform social and political outcomes within Southeast Asian societies.

Deliverables Expected from Fellows

At the conclusion of the fellowship period, participants will be required to submit a detailed country report outlining their findings.

The report should include:

A history of social cohesion within the selected country
Analysis of critical political and historical junctures
Discussion of major social cleavages and intergroup relations
Insights from interviews and focus groups
Observations on crisis response mechanisms

The fellowship combines academic inquiry with practical field research, providing scholars with hands-on experience in qualitative and interdisciplinary research methods.

Eligibility Criteria for Applicants

The programme is open to:

Current graduate students
Recent graduates
Researchers with interests in Southeast Asian politics and society

Applicants must demonstrate a strong interest in social cohesion, political dynamics, or crisis-related research within Southeast Asia.

Candidates are also expected to possess language skills relevant to their country of focus. Applicants will need to indicate their proficiency levels in languages they read, write, or speak using the following scale:

1 – Basic
2 – Conversational
3 – Intermediate
4 – Advanced
5 – Fluent / Highly Proficient

Application Requirements

Interested applicants must complete an online application form and provide several supporting materials.

Required information includes:

Full name and email address
Current or most recent academic institution
Year in graduate school or highest level of education completed
Country or countries of focus
A short research statement of no more than 100 words
Language proficiency details

Applicants must also upload a writing sample, which may include:

Dissertation proposals
Working papers
Published research
Dissertation chapters

The writing sample should generally range between 25 and 35 pages and must not exceed 50 pages in total length.

Opportunity for Emerging Southeast Asia Scholars

The fellowship presents a valuable opportunity for young researchers seeking practical field experience and international academic collaboration.

By combining independent research with participation in a larger comparative project, fellows will gain exposure to interdisciplinary methods, policy-relevant research, and regional expertise on Southeast Asia.

The initiative also reflects growing global interest in understanding how societies maintain cohesion during periods of uncertainty, political instability, and crisis.

University of Michigan Expands Global Research Collaboration

The “Cohesion under Crisis” project is part of broader efforts by the University of Michigan and international research partners to support evidence-based studies on democracy, governance, and social resilience.

Through this fellowship, the research team aims to generate deeper insights into Southeast Asia’s evolving political and social landscapes while supporting the next generation of scholars working on the region.

Applications are currently open through the official Google Form hosted by the University of Michigan.

VISIT OFFICIAL WEBSITE TO APPLY

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Disclaimer: Global South Opportunities (GSO) is not the organization offering this opportunity. For any inquiries, please contact the official organization directly. Please do not send your applications & CVs to GSO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of emails, we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding.