Application Deadline

September 30, 2026

Institution or Organization

ASA, United States Japan Foundation, ASA-JAAS committee

Location

Japan (various cities)

Salary or Compensation

none

Description and Requirements

The American Studies Association (ASA) and the Japanese Association for American Studies (JAAS), with support from the United States Japan Foundation (USJF), are pleased to announce a competition open to ASA members (United States citizen or permanent resident of the United States). You may apply and be considered as long as you primarily live and work in the United States.

We plan to select two ASA delegates (with funding from USJF) for participation in the annual JAAS conference to be held in May–June 2027 in Japan. We invite proposals for papers to be presented at the JAAS conference and for a pro-seminar with Japanese graduate students in Japan. The award will offset the price of round trip airfare to Japan, housing, and modest daily expenses.

The members of the ASA-JAAS Project Advisory Committee and the International Committee of JAAS will choose the delegates by collaborative assessment and selection. The pro-seminar will most likely be held after the JAAS conference, which will enable JAAS scholars to participate. The topic of the pro-seminar will be connected to the papers delegates present at JAAS. The ASA delegates will collaborate with the International Committee of JAAS in finalizing the format of the pro-seminar and will be responsible for participating in scholarly exchanges with JAAS members, from graduate students (including those who may not yet be JAAS members) to senior scholars. As a new component of the program, also visit at least one Japanese high school (most likely Yokohama Senior High School of International Studies) to introduce students to American Studies as a discipline and to open pathways for studying at U.S. universities. Under the proposed project, the ASA delegates will tentatively spend two days at the JAAS conference, one day in their pro-seminar, a half-day at the high school plus travel time, for a total of about a week. After their residencies, delegates are expected to submit a brief report and to serve on the JAAS committee for at least two years.

Project Themes

The scholarly theme proposed for this year’s exchange, “Cultural Innovation and Collaboration in an Age of Rapid Change,” responds to shared concerns about artificial intelligence, disinformation, the decline of academic institutions, and the shifting global role of the United States.

We are particularly interested in presentations that align with the following topics of inquiry:

1. Shifting global dynamics and the future of U.S.–Japan cultural exchange. As China expands its regional and global influence, questions about American soft power and cultural influence are taking on new urgency. How are these changing geopolitical relationships are impacting American Studies as a field of global inquiry? What does the future of American Studies look like in this rapidly shifting American landscape? We welcome papers that examine this theme through texts of everyday visual culture as well as music, literature, and/or podcasts.
2. AI and the humanities. As AI reshapes research, pedagogy, and information flow, humanistic inquiry has an essential role to play. We are interested in projects that examine the cultural and ethical implications of AI, particularly as it relates to language, media, public discourse, and epistemology. American Studies scholars, trained in textual and historical analysis, are well-positioned to address the cultural assumptions embedded in large language models and their adoption. In a trans-pacific context, how can American Studies theorize AI not only as a subject of critique but also as a tool that can support cross-cultural collaboration?
3. Demographic and institutional change. Declining public investment in higher education, aging populations in both the US and Japan, and the erosion of civic infrastructure all threaten the production and circulation of knowledge, as scholars face increasing pressure to demonstrate relevance beyond academic audiences. We are particularly interested in projects that deploy public humanities approaches – such as digital humanities projects, public history initiatives, and media engagements – as crucial tools for maintaining robust U.S.-Japan cultural understanding while offering a substantial counternarrative to misinformation in the larger public sphere.
4. Historical cycles and global cultural transmission. Taking a long view of the history of U.S.-Japan cultural exchange – from the Meiji Restoration to the postwar economic boom to the digital revolutions of the 21st century—how might we interrogate how American culture circulates globally and how it is remade, contested, and reinterpreted in Japanese contexts? How must American Studies adapt to remain globally relevant? We welcome papers on this theme that help strengthen their case by including analysis of the circulation of particular case studies of American culture in Japanese contexts or conversely case studies of a particular text of Japanese culture that circulates throughout the US.

Application Instructions and Contact

Application Procedures

Each application should include a summary in 300 words of the proposed paper to be presented at the JAAS annual meeting. Participants should explain how the proposed paper contributes to a discussion of the project theme.

Applicants should include a personal statement, no longer than two pages, describing their interest in this project and the issues that their own scholarship and teaching have addressed. Priority will be given to mid-career or senior scholars (associate professor or above) with a commitment to mentoring graduate students and/or developing longer-term relationships with Japanese scholars of American Studies; applicants should address these criteria in the personal statement. The applicant must also be a current member of the ASA and preference will be given to candidates who are active participants of the ASA; please explain in what capacity you have participated in ASA panels, committees, journal, etc. in your personal statement. Scholars must have a Ph.D. in any field/discipline within American Studies.

In addition, applications should include a two-page curriculum vitae, emphasizing publications and teaching experience (especially graduate teaching/mentorship) and the names and addresses of three references. All applicants must be available to travel for a week-long period to Japan in May-June 2026; exact dates required for travel will be forthcoming. The applicant must be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States and live and work professionally in the United States.

Note to Applicants

There is an expectation that those selected as ASA delegates will then serve on the ASA-JAAS project committee, helping to ensure the ongoing success of the partnership.

Application materials should be addressed to the ASA-JAAS Project Advisory Committee and submitted as a Word or PDF document in a single attachment before midnight (US EST) September 30. You may submit to the ASA via Dropbox or Google Drive to (asastaff@theasa.net).

If you experience difficulties with your username or password, we suggest that you refer to the FAQs—or send an email to jrnlcirc@press.jh.edu or call 1-800-548-1784 (1-410-516-6987 International) during business hours.