

Working Groups
The Institute offers funding to groups of Kellogg faculty fellows for activities that advance scholarship in a particular area of focus and promote intellectual collaboration and innovation in a group format.
Eligibility and application information appear below. Click on these names to learn more about the current Kellogg Working Groups and other groups hosted by the Institute:
- Africa Working Group
- Development Economics Working Group
- Histories of Economics and Development in the Global South
- Latin American History Working Group
- Mexico Working Group
- Slavery, Race, and Gender in the Atlantic World Working Group
- Kroc-Kellogg Peace, Conflict, Crime and Violence Workshop
- Comparative Politics Workshop
The Institute provides funding for working groups that stimulate intellectual activity within the Kellogg community and more broadly throughout the University on issues critical to its core research themes of democracy and human development. Led by Institute faculty fellows, the groups typically draw together an interdisciplinary mix of faculty members, visiting fellows, graduate students, and even undergraduates to further inquiry on emerging research themes and or focus attention on topical, interdisciplinary issues. The Kellogg Institute usually funds working groups for one or two semesters at a time but welcomes multi-year proposals. Awards cover working group expenses, which will vary with the nature of a group and can be renewed through the competitive grant process. The Institute may provide logistical support for planned activities scheduled well in advance.
Please use the tabs below to find information on Kellogg working group grants.
You can sign in to the online application system by clicking on "Sign in with Google" and use your Notre Dame credentials
Submission deadlines for A/Y 2023 - 24:
Tuesday, September 5, 2023
Tuesday, October 24, 2023
Tuesday, February 20, 2024
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
- The complete application will require:
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A detailed description of the activities which clearly identifies:
- the focus of the proposed working group
- the group’s international dimension
- the group's relationship to the thematic priorities of the Kellogg Institute
- the group’s substantive goals
- the nature of planned activities to attain substantive goals
- expected accomplishments during the requested funding period
- the schedule for planned activities. Note, any dates must be coordinated with Kellogg's Program Manager of Events in advance of the proposal submission.
- a plan to share the group’s products with the wider Kellogg community - List of participants that meet the above eligibility requirements
- A detailed line-item budget (see budget template below)
- A narrative budget justification that provides an explanation of your budget at a high level; it does not need to be extensive nor detail proposed expenditures line by line as your budget does that. The goal of the justification, which can be brief, is to allow you to explain in a narrative the rationale for the requested funds, why the requested amounts (e.g., number of trips, length of stay, etc) is necessary for the completion of your research, and how you calculated the amounts requested in order to demonstrate to the committee that the amounts requested are reasonable and not made up.
- A progress report and self-assessment of working group activities and accomplishments to date (for working group renewals only)
Allowable Expenses
The Kellogg Institute usually funds working groups for one or two semesters at a time though multi-year proposals are welcome. Awards cover working group expenses, which will vary with the nature of a group and can be renewed through the competitive grant process.
Funding is available for a variety of costs, including but not limited to the following:
- PERSONNEL - Includes student assistants.
- GUEST SPEAKER TRAVEL - Includes airfare, ground transportation, and lodging.
- MEALS - Includes meals with speakers, meeting snacks, receptions, etc.
- SUPPLIES - Includes posters and reading material copies.
Funding Amount
Awards average approximately $5,000 per academic year; larger amounts are occasionally considered for particularly ambitious proposals.
In all cases, final determination of the amount awarded is at the discretion of the grants committee and will depend on their assessment of the specified needs in the proposal, budget, and justification.
Applicants must notify the Kellogg Institute of any funding received from another source; the Institute may adjust the award accordingly. No duplicate funding (that is, funding for the same purpose) is allowed.
An interdisciplinary committee of Kellogg faculty fellows reviews proposals for Kellogg working group grants. Accordingly, applicants should make sure that the proposal is clear to someone outside the applicant’s discipline.
Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Relation to Kellogg core research theme(s) of democracy and/or human development
- Potential to stimulate intellectual activity within the Kellogg community and more broadly throughout the University on critical global issues
- Level of intellectual rigor and interest to the Kellogg community
- Potential to produce concrete academic results (conferences, publications, research projects, or outside funding)
- Overall quality of the proposal including its potential for innovation, as well as professional presentation (e.g., spelling, grammar, and accurate budgeting)
- Budgetary appropriateness (i.e., the requested expenses are justified as necessary to the completion of the research)
- Priority will be given to interdisciplinary groups
Kellogg faculty fellows are eligible to apply for working group grants. Proposals must be within the field of international studies and should relate to at least one of Kellogg’s core research themes of democracy and human development. The group must meet all of the following requirements:
- At least 5 participants total;
- At least 2 participants who are affiliated with the Institute (faculty or doctoral students);
- At least 2 regular Notre Dame faculty members; and
- The chair or co-chair of a working group must be a Kellogg faculty fellow.
Current Working Groups

