“Project Writing in Social Sciences and Humanities” Training Held at IUE

Organized by the Researcher Training Coordinatorship at İzmir University of Economics, the “Project Writing in Social Sciences and Humanities” training was held on June 17, 2025, with a large number of participants from both within and outside the university. The event aimed to introduce TÜBİTAK’s funding programs in the field of social sciences and to share practical information about academic project preparation processes, with the goal of increasing researchers' awareness of the full project cycle.

In the first part of the program, Alperen Zekeriya Karataş, Group Coordinator of TÜBİTAK/SOBAG, explained the differences between periodical (call-based) and continuous (open throughout the year) application processes. He gave an overview of commonly used programs in the social sciences, such as 1001, 1002, 3005, and 3501, outlining their key features and application conditions. He noted that the 1001 program stands out as TÜBİTAK’s “flagship” due to receiving the highest number of applications across all disciplines, including social and human sciences. He explained that the 1002 program supports short-term projects with an urgent data need, while the 3005 program focuses on innovative solutions in the social sciences. The 3501 program, designed for early-career researchers, was highlighted as an important opportunity for junior academics. Karataş also shared statistical data on the number of applications submitted by various universities and provided information about the panel-based evaluation process that follows submission.

Following Karataş’s presentation, Prof. Dr. Neslihan Yetkiner, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and a member of the TÜBİTAK/SOBAG Advisory Board, gave a detailed presentation on how to prepare a TÜBİTAK project proposal. She discussed the key evaluation criteria, including Scientific Excellence, Aim and Objectives, Methodology, Project Management, and Impact. In the section on Scientific Excellence, she emphasized that simply listing publications is not enough when conducting a literature review; instead, a relevant, up-to-date, and comprehensive synthesis should be provided. She highlighted the importance of using reliable academic databases such as WoS, Scopus, and JSTOR. She also pointed out that team-based applications are preferred over individual ones, and that involving early-career researchers in project teams is encouraged. Additionally, she noted that preparing a strong project proposal is not something that can be done in just a few weeks. Ideally, the preparation process should take between six months to a year, and the proposal should be finalized at least one month before the application deadline. She also underlined the importance of planning the risk management realistically and with clear justification.

The event concluded with a Q&A session, during which participants had the opportunity to directly ask questions about the project writing and application process. It was also announced that the training will continue in collaboration with the Faculty of Arts and Sciences with a two-stage workshop to be held on June 23 and July 2, 2025.