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The Estonian Institute of Historical Memory invites young scholars to take part in an international research competition on communism.


The Estonian Institute of Historical Memory invites researchers aged up to 35 (including) to take part in an international research competition with their scientific publications or unpublished master’s and doctoral theses on the topic of the history of communist ideology or the various aspects of the activities of communist regimes.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 1500 and 3,000 euros respectively.

Papers may be submitted in Estonian, English, Russian, German, French and Finnish. If the paper is completed in another language, please add a summary in one of these languages. Submissions will be accepted from 1 October until 31 October 2018.



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

I. Objective of the competition

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

II. General provisions of the competition

The competition will be announced on 1 October on the EIHM website (mnemosyne.ee) and the announcement will also be disseminated through the information channels of EIHM partners and in the media.
In order to apply for the competition, a research paper and other necessary documents have to be submitted by 31 October (including the deadline). The names of the winners and the titles of their papers will be disclosed on the EIHM website by 30 November of the same year at the latest.
A research paper participating in the competition is understood as being:
3.1. unpublished master’s theses or doctoral dissertations that meet the content and format requirements based on academic practice;
3.2. published academic publications at the 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 3.1 or 3.2. level according to the Estonian Research Information System (ETIS) classification.
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 length) in one of the above-mentioned languages.
The themes of the research papers participating in the competition must tie in with one or several of the following fields of research:
5.1. the history of communist regimes and communist ideology;
5.2. human losses as the consequence of the implementation of the ideology and policies of communist regimes (crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide);
5.3. material and environmental damage caused by the ideology, policies and economic system of communist regimes;
5.4. (both successful and unsuccessful) attempts by communist regimes to establish communist polities in other countries (export of revolution);
5.5. the social, intellectual and spiritual legacy of the actions, ideology, and undertakings of communist regimes aimed at exerting influence in countries that have formerly been under the rule of communist regimes as well as in other countries.
Research papers participating in the competition are on themes 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.
The competition will be announced in two categories:
7.1. 1,500 euros for unpublished master’s theses or doctoral dissertations together with the opportunity to publish the work in the publication of the EIHM. The Estonian Institute of Historical Memory will organise the publication of awarded unpublished research papers in agreement with their authors;
7.2. 3,000 euros for published research publications.

III. Participation in the competition

Each 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 as participants.
Participants submit their research papers in PDF format, and other necessary documents, as e-mail attachments to the address konkurss@mnemosyne.ee under the heading ‘EIHM Research Papers Competition’:
9.1. for published research publications, the name and edition or volume of the publication together with the place and date of publication;
9.2. the participant’s consent for submitting the research paper to the competition in PDF format, including the participant’s name, telephone number, address, e-mail address, and verification of familiarisation with the competition statute.
The competition may not be participated in with a research paper that has already participated in the same competition in full or in part.
IV. Conduct of the competition

The EIHM will form a jury for carrying out the competition in accordance with the receipt of research papers. The chairman of the jury is a member of the Council or the management of the EIHM and has the deciding vote. Jury members must have a doctoral degree (PhD).
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 participant in the competition, or has a conflict of interest deriving from some other circumstance regarding a particular paper that had been submitted to the competition, this jury member will not participate in evaluating the research paper in question.
Each jury member will independently familiarise himself / herself with the papers in his 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.
The competition winners will be selected by a simple majority in voting held at a meeting of the jury. 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. Minutes will be recorded of the jury meeting(s). Jury meeting(s) may also be held electronically.
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.
The conferral of the awards is a public and festive event.
VII. Failure of the competition

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