The Research Network for the Study of Esoteric Practices (RENSEP) invites applications for a Fieldwork Grant of €2,000. This grant enables PhD students and Postdoc fellows to cover expenses, or part of them, for ethnographic research.
This grant funds doctoral dissertation research that advances anthropological knowledge centred around the study of esoteric practices. Our goal is to support significant and vivacious work that furthers our understanding of esoteric practices in practice. As we welcome interdisciplinary approaches and a global perspective, there is no preference for any methodology, research location, topic, or subfield. RENSEP particularly welcomes proposals that transcend boundaries, and pioneer new approaches and ideas.
To qualify for a RENSEP Fieldwork Grant, the applicant’s research must:
- adopt and contribute theories and/or methods drawn upon two or more disciplines;
- involve fieldwork that aims to make a significant contribution to existing knowledge of esoteric practices intended as practices characterised by controllability, individualisation, self-empowerment, and experience (refer to the following link for further details: https://www.rensep.org/about/a-matrix-of-esoteric-practices/)
Eligibility Criteria
All prospective grant applicants must:
- be a current member of RENSEP
- be enrolled in a doctoral programme of a Higher Education institution, regardless of the country.
Application Process
To apply, students are required to send to (submissions@rensep.org) the following attachments:
- one referee statement from a university academic, typically the PhD supervisor;
- a short summary of the doctoral project (max 500 words);
- the fieldwork plan, including objectives, scope, methods, timeline, and budget (max 1,000 words).
Deadline for application is 30 September 2023 for ethnographic research starting between 15 October 2023 and 15 March 2024.
Condition of the Grant
The recipient of the grant will be asked to write a blog article on the RENSEP platform within 3 months from the end of the fieldwork, summarising key findings and contributions to advance the understanding of esoteric practices.
Send your application to submissions@rensep.org.
