The Nanovic Institute for European Studies announces its inaugural undergraduate research paper prize. This award is to recognize outstanding student essays focusing on European Studies.

We welcome submissions from all disciplines and areas of study addressing a topic in European Studies from any historical period.

Papers should be approximately 8-10 double-spaced pages in length, though longer and shorter submissions will be considered. Citations should conform with disciplinary standards (e.g., Chicago Manual of Style, APA, MLA).

Reviewers will evaluate submissions according to the following criteria:

1. Clarity of argument and organization;
2. Originality of research question; and
3. Quality of evidence used.

Submitters are asked to provide a 1-page summary of their paper (ca. 200-250 words), intended for a general reader outside of their primary discipline.

The review committee will select the three most outstanding essays: first and second place will receive cash prizes of $500.00 (and named the recipient of the Barrett Family Prize) and $250.00, respectively, and third place will receive honorable mention distinction. All three papers will be published in the Nanovic Institute online journal, Europe in the World. Winners will be expected to agree to a 1-month editorial revision process.

Questions should be directed to Dr. Jacob Kildoo (jkildoo@nd.edu), Senior Research Program Manager.

Deadline: May 4, 2026 at 11:59pm.

The Nanovic Institute for European Studies announces its inaugural graduate research paper prize. This award is to recognize outstanding student essays focusing on European Studies.

We welcome submissions from all disciplines and areas of study addressing a topic in European Studies from any historical period.

Papers should be approximately 15-20 double-spaced pages in length, though longer and shorter submissions will be considered. Citations should conform with disciplinary standards (e.g., Chicago Manual of Style, APA, MLA).

Reviewers will evaluate submissions based on their potential contribution to the applicant’s discipline and/or field of study.

Submitters are asked to provide a 1-page summary of their paper (ca. 200-250 words), intended for a general reader outside of their primary discipline.

The review committee will select the three most outstanding essays: first and second place will receive cash prizes of $500.00 and $250.00, respectively, and third place will receive honorable mention distinction. All three papers will be published in the Nanovic Institute online journal, Europe in the World. Winners will be expected to agree to a 1-month editorial revision process.

Questions should be directed to Dr. Jacob Kildoo (jkildoo@nd.edu), Senior Research Program Manager. Deadline: May 4, 2026 at 11:59pm.

Welcome to the Nanovic Graduate Grant Application portal.  Remember that you can save your progress in the application and return to it at a later time if needed. Once you complete the application and submit it, you will not be able to go back in to make changes. If any questions arise while you are completing this application, please contact Dr. Roy Kimmey (rkimmey@nd.edu), director of student research and academic affairs.

Application deadlines and eligibility for AY 2025-2026 are as follows:

• Wednesday, October 15, 2025, 11:59 pm: Fall/Winter 2025 Research Grants
• Wednesday, March 4, 2026, 11:59 pm: Spring/Summer Research/Internship Grants 
• Club Support Grants will be evaluated on a rolling basis.

NB: Due to the volume submissions, applications will only be reviewed after these deadlines.

The Nanovic Institute welcomes applications to a fully funded summer school sponsored through our Catholic Universities Partnership.

All applications are due by Wednesday, April 15, 2026.

Šibenik, Croatia -- Practicing Resilience, Preparing for Recovery (6/12-6/21)

Organized by the Catholic University of Croatia, this summer school will introduce 40 students from Catholic universities around Europe to questions and topics in the study of resilience and hope through encounters with people and institutions affected by war and destruction. The Nanovic Institute will sponsor two to three Notre Dame students to participate in the school from June 12 to June 21. Programming emphasizes human, social, and spiritual connections and interactions through lectures, workshops, collaborative capstone projects, and cultural outings that all engage with the themes of resilience and hope. In addition to class meetings, students will have opportunities to enjoy time along the Dalmatian coast and participate in sports activities.

To apply, please submit a statement of interest and your resume using the Nanovic Submittable form by Wednesday, April 15, 2026. 

Please email any questions to Dr. Roy Kimmey (rkimmey@nd.edu), Director of Undergraduate Studies, or Dr. Annie Seul (aseul@nd.edu), Program Manager, Internal Grants, and Academic Administration.

