Call for Proposals: 2026 ILiADS - Seeking Project Teams, Individual Digital Humanists, and Liaisons

[Nicole Scalessa]

The ILiADS Steering Committee welcomes project proposals and liaison applications for the eleventh Institute for Liberal Arts Digital Scholarship! This year’s Institute, hosted by Vassar College Libraries in Poughkeepsie, New York, will be held in person July 26-31, 2026. 

This year ILiADS offers a week-long intensive environment both for collaborative project teams and for individuals:  

ILiADS Team Participation

ILiADS team participants come as a group, typically composed of some mix of researchers, librarians, archivists, technologists, and students to build upon established digital pedagogy or scholarship projects and/or launch new ones. To help get a new project started and/or clear hurdles, liaison experts will consult on projects and help connect participants to other experts. Our Digital Scholarship Liaisons are experienced mentors who will provide guidance, connect you with relevant expertise, and help you navigate technical, conceptual, or project management challenges. The liaisons can provide guidance on tools, data wrangling help, support with some coding languages, writing and narrative support, and collaborative and strategic support.

New This Year - Individual Participation

Building on the success of our team model, we are excited to invite proposals for the 2026 ILiADS Digital Scholarship Incubator CTRL-ALT-Retreat, a new ILiADS offering designed to support individuals working independently on digital scholarship projects. Happening during the Institute, CTRL-ALT-Retreat offers a week-long, immersive environment tailored for faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduate students, and public storytellers and scholars engaged in independent digital scholarship. Whether you're refining an established project or just beginning to explore a new idea, the Incubator provides structured time, liaison expert support, and a collaborative community to help you move your project forward.

What to Expect

The schedule for the week includes focused project time supplemented by panels and talks designed around the cohort. This provides time for hands-on exploration and open inquiry while allowing for the community to drive professional development through responsive pop-up sessions and spontaneous collaborations. Over the course of the week, participants will learn more about their own collaboration and how to sustain their project into the future. 

Who Should Apply?

The steering committee encourages proposals from teams and individuals in whole or in part new to digital scholarship. We employ an expansive definition of "digital project" that can include topics like infrastructure development and pedagogical practice. Projects of all types, and in any stage, are welcomed. We invite projects led by staff and early career faculty, as well as projects with substantial undergraduate leadership. We especially encourage proposals that include those who are Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and people of color, people with disabilities, neurodivergent people, and LGBTQ+ people. 

Cost and Registration

Registration costs for the Institute are calculated per person. Participants should plan for how to cover registration, travel, and accommodations during the week: see the ILiADS logistics and estimated costs page for more detail. Accepted proposals will receive an MOU for participation. 

Registration

$750 per person for faculty and staff

$250 per person for students

Housing & Food

$250 per person for on campus housing & food (3 meals per day) on campus at Vassar College for the week (Sunday 7/26 through Friday 7/31)

Please note that campus housing will be in a Vassar College dorm that is not air-conditioned.

How to Apply

As you prepare your submission, please follow the proposal guidelines, which include examples of successful project proposals from the past.

Please submit your complete proposal using this Google Form by April 3. 

For questions, please email nsca...@vassar.edu, ILiADS Review Committee Chair and Host Representative.

Important Dates

• Mid-February, 2026: Call for Proposals
• April 3, 2026: Proposals Due (Guidelines)
• By May 1, 2026: Notification of Proposal Acceptance
• July 26-31, 2026: Join us at Vassar!

Call for Liaisons

Additionally, the ILiADS Steering Committee seeks people who might serve as liaisons to project at ILiADS 2026. Liaisons wear several hats - including project manager, coach, and technical expert - as they help shepherd teams and individuals from project acceptance in the spring through the week of the summer institute.We are seeking liaisons with any combination of expertise in: digital scholarship tools and methodologies; programming, multimedia, and design experience; or audio/video production skills, including 3-D/XR. If you’d like to be added to the liaison pool, fill out this form by April 3, 2026. We will begin contacting liaisons in early May. Please be aware that final liaison selection will be determined by the needs of the ILiADS teams and individuals attending. Please contact the Liaison Coordinator, Brinna Michael, at bm...@cornell.edu with questions. More information is available at: https://iliads.org/call-for-liaisons

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Nicole H. Scalessa

Head of Digital Scholarship and Technology Services

(845) 437-5219

she, her, hers

nsca...@vassar.edu

Book an appointment with me!

 

Digital Scholarship Services Collaboration 

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