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⏰ APPLICATION DEADLINE: March 31, 2026 (11:59 PM Central Time)
⏰ APPLICATION DEADLINE: March 31, 2026 (11:59 PM Central Time)
Reference Form Deadline: April 7, 2026
Reference Form Deadline: April 7, 2026
ELIGIBILITY
ELIGIBILITY
We welcome applications from emerging scholars committed to advancing Interreligious Studies as an academic, pedagogical, and community-engaged field.
Career Stages: Applicants may come from a range of career stages, including:
PhD students at any stage (pre-comps, ABD, or recently defended)
Postdoctoral fellows and recent PhD graduates (within 7 years of degree)
Early-career faculty (tenure-track or contingent, within 7 years of PhD)
Independent scholars engaged in IRS-related scholarship (within 7 years of PhD)
Master’s-level scholars may be considered if they have substantial professional, instructional, or scholarly experience (e.g., several years of undergraduate teaching or equivalent work) demonstrating readiness for sustained research engagement and cohort-based scholarly exchange
Research Areas
Primary focus: Interreligious Studies and adjacent fields that engage religious diversity and interreligious encounter
Also welcome: Scholars in related disciplines (religious studies, sociology of religion, history, anthropology, theology, philosophy, comparative religion, Jewish Studies, Islamic Studies, etc.) who need to (and/or are interested in) teach Interreligious Studies at their institutions or whose research connects meaningfully to IRS
According to Dr. Rachel Mikva, "The field of Interreligious Studies (IRS) entails critical analysis of the dynamic encounters – historical and contemporary, intentional and unintentional, embodied and imagined, congenial and conflictual – of individuals and communities who orient around religion differently. It investigates the complex of personal, interpersonal, institutional, and societal implications."
Geographic Scope
International scholars welcome (must be eligible to receive payment from US institution and travel to the United States) . Stipends are subject to U.S. tax law; international scholars may have applicable taxes or treaty-based withholdings deducted from the $2,000 stipend.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
Please prepare the following materials for submission:
Curriculum Vitae (CV): No page limit, but please highlight relevant experiences, research, publications, teaching, and engagement in IRS or related fields.
Short Answer Questions in Application Form: Respond to each of the following prompts in the application form. These questions help the selection committee understand the experiences and curiosities that you are bringing to the program, your scholarly vision, and your hopes for this collaborative cohort community. Length: max 2000 characters (~300 words) per question.
What story, question, or lived experience are you hoping to explore or “figure out” during the fellowship year?
What inspires you about the kind of community this cohort could be? What are you seeking from peers in this process, and what are you prepared to offer?
Describe your current or intended research in Interreligious Studies or adjacent fields. What questions continue to drive your work, and what contributions do you hope to make to the field going forward?
Reference Contact Information: Provide the name and email address of one reference person (mentor, advisor, colleague, or supervisor) who can speak to your scholarly promise and readiness for this program. We will send your reference person a brief online form requesting their support (2–3 questions, approximately 10 minutes to complete).
Basic Information Form:
Contact information
Current institutional affiliation and position
Career stage (PhD student, postdoc, faculty, etc.)
Citizenship/visa status (for travel planning)
Any anticipated scheduling conflicts for Fall 2026–Spring 2027
SELECTION CRITERIA
SELECTION CRITERIA
Applications will be evaluated based on the following (in no particular order):
Quality, clarity, and promise of scholarship
Alignment with the field of Interreligious Studies
Readiness for collaborative, cohort-based learning
Ability to contribute to the program’s dialogical and relational ethos
Demonstrated need and potential benefit from mentorship
Fit with the senior scholars’ expertise and mentoring approach
Engagement with the program’s mission of field-building, public scholarship, and community connection
We seek to build a diverse cohort that reflects different career stages, research interests, and backgrounds within Interreligious Studies. The Jay Phillips Center for Interreligious Studies does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.
HOW TO APPLY
HOW TO APPLY
Complete applications must be submitted through the online application form below.
You will upload:
Your CV (PDF format)
Responses to all seven short-answer questions (entered directly in the application form)
Reference contact information (name and email; no letter required)
Basic information (entered in the form), including institutional affiliation, career stage, and any anticipated scheduling conflicts
Application Portal Opens: January 15, 2026
Application Deadline: March 31, 2026 (11:59 PM Central Time - North America)
QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR APPLICATION?
QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR APPLICATION?
Contact Dr. Hans Gustafson, Director
Jay Phillips Center for Interreligious Studies
Email: hsgustafson@stthomas.edu
Website: www.stthomas.edu/jpc
We're happy to answer questions about eligibility, application materials, or the program structure.
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