The COST Action “Comparative Analysis of Conspiracy Theories” (COMPACT) invites applications for a week-long Training School, “Conspiracy Theory – History and Culture,” which will be hosted by the University of Tübingen from July 31 to August 4, 2017.

The Actions, which currently has over 120 members from 36 countries and over a dozen disciplines, aims at synthesizing and moving forward European research on conspiracy theories. One of its goals is therefore to train the next generation of researchers. For this purpose, the Action will organize two Training Schools. The one in Tübingen is geared at scholars employing qualitative methods (history, ethnology, cultural studies, literary studies etc.); it will be followed by one focusing on quantitative methods (psychology, political science etc.) in 2018.

Applicants do not need to be or be affiliated with Action members. Every M.A. or Ph.D. student from a COST country can apply. Successful applicants will receive a stipend to partly cover the costs of travel and accommodation. The amount of the stipend will be determined on an individual basis for each successful applicant by the organizing committee. It is to be expected that applicants who have funds of their own will only receive a few hundred euros while applicants who otherwise could not attend the Training School will receive a stipend of up to € 1.000.

In particular, the Action invites applications from

• Ph.D. students who are working a project directly related to conspiracy theory, and
• M.A. students who are planning to pursue such a project.

The Training School will combine a variety of different formats. There will be a series of lectures by the Trainers, established scholars in the field, that take their own research as a point of departure for more general reflections on questions of theory and methodology in their particular field, as well as opportunities for future projects. There will also be reading groups that will address foundational studies from various disciplines. Finally, Ph.D. students will have the opportunity to discuss their projects on an individual basis with Trainers.

The trainers are:

• Clare Birchall (Contemporary Culture, United Kingdom)
• Nebojša Blanuša (Political Science, University of Zagreb)
• Eva Horn (German Studies, Austria)
• Peter Knight (American Studies, United Kingdom)
• Massimo Leone (Semiotics, Italy)
• Andrew McKenzie-McHarg (History, United Kingdom)
• Timothy Melley (American Studies, United States)
• Annika Rabo (Social Anthropology, Sweden)

Please send your application in one PDF file to the local organizer, Prof. Michael Butter (michael.butter@uni-tuebingen.de). The application must include a letter of motivation and a CV. Ph.D. students should additionally include a project description of no more than five pages.

The deadline for applications is December 31, 2016. Successful applicants will be notified by the end of January.