The Program in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies
The GSWS Program and Center for Research in Feminist, Queer, and Transgender Studies are pleased to announce that we will again be co-sponsoring The Feminist Theory Workshop (FTW) to be held at Duke University on Friday, March 20th and Saturday, March 21st, 2026.
What is FTW?
FTW has, since the first gathering in 2007, promoted diverse dialogue among scholars of feminist theory and fostered a vibrant intellectual community. To that end, we bring together internationally recognized keynote speakers and emerging young scholars to engage in lively and focused debate. Our 2026 keynote speakers are: Dr. Jane Ward (The University of California, Santa Barbara), Dr. Sarah Haley (Columbia University), Dr. Erica Edwards (Yale University), and Dr. Anne A. Cheng (Princeton University). Additionally, this year we are excited to launch a new concluding event, “Last Words,” a conversation between Dr. Hortense Spillers (Vanderbilt University) and Dr. Sharon Holland (University of North Carolina).
As part of our participation, GSWS/FQT will be sending four eligible graduate students, post-docs, and/or faculty members to Duke to participate in the workshop. Those members of the Penn community whose applications are accepted will have their travel and accommodation expenses fully covered by GSWS/FQT.
To apply, please send the following to Gwendolyn Beetham at gbeetham@sas.upenn.edu
- Name, Department and Advisor, year of study (if applicable)
- 500-word statement indicating how your work might benefit from the workshop and/or how this workshop would further your professional development, as well as information about your current project(s) and/or teaching and how feminist, queer, and/or trans theory is situated therein
- List of previous GSWS/FQT awards (if applicable)
Please note that, due to limited funding, only GSWS graduate certificate students will be considered for this opportunity. Post-docs and faculty with no other research funding will also be prioritized. Deadline for receipt of applications is Friday, October 31st, 2025. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance by Friday, November 7th.
