Call for Student Applications
University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
Thursday, October 15, 2026
Applications due: March 1, 2026
The Society for American City and Regional Planning History (SACRPH) announces the opening of student applications for the inaugural Alison Isenberg Dissertation Colloquium, to be held on the afternoon of Thursday, October 15, 2026, in conjunction with its biennial National Conference on Planning History, in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The Alison Isenberg Dissertation Colloquium matches PhD candidates with senior mentors for a half day of discussion about their research. Students will share a writing sample such as a prospectus or chapter (see below for details) in advance. At the workshop, students and mentors will meet one-on-one, then all will convene as a group to share aspects of their projects with one another. Participating students will not only have the attention of an “outside” expert in their field, but will also come together in community as a professional cohort. The event will conclude with a dinner.
SACRPH is launching the colloquium to honor the legacy of the late Alison Isenberg, past SACRPH president and Professor of History at Princeton University, who was deeply committed to graduate mentorship.
Application is open to students currently enrolled (at the time of application) in a PhD program in any discipline who have advanced to candidacy — or those approaching candidacy, with a completed dissertation prospectus — and who are working on a dissertation that engages with the history of city or metropolitan planning, broadly defined, in any time period, in any geography. In the spirit of Alison Isenberg’s influential and interdisciplinary scholarship, we especially welcome topics centering people, place, and/or the built environment.
All participants needing accommodation will receive a stipend to cover the cost of an extra night in Cincinnati beyond SACRPH’s conference, which begins that evening. Those also presenting a paper at the conference will remain eligible for SACRPH’s graduate student travel grants (up to $500).
Applications are due by March 1, 2026, and should include:
- A statement of interest (maximum 750 words) that:
- provides a clear overview of the dissertation project,
- describes the piece to be pre-circulated ahead of the workshop (see below for expectations), and
- explains what you would like to gain from participation in the colloquium.
- A C.V.
In the weeks before the conference, accepted colloquium participants have a choice of pre-circulating one of the following:
- a 12-15-page dissertation prospectus or overview,
- a draft introduction or dissertation chapter (along with a one-page dissertation outline/description), max 30 pages, including notes,
- an article draft drawn from dissertation research (along with a one-page dissertation outline/description), or
- a book proposal (for those graduating in 2026)
Please submit all applications, including the required documents (in a single PDF) using this form. Questions about the colloquium should be sent to Prof. Dylan Gottlieb (dgottlieb@bentley.edu). Applicants will receive notification of the selection committee’s decisions in spring 2026.
For our tribute to Alison Isenberg, written by Robin Bachin, please visit our dedicated webpage. Princeton University’s remembrance can be found here.