The second annual Eugene England Summer Institute (EESI) will take place in Midway, Utah, June 7-13, 2026. This will be a week-long writing retreat for dissertating graduate students, early-career faculty, and independent scholars working on books related to Mormon studies. EESI fosters scholarship on “Mormonism,” broadly construed, through mentoring and peer support. We create community and relationships among scholars representing a diversity of backgrounds, research subjects, and methodologies.

Summer seminars–including those run by Richard Bushman, Claudia Bushman, Laurie Maffly-Kipp and Terryl Givens–have played a crucial role for Latter-day Saint scholarship in the twenty-first century. They have created community, enabled networking, and cultivated cutting-edge research. The EESI aims to continue that legacy by supporting scholars seeking to navigate tumultuous scholarly and cultural terrains.

EESI participants will remain in-residence in a luxurious townhome at Zermatt Resort from Sunday night through Saturday afternoon. Mornings and afternoons will be dedicated to writing, as everyone will work on their manuscripts-in-progress. Late-afternoons will feature workshops on topics related to scholarship and community. There will also be recreational activities, one-on-one mentoring, and guest lectures/discussions throughout the week. Following the week-long institute, participants will provide ongoing feedback to one another in monthly workshops via Zoom for the following year.

Potential workshop topics: 

• Constructing a dissertation/book manuscript

• The process of writing and researching

• Drafting a book proposal

• The stakes of being a Mormon intellectual

• Surviving the academy/scholarly world

Participation is restricted to 1) graduate students ideally in the dissertation stage, 2) independent scholars who have yet to publish a book, and 3) junior academics within five years of receiving their PhD who have not published their first monograph.

We reserve one spot for a more senior scholar who can compliment the mentoring of the directors while also working on their writing project.

Housing and food will be covered for all accepted participants. Limited travel reimbursements may also be available on a needs basis.