2025 EITM Summer Institute

University of Michigan

August 4, 2025 to August 15, 2025

Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), this program trains graduate students and early career researchers in EITM, a research strategy that integrates theoretical models and empirical research to improve and expand our understanding of politics. The institute will integrate developments and findings from throughout political science, including the substantive areas of American politics, comparative politics, international relations, and political economy.

The primary benefits of EITM for student participants are: 

  • Instruction by leading scholars in the discipline on cutting edge methods 
  • Deeper understanding of philosophical and epistemological considerations in theory building and evaluation 
  • Support and feedback on students’ own research by EITM faculty and participants 
  • A network of EITM students, alumni, and faculty that will provide constructive engagement long after the institute concludes 

EITM 2025 will take place on weekdays from August 4 to August 15, 2025. The institute will be hosted by the University of Michigan. 

Applications for the 2025 EITM Summer Institute at the University of Michigan are now open and can be accessed through the “Application” tab below. The deadline has been extended to April 25, 2025 at 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time. We will accept letters of recommendation through May 2. There are no fees associated with participating in the institute. If accepted, all program fees and living expenses will be covered by EITM. 

E-mail: [email protected]

 

Coming soon.

The EITM Institute will select participants through a competitive process. Applications can be submitted here.

Application Deadline

  • The application deadline has been extended to April 25, 2025 at 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time.
  • Letters of recommendation will be accepted through May 2.
  • All application materials should be sent in PDF format.

A complete application consists of the following four components:

  1. Description of your EITM research proposal (5 pages). We will base admission substantially on the quality and potential of this proposal — particularly its integration of theoretical modeling and empirical testing.
  2. Brief statement of interest and purpose in applying for the summer program (1-2 pages).
  3. ​Curriculum Vita with name and contact information, current location and position. If you are a student, the CV should indicate your current status in graduate school (e.g., whether you’ve passed exams and defended a dissertation proposal).
  4. ​Two letters of recommendation. You will supply names and email addresses for your letter writers.  Letter writers will be automatically contacted for their letters, and these letters are due May 2, 2025 at 11:59 Eastern Daylight Time.

The first three components above should be combined in the same order as listed into a single PDF file named with this convention using your name  EITM2025_LASTNAME_FIRSTNAME, ready to upload with your application.

We intend to accept about 23 participants — mostly advanced graduate students who are past their general exams, preferably with a completed dissertation prospectus or plan but not yet at the writing-up stage. We will also accept some early career researchers, preferably at a stage where they are wishing to add research to a defended dissertation before publication, or embarking on a second project. Applicants will be notified of our acceptance decisions via e-mail.

Questions?  Email: [email protected]