Chicago Residency Program

Applicant Guide

Thank you for your interest in the Seldon Institute. We invite you to join us in advancing rigorous, creative, and engaged scholarship on Islam and Muslim communities. Our goal is to promote critical thinking and support nuanced understandings of Islamic thought, values, and experiences for contemporary audiences.

At Seldon, we believe impactful work emerges through thoughtful dialogue that places Islamic values in conversation with the diverse world we inhabit. We view freedom of expression, respect for diversity, and the inherent dignity of every human being as central to our mission. Applicants are encouraged to show how their proposals foster such exchange, incorporate varied perspectives, and enrich contemporary discussions about Islam.

We support scholarship and programming that explore the historical and textual traditions of Islam while also responding to the questions and challenges facing communities today. By encouraging collaborative and innovative approaches, we seek to engage diverse global audiences through programs that expand the horizons of how Islamic studies can be presented.

What We Support

• Commitment to the Practical and Experiential

  We prioritize work that has clear practical application and can be experienced directly by intended audiences. Projects should demonstrate how outcomes will be relevant in classrooms, communities, cultural settings, policy contexts, or interfaith collaborations.

  Examples include:

  • Community-based workshops or collaborations

  • Applied curriculum development and educational tools

  • Exhibitions or artistic performances with interactive components

  • Policy-relevant research with actionable recommendations

  • Learning environments that connect scholarly insight with public engagement

  Projects should aim to connect academic inquiry with real-world impact.

• Emphasis on Dialogue

  We support projects that cultivate authentic dialogue by situating Islamic values within contemporary ethical, cultural, social, or artistic concerns. Work should be outward facing rather than insular and should encourage critical reflection and mutual learning.

  Applicants should consider:

  • How the project creates space for meaningful dialogue

  • How it supports reflection across different viewpoints

  • How it respects tradition while addressing present-day questions

• Focus on Innovative Program Design and a Global Audience

  We value proposals that use the diverse resources of the Islamic tradition, including archival materials, textual heritage, oral histories, visual cultures, and artistic expressions. Strong proposals will also demonstrate how the project can be adapted or scaled for different settings and audiences.

  Proposals should demonstrate:

  • Originality and creativity

  • Clear plans for implementation and potential replication

  • Strategies for engaging a wide range of communities and audiences

Preparing Your Proposal

When drafting your proposal, please consider the following guiding questions:

• How does your project emphasize practical application and experiential learning?

• In what ways does it foster meaningful dialogue rooted in Islamic values?

• What is innovative about your approach, and can it serve as a pilot for broader use?

• How will you reach and resonate with a global audience?

• What real-world outcomes will your work deliver, and how will they enrich understanding and collaboration?

We invite proposals that combine scholarly rigor with creative vision and that respond thoughtfully to contemporary needs while drawing on the richness of the Islamic tradition. Be clear and specific about your goals, methods, and intended outcomes. Highlight any collaborators or communities you plan to engage, and indicate how your work contributes to wider conversations about Islam and Muslims today.

We look forward to learning about your vision.