The National WWII Museum’s Jenny Craig Institute for the Study of War and Democracy is pleased to issue this call for papers for its Spring Emerging Scholars Colloquium, “New Directions in WWII History.” This two-day experience will take place at the Museum in New Orleans and culminate with a one-day workshop on January 6, 2027.
The goals of this program are to inspire new conversations based on cutting-edge work that will foster a growing community of WWII scholars, and to provide early-career historians with the opportunity to receive feedback on their developing research and presentation skills from historians and staff of the Jenny Craig Institute.
The Institute encourages early-career historians (PhD candidates, ABDs, or post-docs) to submit proposals. The workshop will also include one full panel specifically pertaining to victims of the Holocaust and other forms of Nazi persecution as they relate to policies, practices, perpetrators, victims, bystanders, and/or resisters.
The selection committee will take a broad view of WWII history topics and invites those who study the WWII era through military, social, cultural, economic, technological, scientific, and gender-studies lenses to apply.
Proposals should include the following in a single PDF file:
- Abstract with title (300 words max)
- Curriculum Vitae
Submissions open June 22, 2026. The deadline for submission is September 30, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. (CT). All applicants will be notified of their selection status no later than October 23, 2026.
If accepted, participants are required to give a presentation* on their full paper, submitted to their panel chair prior to the workshop. Details regarding the presentation requirements will be given after acceptance.
Any questions should be directed to taylor.lindner@nationalww2museum.org for more information.
*The National WWII Museum’s mission encourages public engagement. All workshop presentations will be recorded for institutional archive purposes and may be made available to the public in consultation with the presenter(s).
Accommodations
Accepted participants will be given three nights’ accommodation at the Museum’s own Higgins Hotel on January 4-6, as well as select meals and air travel. January 4 and 7 are considered travel days to and from New Orleans.
About the Institute
The Jenny Craig Institute for the Study of War and Democracy is a community of scholars forming a national center for research, higher education, publications, and public programming, dedicated to promoting the history of World War II, the relationship between the war and America’s democratic system, and the war’s continued relevance for the world.
