The ISRF has partnered with the Cambridge Journal of Economics (CJE) to award a prize of €7,000 for the best essay on the topic of “What is the place of Digital Information Technology in the economy?” This prize is meant to advance the ISRF’s mission, which is to support independent-minded researchers to explore and present original research ideas that take new approaches and suggest novel solutions to real-world social problems.

The digital revolution has created a seismic economic shift not seen since the Industrial Revolution swept the world. As such, the impacts of digital information technologies on society and the economy are some of the most important issues of our time. These technologies have rapidly transformed capitalist production strategies and the delivery of goods and services across almost all sectors of the economy. However, the impact of such “disruption” has been uneven and generated much uncertainty. As with other capitalist revolutions in productivity, many individuals have lost jobs while a few have profited handsomely. Further, the pace of technological advancement is typically much quicker than the rate at which organizations can adapt, requiring additional time for the cultivation of relevant skills. What are the dominant trends in this area? What is really going on here? Some argue these changes herald a workless society while others argue that they represent the death thralls of late-stage capitalism. Do these arguments hold any merit? What can we learn from informed investigation and analysis? The ISRF welcome essays that address these issues or a related theme.

Your essay will be judged based on its originality and independence of thought, scholarly quality, and potential to challenge dominant ideas. A successful essay will be intellectually radical, perpendicular to existing debates, and/or express a strong critique across the fields of economic research. The essay’s challenge of accepted ideas should garner a re-thinking of the topic in the audience.

The essay will be judged by an academic panel composed by the ISRF, and the winner will be decided based off unanimous support of the panel. The essay must be approximately 7,500 words, follow the CJE author guidelines, and submitted by 28 February 2018. Applicants will be notified of the essay contest’s results by the end of July 2018. The winning essay will be accepted for publication in the CJE.

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The Independent Social Research Foundation (ISRF) has announced a fellowship opportunity for independent scholars in Europe. The fellowship is designed to fund independent-minded researchers to investigate and share original research that takes new approaches and suggests new solutions to real world social problems.

To be eligible, you must be an independent scholar in Europe. The ISRF considers an independent scholar someone who does not hold an appointment, temporary or permanent, at an institution of higher education and research. They must be engaged in intellectual work that is comparable to that of a professional academic but who may or may not be currently employed. Those who hold part-time positions in academia are eligible to apply, if they desire support for research to be conducted outside of their contracted hours. Applicants typically hold a PhD, but the fellowship is not intended for newly-minted scholars pursuing postdoctoral positions. Other academic or professional qualifications may be considered if the applicant can provide peer-reviewed publications, monographs, professional journal publications, and/or popular media publications/productions.

Applicants must provide a research proposal, and the ISRF is only interested in boundary-pushing, innovative research topics. Your research may break with traditional theories or explanations to reconsider problems in a new light. You may explore problems which do not currently possess an adequate theoretical explanation, or perhaps you will utilize a new methodology. Applicants are encouraged to submit controversial proposals which may critically challenge extant theories and understandings. Interdisciplinarity is welcomed and encouraged, and the ISRF accepts applications from all social science fields and the humanities. Your research proposal may include, but is not limited to: initiation of a project or of research-level work intended to draw upon or contribute to a profession, completion of a project, or preparation of an article or monograph for publication. Joint/group applications will not be considered.

The fellowship award is intended to provide applicants full or partial relief from academic duties for up to one year, and the award period must begin no later than December 2018. The amount of the award will vary according to the research proposal and applicant’s situation, but the maximum allowable amount is £25,000. The award amount is determined according to reasonable research, childcare, and other domestic expenses. Applicants who are chosen for the award will be required to establish an institutional affiliation, and the ISRF will take lead responsibility in negotiating the terms of that affiliation. However, the applicant will be responsible for identifying suitable institutions.

Applications are due 1 September 2017, and you will be informed of the ISRF’s decision by December 2017.

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