Africa Working Group
The Africa Working Group provides a forum for resident faculty, graduate students, and outside scholars to present and discuss cutting edge research on Africa. Participants, who come from a range of disciplines, share a common interest in investigating Africa’s past, present, and future, as well as Africa’s place in the larger global order. The group also sponsors Africanist events, enriching the study of Africa on campus and building on growing student interest in the region.
Chair: Paul Ocobock

Development Economics Working Group
The Development Economics Working Group supports graduate and faculty research in the economic determinants of human development and how economic policy can be used to promote human development. It promotes dialogue among researchers with different areas of expertise, from a variety of perspectives and subject areas, such as health, education, infrastructure, governance, and migration. Regular meetings allow participants to workshop research in progress, while occasional seminars bring external researchers to campus to discuss their work and provide feedback on projects of group members.
Chair: Taryn Dinkelman

Histories of Economics and Development in the Global South
The Histories of Economics and Development in the Global South working group aims to bring together scholars studying histories of capitalism, economic inequalities, human development, and international trade - just to name a few. Geographically, the working group will focus on research being conducted in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. The group endeavors to bridge the gap between the humanities and social sciences, connecting the research and methods of historians with economists, political scientists, and sociologists. We hope to create a truly interdisciplinary space that will enrich the scholarship of Kellogg’s faculty fellows and graduate students.
Cochairs: Paul Ocobock, Ted Beatty, Elisabeth Köll, Nikhil Menon

Latin American History Working Group
The Latin American History Working Group brings together Latin American historians – both faculty and graduate students – for serious, extended, and creative intellectual exchange. Monthly meetings feature paper presentations by faculty members, graduate students, and invited scholars. Encouraging an interdisciplinary approach, the group aims to strengthen the growing community of Latin American historians at Notre Dame, to professionalize its graduate students, and to host notable scholars in the field at the University.
Cochairs: Ted Beatty, Karen Graubart, and Jaime Pensado

Mexico Working Group
The Mexico Working Group serves as a venue for resident and visiting faculty and graduate and undergraduate students to consider issues related to Mexico. With the goal of strengthening the presence of Mexico at Notre Dame, the group supports conferences, talks, cultural events, and academic discussions. The group also fosters academic and cultural exchanges to link the University with Mexico and Mexican Studies institutions and coordinates a biennial Undergraduate Research Conference focused on Mexican issues.
Chair: Jaime Pensado
Graduate Assistant: Aitor Valdesogo

Slavery, Race, and Gender in the Atlantic World Working Group
The Slavery, Race, and Gender in the Atlantic World Working Group brings together faculty and graduate students working on issues of slavery, race, and gender within regions of Africa, North America, South America, and Europe. The group promotes interdisciplinary collaboration among scholars examining these issues across a broad chronological range, exploring the effects of Atlantic connections on the development of African and African-diaspora social, political, and economic relations, and the ongoing consequences in terms of economic growth, social justice, and democracy.
Chair: Karen Graubart
Other Groups
Kroc-Kellogg Peace, Conflict, Crime and Violence Workshop
This workshop seeks to integrate and develop collaboration between Kroc and Kellogg scholars focusing on the wide range of peace, conflict, and violence issues. It is intended to be broad in scope including topics such as political and criminal violence, human rights, and transitional justice along with standard issues of civil and international war, peacebuilding, and reconciliation. The format assumes that participants come to the workshop having read the paper. A discussant will start the discussion with 5-10 minutes of comments, then the floor is open. These sessions are open to Notre Dame faculty and graduate students.
Organizers: Guillermo Trejo, Gary Goertz, Abby Cordova, Josefina Alavarez, and Laurie Nathan
For more information: contact Gary Goertz
Comparative Politics Workshop
The Comparative Politics Workshop is a graduate student-led forum geared towards presenting and discussing papers and research projects. During the academic semester, regular sessions are held at the Hesburgh Center. These meetings are open to everyone, particularly students, faculty and Kellogg Institute Visiting Fellows. Participants have the chance to present their work and receive valuable, constructive feedback from their colleagues.
Organizer: Bill Kakenmaster
More information: Comparative Politics Workshop site