Early Scholars Publication Grants
The King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies (KFCRIS), through its UNESCO Chair in Translating Cultures and with the support of the Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission, is pleased to invite applications for the Early Scholars Publication Grants. These grants support the publication of outstanding PhD dissertations that critically examine contemporary debates related to the UNESCO Chair’s two themes for this year and adopt a global perspective that moves beyond Eurocentrism. Early Scholars Publication Grants will be awarded for this year's two themes:
1) Modern Arab Thought in Translation
The UNESCO Chair in Translating Cultures invites PhD dissertations that explore modern Arab thought as a field of philosophical production and conceptual experimentation, rather than as a derivative cultural response or a regional supplement to European philosophy. Building on recent contributions in the field, this theme for Early Scholar Publication Grants aligns with the growing scholarship that integrates Arab intellectual work into the core of philosophical discourse, highlighting its conceptual depth and internal diversity. Specifically, recent interventions demonstrate that twentieth century Arab thinkers did not merely respond to modernity but actively contributed to it, producing original reflections on reason, critique, ethics, language, and the formation of modern thought.
Such reflections have shown that the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries constituted a decisive period for Arab thinkers, who reformulated foundational philosophical problems amidst decolonialization and global epistemic shifts. Thinkers such as Mohammed Abed al-Jabri and Mohammed Arkoun foregrounded questions of reason, interrogating inherited structures to reveal the historical conditions of rationality. Simultaneously, thinkers like Zaki Naguib Mahmoud and Abdallah Laroui engaged with scientific rationalism and ethical responsibility, advancing competing yet intersecting analyses of modernity. Moving beyond the framing of these works as ‘belated’ receptions of European thought, contemporary scholarship has emphasized how Arab thinkers generated original critiques through selective appropriation, conceptual reworking, and methodological deconstruction.
2) Translating Youth Culture/s
The UNESCO Chair in Translating Cultures invites Early Scholars Publication Grants’ submissions that pay particular attention to how young people negotiate linguistic, cultural, and international boundaries. While the categorization of “youth” remains fluid and contested, the necessity for scholarly exploration of youth culture has never been more evident. Contemporary youth are not merely recipients of culture but active agents in shaping its evolution. As Mary Bucholtz observes, language “constitutes a flexible and omnipresent” resource for cultural innovation, and, in the contemporary era, youth are at the forefront of this change. Living in an era defined by rapid digital transmission, global media circulation, and intensified transnational contact, young people must continually navigate and mediate between local traditions and international cultural forces.
We seek to approach youth culture from a global-Arab cultural intersection, adopting a viewpoint that does not reduce youth to a transitional phase toward adulthood. Rather, we recognize young people as active participants who shape and redefine culture, language, and media within the Arab world and beyond. By synthesizing these inquiries into Arab cultural contexts, transnational symbolic exchanges, and the translation of Young Adult literature, successful proposals will examine how youth translate cultural expressions, navigate linguistic and digital infrastructures, and produce new meanings both within and across national boundaries. Selected submissions will be published after review and revision, offering new insights into the evolving relationship between translation, identity, and youth social practice in the contemporary world.
The Chair annually awards two $1,000 grants, each accompanied by support for editorial work to publish an outstanding PhD dissertation (either in full or as a chapter-turned article). The field of research should also align with the Chair’s mission and annual themes. Information on eligibility for the 2026 doctoral grants can be found below.
Eligibility
Scholars applying for the doctoral grants must meet the following criteria:
Have completed a PhD in a relevant field, such as Arabic language and culture, translation studies, comparative literature, philosophy, anthropology, folklore, Middle Eastern studies, or cultural sociology.
Have written a dissertation in English related to the Chair’s themes for 2026: Modern Arab Thought in Translation or Translating Youth Culture/s
Hold a PhD from a research institution worldwide awarded between 2020 and 2025.
Application Process and Deadline
Applications for doctoral grants are due Thursday, June 1, 2026, at 11:59 PM Riyadh time (GMT+3). All application materials should be submitted through email to contact [email protected].
Submissions must be in English and should include the following materials:
Email Subject Line: Early Scholars Publication Grants – [Full Name]
Required Information (Email Body):
Full Name
Nationality
Email Address
Current Academic Level
Name of University / Educational Institution
Field of Study
Required Documents (Attachments):
Abstract and a complete chapter that includes the main argument of the thesis under consideration.
Applicant’s CV.
Statement of purpose describing your research and the reasons why your dissertation is appropriate for publication, as well as how your dissertation topic aligns with the themes and goals of the UNESCO Chair (2–3 double-spaced pages).
Two letters of recommendation
Applications will be reviewed using a “double-blind” process and assessed based on eligibility requirements, publication standards, and academic merit.
Selection Timeline
Successful applicants will be notified of their selection by the mid-August and submit theses/dissertations for publication by November 1, 2026.