AABS is pleased to recognize Mārtiņš Kaprāns for his fulfillment of the 2022–2023 Mudīte I. Zīlīte Saltups Fellowship, a short-term study or research grant for up to eight weeks of study in the United States with a maximum stipend of $10,000.
©Mārtiņš Kaprāns, 2023
Mārtiņš Kaprāns is a senior researcher at the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, University of Latvia. He received a PhD in communication science from University of Latvia in 2012. Over the previous decade, he has been involved in several large-scale research projects on Baltic labor migrants, Russian-speaking communities in the Baltic states, ideological polarization in Baltic societies, ethnic stereotypes and prejudices in Latvia, and historical politics in Baltic countries and Central Europe. Currently, Kaprāns is the head of Latvian state research program “The archaeology of independence: Towards a new conceptual perspective on national resistance in Latvia”. His most recent articles are published in Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Journal of Baltic Studies, Memory Studies, Euro-Asia Studies, as well as in numerous international collections.
The Impact of an Award: Report from Mārtiņš Kaprāns
After the completion of his fellowship, Mārtiņš Kaprāns submitted a reflection to AABS.
We thank him for his permission to publish his thoughts, which have been lightly edited.
The goal of my Saltups Fellowship was to visit the United States and pursue research project. During my stay in the US, I was hosted by Institute of Slavic, Eastern European, and Eurasian Studies (ISEEES) at the University of California, Berkeley. On October 14, I gave a talk at ISEEES that focused on Russophone Community in Latvia after the Russian Invasion in Ukraine. This event was well attended, and an exciting discussion took place after the talk. In Berkeley, I took the opportunity to visit the university library that provided me with useful resources as I was working on several scientific publications. I also had a chance to participate in ISEEES researchers’ networking events and attend lectures organized by ISEEES.
After three weeks in Berkeley, I went to Stanford, where I worked at the Hoover Archives (1–9 November) with the collection “Register of the Boris Andreevich Grushin Papers, 1960-1974”. I also managed to meet Liisi Esse, Administrative Executive Director of the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies, who kindly introduced me with the university’s library. On 6 November, I gave another talk in San Francisco where I was invited by the Northern California Latvian Association. This was also a well-attended and inspiring event.
From 10 to 13 November, I took part in the 54th ASEEES convention in Chicago where I presented a paper “Power Differentials and Personal Agency of Editor-in-chief in Late Soviet era Latvian Media: The Case of Jānis Škapars”. On 14 November, I gave another talk at the event that was organized by Chicago Latvian Society.
I am very grateful to the commission who granted me the Mudīte I. Zīlīte Saltups fellowship. This provided me with new opportunities to get acquainted with the American academic community and filled me with the intellectual energy I was so thirsty for.
– Mārtiņš Kaprāns, 2023
Mārtiņš Kaprāns
What is the Saltups Felllowship?
The Saltups Fellowships are short-term study or research grants for up to eight weeks of study in the United States with a maximum stipend of $10,000.
The grants are funded from a bequest in memory of Dr. Mudīte I. Zīlīte Saltups. Dr. Saltups’ will provides that recipients of a fellowship must be citizens of the Republic of Latvia, speak Latvian, have their permanent residence in Latvia, and come to the United States to study or conduct research.
The application deadline for academic year 2023-2024 is February 1, 2023. Applications will be evaluated by the AABS 2022–2024 Grants Committee consisting of AABS VP for Professional Development Dr. Kaarel Piirimäe, AABS President Dr. Dovilė Budrytė, and AABS Director-at-Large Dr. Daunis Auers. Award notifications will be made in April 2023.
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