USC Institute of Armenian Studies - Future of Karabakh, Status, Identity, and Security - Call for Research

The University of Southern California Institute of Armenian Studies invites scholars (Ph.D. candidate and above) worldwide to respond to the call for research on the FUTURE OF KARABAKH. Applications must be submitted by December 29, 2021. Those applications selected for support will receive awards up to $6000.

This call aims to tackle the urgent questions related to the future of regional relations in the South Caucasus and the status of Karabakh / Artsakh.

What is the impact of current demographic trends in the region? What are the scenarios for economic revival in Karabakh? What are the different approaches to military reform in Armenia? What are Russia’s objectives in Karabakh? What is the extent and impact of Turkey’s formal integration into Azerbaijani institutions, especially the military and the media?

Researchers can submit applications on these and a wide array of other topics, including but not limited to economic, social, political development in Karabakh, Russian foreign policy in the region, Azerbaijan’s soft power, military reform in Armenia, and more.

This is the Institute’s fourth major research call in the last five years. Previous calls included Research on Karabakh (2016); End of Transition: 25 Years After the Soviet Collapse (2017); From Democratic Breakthrough to Challenges of Consolidation in Armenia (2019). One hundred and seventy applications were received from around the world in response to these calls, and 50 were funded. The Institute supported these with $230,000 in research funding.

Today, as Armenia and Armenians continue to find themselves impacted by a humanitarian catastrophe, severe political transformations on the ground, and changes to the regional geopolitical environment, this call aims to support research and comparative analysis to enable policymakers to shape the future of the political entity that is Karabakh and its people, as well as the future of Armenia.

For more information on how to apply, click here. Questions? Write to research.armenian@usc.edu.