Singapore: Study of the U.S. Institutes Program for Scholars

Deadline: 4-Nov-22

The U.S. Embassy in Singapore is accepting applications for Study of the U.S. Institutes (SUSI) for Scholars are intensive post-graduate level academic programs that provide university faculty and other scholars around the world the opportunity to deepen their understanding of U.S. society, culture, values, and institutions.

The ultimate goal of the Institutes is to strengthen curricula and enhance the quality of teaching about the United States in secondary schools and other academic institutions abroad.

Program Tracks 

• There are six different program tracks to cater to different areas of interest/ research/ teaching:
  • The Institute on American Politics and Political Thought will provide participants insight into how intellectual and political movements have influenced American political institutions and American democracy. It will explore the shaping of American identity and the chemistry between that identity and U.S. history, politics, and the democratic process.
  • The Institute on Contemporary American Literature will provide participants with a deeper understanding of U.S. society and culture, past and present, through an examination of contemporary American literature. It will examine how major contemporary writers, schools, and movements reflect the U.S. literary canon. 
  • The Institute on Journalism and Media will provide participants with a deeper understanding of the roles that journalism and the media play in U.S. society. It will examine the role of journalists in recognizing and preventing disinformation and explore strategies for media and information literacy to counter disinformation.
  • The Institute on U.S. Culture, Identity, and Society will provide participants with a deeper understanding of U.S. society, culture, values, and institutions through the lens of diversity and national unity. It will examine the ethnic, racial, social, economic, political, and religious contexts in which various cultures have manifested in U.S. society while focusing on the ways in which these cultures have influenced social movements and American identity throughout U.S. history. 
  • The Institute on U.S. Economics and Sustainable Development will provide participants with a deeper understanding of key components and structures of the U.S. economy. Using a multidisciplinary approach, the program will explore various topics of socioeconomics, including how financial institutions, investors, and businesses interact to support sustainable economic development, innovation, and growth, and increasing diverse and equitable employment through institutional regulation, social inclusion strategies, and private and public policies.
  • The Institute on U.S. Foreign Policy will provide participants with a deeper understanding of new approaches to U.S. foreign policy and how that policy is formulated and implemented. It will include a historical review of significant events, individuals, and philosophies that have shaped U.S. foreign policy. 

Program Format 

• Study of the U.S. Institutes for Scholars will be conducted by various colleges, universities, and academic institutions throughout the United States ​over five-to-six weeks beginning in or after June 2023. Each Institute includes a four-week academic residency component and, if possible, up to two weeks of an integrated study tour to another region of the United States.
• Participants are expected to fully engage in all aspects of the program; they must attend all lectures and organized activities and complete assigned readings Family members and/or friends may not accompany participants on any part of the U.S. component of the program.

Please note that should health, safety, and travel conditions pose significant challenges, SUSI will pivot to a virtual format.

Award Information

• Selected participants will be awarded the following:
  • International airfare
  • Housing and subsistence while in the U.S.
  • Book, cultural, mailing, and incidental allowances
  • Health insurance while in the U.S.
  • U.S. visa support.

Eligibility and Preferred Qualities

• Singapore Citizen or Singapore PR
• Scholars and professionals with at least six years of experience and substantial knowledge of the thematic area of the Institute (Participants are generally aged 30-50 and come from institutions of higher education or research-focused organizations such as non-profits and think-tanks)
• Ideal candidates are individuals whose home institution is seeking to introduce aspects of U.S. studies into its curricula, to develop new courses in the subject of the Institute, to enhance and update existing courses on the United States, or to offer specialized seminars/workshops for professionals in U.S. studies areas related to the program theme.
• Dedicated to their field of expertise as demonstrated through past scholarship, accomplishments, and professional duties
• Little to no experience in the U.S. is preferred.

For more information, visit SUSI.

For more information, visit https://sg.usembassy.gov/study-of-the-u-s-institutes-susi-for-scholars/