Digging Up Data: Turning an Idea into Digital Scholarship invites applications for a selective, nine-month program to advance digital research with public outreach components that is related to the study of the ancient Near East. The 2026 program will focus on peer mentorship, networking, and project development for those in intermediate and advanced stages of digital archaeology, Assyriology, art history, and related projects. Depending on interests and availability, incoming cohort members may be matched with a program alumnus who will serve as a peer mentor. If you are applying digital methods for early career research, please consider applying!
Format and Program Requirements: Online workshops will be held on a semi-monthly basis from March through November 2026, hosted by program director Dr. Melissa Cradic and featuring a rotating list of guest faculty who will share their expertise in different areas of digital humanities. Participants will periodically share project overviews, progress updates, and challenges during meeting sessions in a welcoming, informal, and supportive environment where they can receive targeted help and feedback from the group. During the program year, participants are expected to develop a public-facing, engaging, and data-driven digital project. Their work culminates in a short workshop presentation at the ASOR Annual Meeting (virtual or in-person).
About the 2026 Digging Up Data Program: Digging Up Data: Turning an Idea into Digital Scholarship is a professional development and digital humanities mentorship program created and sponsored jointly by The Alexandria Archive Institute/Open Context and ASOR’s Early Career Scholars Committee. After four years of successfully supporting development of early career researchers’ digital projects, Digging Up Data is launching a new phase: this year’s program initiates a peer mentorship model for incoming participants and builds a sustainable working group for digital scholars in intermediate and advanced project stages.
This next generation of the program fosters a network of program members and alumni whose projects represent a range of digital methodologies and approaches that have allowed them to develop skills and practices around data literacy and digital storytelling. These seasoned members partner with new cohort members who work on related projects to provide a strong network of support, accountability, and peer mentorship.
Participants in this selective program will have an opportunity to:
- share their projects and tools with a community of interested peers.
- practice skills around digital storytelling by working on their public-facing project components and narratives.
- network with other early career scholars interested in digital humanities projects, data literacy, and digital scholarship.
- meet (virtually) several times throughout the upcoming year with other participants and program mentors to engage in conversations around data literacy and digital scholarship.
- work one-on-one with program mentors to develop professional skills that will be useful for both the academic and the professional job markets.
- draft proposals for digital projects that can serve as the framework for future grant applications.
- continue building their digital projects.
- present and workshop their projects in-depth to the network for feedback and peer review.
- present some aspect of their work at the 2026 ASOR Annual Meeting (in person and/or virtually).
To apply, please complete the google form linked here. Applicants will be asked to:
- Briefly describe your intended digital project. Address your research questions/goals, methodology, dataset, and particular hurdles that you face in the completion of your project, the aspect(s) of your project that you are currently trying to advance. What form does your public-facing component take, or what form do you envision it taking? (2500 characters)
- Explain why you want to participate in this program, including the kinds of training you are most interested in, and what you hope to get out of the program. (1250 characters)
- Briefly describe the digital scholarship tools and platforms that you have worked with and your level of comfort with these tools/platforms. (1250 characters)
- Are you willing to commit to leading a Digging Up Data meeting session to workshop your project? The session would spotlight your project, its digital tools, and technical or other hurdles that you have encountered. If so, please provide a rough outline of the content and approach of your session. (2500 characters)
- Upload a current C.V. or resume.
- Provide contact information for two professional references.
- Indicate what days you are available to meet from 9–10am Pacific/12–1pm EST.
All skill levels are welcome. This program is open to graduate students, early career scholars, postdoctoral researchers, museum professionals, public archaeologists, and university faculty in early career stages.
Applications are due by 5:00pm Pacific/8:00pm Eastern on March 6, 2026. For more information, please e-mail melissa@opencontext.org.
