University of Chicago neubauer collegium unveils nine groundbreaking research projects for 2025-26

UChicago’s Bold Research Initiatives for 2025-26: The Neubauer Collegium for Culture and Society at the University of Chicago is set to embark on a bold journey with its pioneering research projects for 2025-26. These initiatives, designed to tackle complex societal challenges, are not just another set of research projects. They are innovative, they are daring, and they are set to push the boundaries of traditional scholarship.

Since its inception, the Neubauer Collegium has championed interdisciplinary research, fostering collaborations that transcend traditional academic boundaries. With this year's cohort, the Collegium has supported a total of 147 research initiatives, reinforcing its commitment to humanistic inquiry and innovative problem-solving.

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The Power of Human-Centered Solutions

"The unifying concept for our 10-year milestone is ‘The Solution Is Human,’" said Tara Zahra, the Roman Family Director of the Neubauer Collegium. “It’s fitting that this year’s projects embody the conviction that humanistic research is central to understanding the world and changing it for the better. I am excited to see where these new initiatives lead.”

With a strong emphasis on creative methodologies and interdisciplinary collaboration, the selected projects aim to reimagine traditional research approaches while addressing pressing global issues.

A Closer Look at the 2025-26 Research Initiatives

1. Arts Labs II: Experimentation at the Intersection of Art and Research

Building on previous efforts to integrate artistic practice into scholarly inquiry, Arts Labs II consists of five interlinked projects that promote critical engagement with the arts. These labs will serve as incubators for creative experimentation, fostering discussions among academics, artists, and cultural practitioners about the evolving role of artistic research in academia and society.

2. Autonomy Is Not Freedom and the Sticky Ball: Rethinking Environmental Rights

This thought-provoking project brings together three North American land-based collectives to examine the discourse of rights in environmental politics critically. By integrating artistic methods with data collection, the research team will develop an innovative framework that challenges existing narratives surrounding land autonomy, governance, and environmental justice.

3. The Case of the Human II: A Holistic Approach to Understanding the Human Condition

Expanding on a global initiative to redefine "the human," this project seeks to bridge the divide between medical and humanistic perspectives. Through a series of case studies set to be published in a special edition of The Lancet, the initiative will establish the University of Chicago as a leading hub for medical humanities research, exploring the intersection of biology, culture, and identity.

4. Humanistic AI: Navigating the Intersection of AI and the Humanities

As artificial intelligence continues to reshape society, this project aims to redefine how humanistic inquiry interacts with generative models and AI-driven cultural production. Through a series of interdisciplinary workshops, scholars will explore the ethical, philosophical, and creative implications of AI in the humanities, laying the foundation for a new paradigm in humanistic research.

5. The LGBTQ+ Intergenerational Dialogue Project: Bridging Generations Through Conversation

By facilitating meaningful conversations between younger and older LGBTQ+ individuals, this project seeks to assess the impact of intergenerational dialogue on personal and community well-being. Researchers will examine how these exchanges influence identity development, mental health, and social cohesion within LGBTQ+ communities, ultimately aiming to create lasting networks of support and understanding.

6. Linguistic Futures: Revitalizing Endangered Languages and Rethinking Sociolinguistic Theory

Language revitalization efforts have surged in recent years, offering valuable insights into linguistic evolution and sociolinguistic theory. This project will harness new evidence and methodologies to place language shift at the center of linguistic scholarship, challenging conventional assumptions and expanding the field's theoretical boundaries.

7. The Political Theory of Labor Unions: Understanding Solidarity and Class Identity

With American support for labor unions at its highest in decades, this project will examine the political and philosophical dimensions of modern union movements. By bringing together political theorists, historians, and philosophers, the initiative will explore questions of solidarity, class identity, and the evolving role of unions in an increasingly fragmented labor landscape.

8. Sonic Borderlands of South Asia: Music, Dance, and Cross-Border Connections

Exploring the rich and often contested soundscape of South Asia, this two-year project will integrate music and dance performance into a broader investigation of cross-border cultural exchange. As part of an International Balzan Prize project, the initiative will convene scholars, performers, writers, and filmmakers to analyze the role of sonic encounters in shaping regional identities.

9. Translation Networks and the Stakes of Comparison: Mapping the Flow of Arabic and Hebrew Literature

By creating digital tools to visualize the networks through which Arabic and Hebrew texts are translated and circulated, this project will lay the groundwork for a large-scale comparative study of literary translation. The research will shed light on the cultural and political forces that influence the reception of this literature in the Western world, offering new perspectives on global literary exchange.

A Vision for the Future

The Neubauer Collegium's 2025-26 research projects are not just about addressing urgent societal challenges. They are about shaping the future of humanistic inquiry. By embracing cross-disciplinary collaboration, these initiatives will push the boundaries of traditional scholarship, paving the way for new ideas, methodologies, and solutions that will redefine the field.

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As these projects unfold, they promise to deepen our understanding of language, identity, labor, AI, environmental rights, and artistic expression—ultimately reaffirming the idea that, indeed, the solution is human. Keep reading at Education Post News for more global updates.