UNESCO 2022 Silk Roads Youth Research Grant

Call for proposals from young postgraduate researchers for 2nd Silk Roads Youth Research Grant programme. 12 grants (10,000 USD each) will be awarded.

As part of the Silk Roads Programme’s ongoing work to better understand the rich history and shared legacy of the Silk Roads, UNESCO, with the support of the National Commission of the People’s Republic of China for UNESCO, launched the Silk Roads Youth Research Grant in 2021 within the framework of the Social and Human Sciences Sector.

Research proposals need to address specific issues relating to the Silk Roads:

Shared heritage and plural identities
Internal diversity
Potential in contemporary societies for creativity, intercultural dialogue, social cohesion, regional and international cooperation
Potential for sustainable peace and development

The proposed research may be carried out by an individual researcher or may be part of a group or collaborative project.

Eligible research fields

A broad array of research fields are eligible, including multidisciplinary and multidimensional proposals not limited to one specific region or chronology. Proposed research may cover one or several themes including (but not limited to):

Science and technology and traditional knowhow
Religion and spirituality
Language and literature
Arts and music
Traditional sports and games
Economy and trade
Silk Roads legacy and contemporary issues

Proposed research must focus on the results of cultural interactions and exchanges, and within a given field must showcase the concrete resulting elements (be they tangible or intangible) as identifiable in two or more cultures along the Silk Roads and beyond.

The Silk Roads encompass a vast region comprised of a network of maritime and land trade routes. They pass through South Asia and Southeast Asia, crossing the Russian steppes, Central Asia and Indian subcontinent, the Iranian and Anatolian plateaus, and the Arabian Peninsula. They also stretch across North Africa and Northeast Africa, from Tanzania to Morocco as well as extending through Eastern and Southern Europe up to Western Europe and the Iberian Peninsula.

Application guidelines

Deadline: 31 May 2022