This special event, now in its tenth year, is designed to broaden the diversity of perspectives in political science by encouraging talented students from underrepresented backgrounds who are engaged in original research projects to apply to PhD programs at Michigan and elsewhere.

We understand diversity in broad terms: it includes underrepresented groups of all kinds, such as, for example, first-generation college students or first-generation Americans.

The Emerging Scholars Conference enables undergraduate students to discuss their research (whether completed or in progress) in a serious academic but low-pressure situation that exposes them to a world of scholarly exchange at a higher level. Past events have been a great success with students presenting on a wide range of topics and methods that reflect early forays into original social science scholarship.