APSA Southeast Asia RDG 2026 – Funded Research Opportunity

Brief Information

The APSA Southeast Asia RDG 2026 is a prestigious, funded academic opportunity for early-career scholars whose research focuses on Southeast Asia.
Organized alongside the 122nd APSA Annual Meeting & Exhibition, the program supports research development, publication readiness, and global academic networking.
Selected participants will receive up to $1,000 in travel funding and full access to APSA’s flagship conference in Boston, USA.

Key Dates & Details

• Application Deadline: Sunday, March 8, 2026
• Program Dates: September 2–6, 2026
• Location: Boston, Massachusetts, USA (Onsite)
• Type: Research Development Group (Academic Seminar + Conference)
• Funding: APSA Travel Grant up to USD 1,000
• Participants Selected: Up to 6 scholars
• Organisers: American Political Science Association (APSA) & Southeast Asian Politics Related Group (SEAPRG)

Overview

The APSA Southeast Asia RDG 2026 is designed to support early-career scholars in advancing high-quality political science research toward publication. Held in conjunction with the 122nd APSA Annual Meeting & Exhibition, the program combines an intensive pre-conference research seminar with full participation in one of the world’s most influential political science conferences.

Selected participants will attend a full-day Research Development Group seminar on September 2, 2026, where they will present and receive in-depth feedback on an article-length manuscript in progress. Papers will be circulated in advance to allow for rigorous peer review and expert discussion. The seminar will also cover publication strategies, journal selection, peer-review processes, and professional development topics critical for early academic careers.

Following the seminar, participants will attend the APSA Annual Meeting from September 3–6, 2026, engaging in panels, networking sessions, and academic events. SEAPRG will actively support participants by helping them create personalized conference schedules, facilitating meaningful connections with organized sections, related groups, and senior scholars working on Southeast Asia.

To ensure accessibility, APSA will provide a Travel Grant of up to USD 1,000 to selected participants to help cover eligible travel and accommodation costs. Preference will be given to applicants based in Southeast Asia, strengthening regional scholarly representation at APSA.

Eligibility

Applicants must meet all of the following criteria:

• Be an early-career scholar:
  • Graduate student
  • Postdoctoral researcher
  • Tenure-track faculty with less than 3 years in position
• Research focus must be Southeast Asia
• Be currently based in Asia
• Primary institutional affiliation must be in Asia
• Applicants based outside Asia are not eligible
• Solo-authored manuscripts are preferred
• Research must be intended for peer-reviewed journal publication

Application Details

To apply for the APSA Southeast Asia RDG 2026, applicants must submit the following in English:

• Completed online application form
• Detailed CV / résumé
• Article-length manuscript (5,000–10,000 words, including abstract, excluding references)
• Manuscript must be:
  • Intended for journal publication
  • Not a dissertation chapter or white paper
  • Not extracted from already completed work
• List of 2–4 scholars you would like to discuss your paper

📌 Submission Deadline: Sunday, March 8, 2026

Selected applicants will be notified within one month of the deadline.
The separate APSA Travel Grant application is expected to open in May 2026.

For questions, contact: [email protected]

FAQ

Official Link

👉 Apply here:
https://apsa.wufoo.com/forms/2026-southeast-asia-rdg/

👉 Official announcement:
https://politicalsciencenow.com/call-for-applications-2026

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