Applied History

Field trip at Colorado Springs

Interested in our 2025 Indigenous-Focused Summer Workshop? Click here for more information!

The CU Boulder Applied History Initiative is looking for early and mid-career scholars whose research focuses on Indigenous history and who are looking to adapt their traditional academic skills to reach wider audiences. The 2025 Indigenous-Focused Applied History Workshop will be held from July 14th to July 24th, 2025 at the CU Boulder campus in Boulder, Colorado. Applications for the ten-day Indigenous-Focused Summer Workshop are due no later than December 17th, 2024. Please click here for more information about the 2025 Indigenous-Focused Applied History Workshop.

What Is The Applied History Initiative?

Patty Limerick has been “turning hindsight into foresight” by conjuring up innovative strategies to convey deeper understandings and reflections, on Western issues to a wide range of public audiences. After decades of field-testing these strategies and techniques, she is well-positioned to invite emerging scholars into a promising and expansive domain of historical practice. 

The Applied History Initiative offers young historians the opportunity to cultivate new skills and build a community of support.

  • Do you want to find new and innovative ways to apply your academic skill sets beyond the classroom? If so, look into our Applied History opportunities (Mellon Foundation support ends in August, 2024). 
     
  • Are you looking for guidance in maximizing the scholarly impact--AND the public impact--of your dissertation? Our Maverick Thinking alliance could advance that cause. 
     
  • Does your research focus on Indigenous History and are you interested in working with experts in the field? If so, please look into our Summer Indigenous History Workshop which will be offered for Summer 2025.

The time has come to position Applied History, the practice of bringing historical perspective to bear on current dilemmas and conflicts, into a career opportunity for every emerging historian who wants to make a difference. The following two problems are driving forces of our mission:

I. American society has struggled with a persistent case of historical amnesia. When the interpretation of history has been lodged at the center of public disputes, the amnesia persists, placing the disputes beyond the reach of productive discussion and resolution.

II. Emerging scholars with PhDs in history are enter a discouraging job market and are facing a stark scarcity of academic positions.

The relationship between these problems presents the Applied History Initiative and affiliated scholars with an open arena for creativity and innovation.

Join the team!!! 

We are located in rooms C224/C225 on the 2nd floor of the SEEC building which is located on CU Boulder's East Campus at the intersection of Foothills Parkway and Colorado Avenue. Visitor parking is available in the lot in front of the SEEL building. Bus service is available from Main Campus.