The Estonian Institute of Historical Memory invites researchers aged up to 35 (included) to participate in an international research competition with their academic publications or unpublished Master’s and Doctoral theses on the history of communist ideology or the various aspects of the activities of communist regimes. The topics do not need to be related to Estonia’s history.

Submitted papers are evaluated in two categories and rewarded with €1,500 and €3,000 respectively.

Papers may be submitted in Estonian, English, Russian, German, French or Finnish. If the paper is in a different language, please add a summary in one of the aforementioned languages. Submissions will be accepted until 31 March 2021 (included).

The 2018 competition winners were:

  1. In the category of unpublished papers, Stefan Gužvica (Central European University) with Before Tito: The Communist Party of Yugoslavia during the Great Purge (1936–1940), published by Tallinn University Press in 2020;
  2. In the category of published articles, Elena Kochetkova (University of Helsinki) with Industry and Forests: Alternative Raw Materials in the Soviet Forestry Industry from the mid-1950s to the 1960s (published in Environment and History 24(3), August 2018).

Further information:

Eli Pilve
Estonian Institute of Historical Memory / Researcher-Project Manager
eli.pilve@mnemosyne.ee
phone +372 5622 9686
Tõnismägi 8, 10119 Tallinn

 

Statute of the Estonian Institute of Historical Memory International Research Papers Competition

I Objective of the competition

The objective of this international research paper competition is to support the research of young scholars (up to 35 years old) in the Estonian Institute of Historical Memory’s (henceforth EIHM) fields of research.

II General provisions of the competition

  1. The competition will be announced on 22 February 2021 on the EIHM website (mnemosyne.ee) and the announcement will also be publicised in the EIHM partners’ information channels and in the media.
  2. In order to apply for the competition, a research paper and other necessary documents have to be submitted by 31 March 2021 (included). The winners’ names and the titles of their papers will be disclosed on the EIHM website by 30 April of the same year at the latest.
  3. A research paper participating in the competition is understood as being:
    • an unpublished Master’s thesis or Doctoral dissertation that meets the academic content and format requirements. A published paper is understood as being an edited and published monograph available on the market.
    • a published academic publication at the 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 3.1, 3.2. level according to the Estonian Research Information System (ETIS) classification.
  4. Research papers that are not written in Estonian, English, Russian, German or French must be provided with a summary (up to 9,000 characters) in one of the above-mentioned languages.
  5. The topics of the research papers participating in the competition must tie in with one or several of the following fields of research:
    • the history of communist regimes and communist ideology;
    • human losses as a consequence of the implementation of the ideology and policies of communist regimes (crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide);
    • material and environmental damage caused by the ideology, policies and economic system of communist regimes;
    • (both successful and unsuccessful) attempts by communist regimes to establish communist polities in other countries (export of revolution);
    • the social and intellectual legacy of the actions, ideology, and influence of communist regimes in countries formerly under communist rule as well as in other countries.
  6. Research papers participating in the competition are on topics that according to the ETIS classification of fields and specialties of research belong to the general category 2. Culture and Society, and to the categories 1.4. Ecology, Biosystematics and –physiology; 1.8. Research relating to the State of the Environment and to Environmental Protection; 1.9. Research into Substances Hazardous to the Environment; and 1.11. Research relating to Environmental Policy, Environmental Economy and Environmental Law, under the general category 1. Biosciences and Environment.
  7. The competition will be announced in two categories:
    • 3,000 euros for an unpublished doctoral dissertation and 1,500 euros for an unpublished Master’s thesis with an opportunity to publish the paper in an EIHM publication. The Estonian Institute of Historical Memory will organise the publication of awarded unpublished research papers in agreement with their authors.
    • 1,500 euros for published research publications.

III. Participation in the competition

  1. Competition participant (henceforth participant) may submit only one research paper that has been written in the same or preceding calendar year as that of the competition. Collectives of authors are also considered a participant.
  2. The participant submits their research paper (in PDF format) and other necessary documents as e-mail attachments to the address eli.pilve@mnemosyne.ee under the subject line ‘EIHM Research Papers Competition’:
    • a curriculum vitae including an overview of the participant’s academic research and published publications;
    • the participant’s consent for submitting the research paper to the competition.
  3. A research paper that has already participated in this competition in full or in part may not be submitted again.

IV Conduct of the competition

11. The EIHM will form a jury to carry out the competition in accordance with the receipt of research papers. The chairman of the jury is a member of the Council or the Board of the EIHM and has the deciding vote. Jury members must have a doctoral degree (PhD).

12. If a jury member is a supervisor of a research paper submitted to the competition or is a close relative, spouse or family member of a competition participant, or has a conflict of interest deriving from some other circumstance regarding a particular paper that has been submitted to the competition, this jury member will not participate in the evaluation of the research paper in question.

13. Each jury member will independently familiarise herself / himself with the papers in their field of expertise, filling out the evaluation form for each individual research paper (see the appendix). The completed evaluation forms will be sent to all jury members.

14. The competition winners will be selected by a simple majority vote held at a jury meeting. If the best two or more papers are tied in the number of points earned in the first voting round, a second voting round will be held for those papers. If the second voting round also produces a tie in the points awarded, a third voting round will be held. During the jury meeting(s), minutes will be taken. Jury meeting(s) may also be held electronically.

15. The jury has the right to propose to the EIHM not to award some of the prizes, or to declare the competition a failure, in the event of the absence of research papers of sufficient quality.

16. The competition results will be announced on the EIHM website (mnemosyne.ee) and the winners will be contacted personally.

V Failure of the competition

17. The competition will be considered a failure if not a single research paper submitted to the competition meets the requirements of the statute. In the event of the failure of the competition, a repeat competition will be announced.

APPENDIX 1. Evaluation form

 

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you require further information:

Eli Pilve
eli.pilve@mnemosyne.ee
+372 5622 9686