Applicants are welcome to submit their applications for the second edition of the UNESCO Silk Roads Youth Research Grant. As part of the Silk Roads Program’s ongoing work to better understand the rich history and shared legacy and spirit of the Silk Roads, UNESCO, with the support of the National Commission of the People’s Republic of China for UNESCO, launched the ‘Silk Roads Youth Research Grant’ in 2021 within the framework of the social and human sciences sector.
This initiative, which aims to mobilize young researchers for further study of the Silk Roads shared heritage, will award 12 research grants to young women and men under 35 years of age. Grant applicants are invited to address areas of academic study that relate to the shared heritage and plural identities of the Silk Roads, as well as its internal diversity, and potential in contemporary societies for creativity, intercultural dialogue, social cohesion, regional and international cooperation, and ultimately sustainable peace and development.
The Silk Roads are composed of networks of maritime and land routes. Stretching from East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia, these historic networks of communication and exchanges cross Central Asia, the Indian sub-continent, the Russian steppe, the Iranian and Anatolian plateaus, and the Arabian Peninsula. They also stretch through North Africa and Northeast Africa, from Tanzania to Morocco. Additionally, they pass through Eastern and Southern Europe, before reaching the Iberian Peninsula.
Program Details
- Host Institutions: Any.
- Research Topics: Pleas find full details below.
- Number of Awards: 12.
- Duration: once.
- Target Group: Open for all nationalities.
UNESCO Silk Roads Youth Research Grant Benefits
The panel will award 12 grants of USD 10,000 per research project based on the strengths of the proposed research and its potential contribution to furthering understanding of the interactions and exchanges taking place across the Silk Roads and the concrete elements resulting from them. The grant will be awarded in two separate installments.
Eligible Research Fields
A broad array of research fields, including multidisciplinary and multidimensional proposals not limited to one specific region or chronology, are eligible. Proposed research may cover any of a number of themes associated with the Silk Roads shared heritage including, but not limited to:
- Science and Technology and Traditional Knowhow
- Religion and Spirituality
- Language and Literature
- Arts and Music
- Traditional Sports and Games
- Economy and Trade
- Silk Roads Legacy and Contemporary Issues.
However, the proposed research must focus on the results of cultural interactions and exchanges, and within a given field must showcase the concrete resulting elements, be they tangible or intangible, as identifiable in two or more cultures along the Silk Roads and beyond. Research may be interdisciplinary in approach, and where possible, provide dynamic and novel ideas on the processes of exchange and transformation along the Silk Roads and their meaning and value in contemporary societies.
For example, research topics and sources may therefore include, languages and scripts, maps and other historical documents, literature, poetry, music, dance, theatre, architecture, sculpture, ceramics, textiles, science and medicine, astronomy and navigation, sustainability, disaster and climate management, water resource management, trade, and diplomacy, etc.
UNESCO Silk Roads Youth Research Grant Eligibility
To apply for the grant candidates must meet the following requirements:
- be a postgraduate researcher
- comes from any country in the world
- have 35 years old or less at the time of application.
- the proposed research may be carried out by an individual researcher or may be part of a group or collaborative project, however only one grant will be awarded per research project.
You may also be eligible for the:
- Skoltech Scholarship in Russia For Local and International Students;
- Orange Social Venture Prize in Africa & Middle East;
- Japan and World Bank Scholarship for Developing Countries.
How to Apply for the UNESCO Silk Roads Youth Research Grant
Eligible applicants who would like to apply for this grant are required to submit their research proposals by completing this template (Please click here to download the template) that aims to show details about the research, its methods, expected outcomes and contribution to existing scholarship.
Proposals should be submitted in English and sent by email to [email protected]. Please click here to see winning research projects of the second edition. All queries must be directed to [email protected]. Attempts to contact members of the panel regarding the application process are forbidden and may result in disqualification from the grant.
The deadline for proposals is May 31, 2023. For more information about the UNESCO Silk Roads Youth Research Grant, please visit the official page. To be the first to see latest opportunities, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.
