Emerging Scholars

The Association is committed to supporting the professional and intellectual development of Emerging Scholars whose work is related to the fields of Interreligious or Interfaith Studies.

Emerging Scholars meet periodically to collaborate and support one another, receive guidance and mentorship, and plan collaborative initiatives in the field.

For the purposes of this group, we are defining Emerging Scholars as individuals pursuing graduate studies related to the fields of Interreligious or Interfaith Studies, as well as those working in the field, in any position, up to 7 years after the completion of their PhD.

Please see below if you are interested in joining.

What We Do

We are committed to building a scholarly community of mutual interest and collaboration. We provide peer-to-peer support for graduate students and early career scholars, as well as connection to senior mentors and experts in the field. We strive to foster a collegial, warm, and safe environment to ask questions, share insights and concerns, and advance the field together.

Current Offerings

• Jay Phillips Center Scholars in Interreligious Studies: In 2026-27, AIIS is proud to co-sponsor the Jay Phillips Center Scholars in Interreligious Studies program, a funded year-long fellowship of scholarly inquiry, public engagement, and collaborative formation for emerging scholars in the field of (Inter)religious Studies.

• Professional Development Series: We meet regularly on Zoom to provide guidance and mentorship on issues related to scholarly professionalization in the field, in partnership with senior scholars. Our regular sessions include: how to navigate the academic job market as an interreligious studies scholar, how to network in the field and make the most out of the AAR, how to publish your work in academic and public-facing platforms, and how to apply interreligious pedagogy skills to teaching and beyond the classroom.

• Works-in-Progress Workshop: We share drafts of our writing with each other to get meaningful feedback and improve the quality of our work.

• One-on-One Mentorship: We connect Emerging Scholars with senior scholars and mentors who are working in the field, both in the academy and beyond, with whom Emerging Scholars share specific interests. We keep a directory of senior scholars and make introductions with Emerging Scholars who are interested in collaboration and guidance.

• Community Building at the AAR: We connect in person to network, build community, and learn about new and ongoing scholarship and initiatives in the field. We participate in the AIIS Friday programming, connect that evening over dinner, and we attend the Interreligious and Interfaith Studies Unit interactive session as part of the AAR, where we often feature the current work of Emerging Scholars as part of the field.

Join Us