For Nanovic Graduate Fellows for the 2025-26 academic year. Please use this form to fill out requests for professional development funding.

Only applications submitted through this website will be considered. 

Applications may be submitted at any time and will be reviewed by a selection committee in the weeks that follow each grant deadline. Grant deadlines and additional information on grant opportunities available may be found on the Nanovic Faculty Grants webpage.

For more information, contact Rev. James Lies, C.S.C., Senior Advisor for Faculty Fellow Affairs and Partnerships.

This is a paid research opportunity for undergraduates and graduates during the Spring/Summer 2026 semesters. As a group, students will undertake original research on the topic of music, the preservation of cultural heritage, and resilience in Ukraine and prepare the results of this research for online publication on the Nanovic Institute’s website in late August 2026. This project builds upon two previous undergraduate research projects – Ukrainian Art as Protest and Resilience and Writing the War in Ukraine – which explored how the arts have functioned as a critical medium for artists in Ukraine to not only respond to the Russian invasion but also bear witness to their existence as an independent nation, culture, and identity. 

This research project seeks to expand upon these themes by investigating how music, in particular, has served as a platform for artists to promote and defend Ukrainian culture. The goal of the project is to elevate and amplify Ukrainian musicians and culture throughout history, including but not limited to responses to the Russian invasion.

Students will be encouraged to research and amplify stories of musicians across genres. They will work together to creatively envision the public-facing final project and participate in realizing it. The group will meet once per month to discuss progress made on the project and listen to occasional guest lecturers who will discuss various aspects of Ukrainian music and musicology.

While the shape of the project will be determined by the contributors, students will have the opportunity to develop their projects in conversation with scholars and peers, interact with and potentially interview academics and artists, and produce a final project that showcases their unique project and its contributions. Some options for the final project include (but are not limited to):

• An encyclopedic entry on some aspect of Ukrainian music, in the style of the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians
• An in-depth interview with a Ukrainian musician or musical group (interview questions to be developed in discussion with the project organizers)
• An original musical composition, along with a written commentary
• Curated collections of images, recordings, new additions of scores, etc., with analysis
• Music criticism, ethnographic fieldnotes, or folk music transcriptions, drawn from live performances or historical recordings

This is an opportunity for students to:

• Learn more about Ukrainian music, history, and contemporary politics.
• Explore how the arts and artists have served as important drivers of social resilience and political protest.
• Gain experience conducting research into music. 
• Engage with academics who are doing important advocacy work in Europe. 
• Work collaboratively with other students from Notre Dame and Ukrainian Catholic University to curate a public-facing project and learn how such projects are created and presented. 

For their work throughout the semester, students will be granted a modest honorarium. The awards will be distributed in three installments after key research check-ins. The project will begin in late April and conclude at the end of August.

Applications are due on Submittable by April 15, 2026 at 11:59pm EST. 

If you have any questions, please reach out to Dr. Roy Kimmey at rkimmey@nd.edu.

Graduate students in European Studies are invited to apply to become Graduate Fellows of the Nanovic Institute. Applicants must provide a brief statement of interest which explains how the student's research illuminates European issues. Only complete applications will be eligible for review. 

Up to ten (10) applicants will be selected for the 2026-2027 academic year. The deadline for applications is Wednesday, May 20, 2026. 

Benefits 

• Professional development fund: $2,500 for research materials, conference travel, speaker invitations, etc. 
• Eligible to apply for group funds for Graduate Fellows events, such as a visiting speaker or small symposium.
• Access to meeting space in the Nanovic Institute.
• Intersecting interests and intellectual community.
• Access to professional development support.
• Priority consideration for paid research assistant opportunities within the Nanovic Institute.

Requirements

• Graduate fellows are expected to participate in bi-weekly discussion groups. At each meeting, a student will present a dissertation chapter, article, or current research project and receive feedback from the other fellows.
• **Must be in residence for the entire academic year.

The program aims to bring talented graduate students in European Studies together at the institute, both to the benefit of each other and to European studies at Notre Dame as a whole.

If you have questions about this program, please contact Dr. Roy Kimmey at rkimmey@nd.edu.