The Research Development Committee examines proposals for new ICLA Research Committees and also investigates other ways to stimulate and support research efforts of relevance to the work of the Association. Members of the Committee are normally appointed for three years, coinciding with periods between Congresses. The Chair of the Research Development Committee is appointed by the incoming President; other members are appointed in agreement by the President and the Chair, taking into consideration the balance of gender, age, geography, and expertise.
How to apply to form a new ICLA Research Committee
We especially encourage applications that address key research questions in comparative literature today and/or help fill gaps in the areas covered by existing committees, such as: race and ethnicity studies, cultural and social studies, intermediality, geocriticism and ecocriticism, postcolonial and decolonial studies, world literature studies.
There are two types of ICLA research committee: short-term research committees and standing research committees.
A short-term research committee addresses a research question that can be effectively treated in a 3-year period. If the progress of the work justifies it, a short-term research committee may be renewed for a further three years, and then (exceptionally) for a third and final three-year term.
Standing research committees concern themselves with substantial research areas of ongoing importance (examples from among the current standing committees are ‘Literary Theory’ and ‘Translation’).
Any AILC-ICLA member may apply to form a new research committee. To do so, please send an application to the Chair of the Research Development Committee. Applications received by 31st March in any given year will be considered by the Research Development Committee in a gathered field. If a positive decision on the application is reached (possibly after requests for clarifications and further details), it will be forwarded, with a report by the Chair of the Research Development Committee, to the Executive Council for formal decision at its annual meeting.
Applications should consist of:
- A short description of the proposed research, with a clear statement of the research question to be investigated (for short-term research committees) or research area of ongoing importance (for standing committees). 500 words maximum.
- A more detailed description of the proposed research, including sections on overview of the project field, project rationale, objectives and plan/timeline for implementation, covering the first three years of the committee’s work. 2000 words maximum.
- Initial composition of the committee, including short CVs (one page maximum per committee-member)
- Brief by-laws of the research committee, detailing in particular the procedures for agreeing or electing the Chair and any other officers of the committee, and the procedures by which AILC-ICLA members may join the committee.
- A brief account of how participation in the work of the committee may be facilitated for members who are unable to travel to physical meetings.
- Information regarding the links of the project with both local and international institutions.
- Information regarding measures to disseminate the committee’s research as widely as possible to ICLA members, including the use of open-access publication where possible, and to make the project visible to the wider intellectual community (media dissemination, outreach).
Once established, Research Committees submit annual reports of their activities to the Executive Council. Any changes to the by-laws or functioning of a Research Committee must be approved by the Executive Council.