Organizing a Kahn Project

Long-term Projects

Long-term projects involve up to eighteen faculty, staff, and student fellows, each of whom proposes and conducts an independent research program related to the project’s theme. The group meets weekly throughout the academic year. Their discussions and conversations are enriched by their varied disciplinary expertise and perspectives, thus infusing multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary energy and insights into their academic and scholarly work. The fellows also propose readings, present on their individual research, recommend outside speakers or events, participate in occasional relevant field trips or activities, and share a weekly meal.

Expectations & Timeline

  • Meet with the Kahn director to suggest your project idea as early as possible, even if it’s at a preliminary stage, and to discuss potential co-organizers.
  • Consider hosting a short-term project in order to build interest and recruit as interdisciplinary a group of scholars as possible. This must occur during the proposal year due to the long-term project recruitment schedule.
  • Draft a project description in consultation with the director.
  • Meet with Kahn staff to establish a recruitment schedule and other expectations for the planning process.

  • Facilitate an informational session for faculty hosted by the Kahn.
  • Share recruitment information with colleagues across the Five Colleges in conjunction with Kahn publicity.
  • Meet with the director to choose faculty fellows.
  • Attend the first meeting with fellows to discuss day and time (if you haven’t already set it) and potential guest speakers.

  • Speak at an informational session for students hosted by the Kahn.
  • Meet with the director and faculty fellows to choose six students to move to interview stage.
  • Attend first all fellows meeting in April.
  • Choose summer readings.
  • Contact potential guest speakers to assess interest and availability in concert with Kahn staff.

  • Host weekly meetings.
  • Provide overall supervision for the work of the student fellows (though most of them will be working directly with other faculty fellows or independently).
  • Work closely with the Kahn Institute staff. The staff handles the many details that keep a project running smoothly, including coordinating and publicizing all public events and managing financial and budgetary matters and behind-the-scenes work.
  • Pursue your own research.
  • Host guest speakers. Kahn staff will arrange all logistics and publicity.
  • At the conclusion of a project, submit a reasonably detailed report for the institute’s records, including suggestions for improving the operation of future Kahn projects.
Photo by Nafis Azad

Short-term Projects

Short-term projects offer faculty and staff the chance to explore specific topics of common intellectual concern and/or explore the viability of a future long-term theme. The format can range from a two-day workshop to a once-a-month meeting, a weekly gathering throughout the semester, or other formats. Fellows can incorporate public lectures, film screenings, performances, or other events into their project.

Proposal Steps

  1. Contact the Kahn director to suggest your project idea as early as possible, even if it’s at a preliminary stage, to brainstorm and develop the topic and identify potential co-organizers, participants, and guest lecturers.
  2. Schedule a meeting with the Kahn staff to set the date and time of the project, and discuss the expectations of the organizers. The recruitment and publicity schedule will be shared at this time.
  3. In consultation with the director, draft a one-page narrative description of your project to articulate the central questions, problems, and themes to be explored and analyzed; generate interest in participation; and indicate disciplines, departments or programs whose faculty may be interested in applying for project fellowships.

Kathleen Pierce (left), assistant professor of art, and Suzanne Gottschang (right), the Kahn’s director and professor of anthropology and East Asian studies, organized a writing retreat in 2024. Photo by Jessica Scranton.