Spring Academy

The Spring Academy on American History, Culture & Politics is an annual, one-week interdisciplinary conference for PhD candidates at the Heidelberg Center for American Studies (HCA). It welcomes early-stage researchers in American Studies for an exciting cross-disciplinary and intercultural dialogue. 

Every year, the HCA invites 20 outstanding doctoral candidates from diverse academic disciplines to Heidelberg to present their dissertation projects in the field of American Studies. Participants prepare a 20-minute presentation of their research projects, followed by a primary discussion session. 

Possible topics for presentation and discussion are American literature and culture, US history, domestic an40-minuted foreign policy, geography, religion, economics, sociology, musicology, and law. Race, class, and gender are frequently employed analytical categories. This diversity of disciplines and approaches enables students from different academic backgrounds to become part of the Spring Academy Network for American Studies, a unique international intellectual network of young and aspiring researchers that has been successfully established by the HCA over the past years and is continuously expanding.

This network enables Spring Academy alumni to connect or stay in touch via a direct mailing list curated by the Spring Academy organizers, e.g., to launch new research projects or organize conferences. The directory also announces CfPs or other interesting news to its members. Our long-term goal is to make this network an established reference source in the field of American Studies that also helps non-Spring Academy alumni to find experts in their research area. 

Members are listed in alphabetical order under their main discipline. Sub-disciplines or cross-disciplinary works are identified individually. For further information about the Spring Academy Network or how to get in touch with former participants, please contact the Spring Academy team. Former participants are also invited to stay in touch through our private Spring Academy Facebook Group.

Since 2005, the HCA’s Spring Academy has been generously supported by John Deere, one of the oldest companies in the US and the leading manufacturer of agricultural machinery worldwide.

The 2026 HCA Spring Academy is facilitated by Dr. Wilfried Mausbach and coordinated by Virginia Zentgraf and Jonas Buchholz.

Upcoming Spring Academy: March 23-27, 2026
Application period: September 1 – November 15, 2025