November 6, 2009

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

(click on a topic below to go to questions under that category, or simply scroll down)

General Information

What is ACDIS? What does it do? Who is involved?

Please visit the appropriate pages on the ACDIS website to for more information about the mission and general activities of the program. The program is primarily comprised of faculty, students, and staff at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, but also features participation by some faculty affiliates from other campuses and program alumni dispersed across the globe. You can view profiles of many of these individuals in our directory. ACDIS also welcomes participation, for example at the majority of its speaking events, from other faculty, students, and the general public.

Can you tell me about the program’s history?

We have provided a short history of ACDIS on our website.

Courses, Certificate and Degree Programs

Does ACDIS offer a degree program, minor, or certificate at the undergraduate or graduate level?

Not at this time, although a number of international security courses have been developed with ACDIS support and input. These courses complement students’ general education and help to prepare them for academic and professional careers in nuclear nonproliferation, peace and conflict studies, and international security. See a catalog of international security courses offered at Illinois, or have a look at the course offerings for current or forthcoming semesters.

Since ACDIS does not offer a degree, minor, or certificate, how can I become involved or take courses developed by the program and its faculty?

Interested undergraduate and graduate students should first enroll in degree programs at the University of Illinois, and then work with their academic advisors to choose the international security courses most relevant to their disciplinary and career goals. 

You can find more information on undergraduate programs of study and graduate programs of study at the University of Illinois through the campus' main website. 

Funding for Students

Does ACDIS have any fellowships or scholarships available for undergraduates or graduates?

Currently, ACDIS offers two separate competitive awards to undergraduates enrolled at the University of Illinois to support their research, internships, or study abroad travel related to international security. You can learn more about these awards, application processes, and criteria for selection by visiting our funding opportunities web page. These awards are supported through contributions to an endowment fund.

At this time we are not offering graduate fellowships, although ultimately we hope to increase the endowment fund to also offer an endowed graduate fellowship in international security studies. Please continue to check our website for further developments.

Employment, Internships, Professional Development

Are there any employment opportunities in ACDIS for students? If so, how can I apply for them?

ACDIS does have some limited employment opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students, in areas such as website management, communications, and research assistantships. Normally, students must be enrolled at the University of Illinois to be employed by ACDIS. These positions are subject to funding and do not become available at regular intervals, so please check our website periodically for job opening announcements. When positions become available, we also typically post the announcements to the Virtual Job Board managed by the University's Office of Financial Aid.

Does ACDIS offer any internships to students?

We do not currently have internships directly available through our program. However, we do maintain a database of international security-related internships offered by other organizations in the US and around the world. The database is intended to help students identify internship opportunities relevant to topics of interest to the ACDIS program, and can be browsed by topic or geographic region, or searched using keywords.

How can I become involved in the research projects of ACDIS faculty members?

A good first step would be to browse our faculty directory, where you can find descriptions of our core faculty members’ publications and ongoing research, and links to their home department web pages for more information. You may choose to contact the faculty members whose research is of interest to you directly by email, but should be aware that most faculty members can only employ a select number of students, normally at the graduate level, to assist in their research.

Can I submit my original work to any of the ACDIS publications?

ACDIS produces several different types of publications, which can be viewed by using the links under "Publications" in our website menu, at left. Normally, we do not accept unsolicited manuscripts for publication. However, if you have work that you feel may especially be of interest to ACDIS, please contact our office by email. It would be helpful to browse the series of publications first in order to assess the suitability of your subject matter and manuscript before contacting us.

Does ACDIS have any venues in which I can give presentations of my work?

Each semester, ACDIS holds a series of brown bag lectures. It is not uncommon for advanced graduate students to present their original research as part of this series. If you have work you feel would be suitable for one of these events, please contact our office by email. In order to assess whether your topic is a good fit for an ACDIS-sponsored presentation, it may help to first browse our publications, news stories, and calendar of events.

ACDIS Program Events

Are there any ACDIS events for students?

ACDIS offers a number of lectures, public symposia and workshops throughout the academic year, which are usually free and open to the public. We encourage interested students of all disciplines and levels to attend these events. See our calendar for detailed information about upcoming events, or you can also view information about past events by entering applicable search dates.

Can I receive email notifications about upcoming ACDIS events?

You can receive email notifications about upcoming ACDIS events by subscribing to our listserv. In order to join our listserv, simply send an email to our Office Manager requesting that your email address be added. Also, if you are present on campus, you may sign up for the listserv in the ACDIS main office in room 359 of the Armory Building, 505 E. Armory, Champaign, IL.

Research and Study Resources

Does ACDIS have literature, documentary, or archival resources that I can use for my research?

ACDIS no longer operates its own library; however, all materials that were previously held in the ACDIS library are now in circulation through the main library. Some of these materials are now part of the Arms Control Collection in the Education and Social Sciences Library. Also, room 356 (Armory Building) in the ACDIS office suite contains a large collection of international security-related periodicals and news bulletins, as well as an archive of ACDIS Occasional Papers, Research Reports, Policy Briefs, and our periodic bulletin, Swords and Ploughshares. These materials may be browsed in room 356; please check with our office manager at (217)333-7086 or by email before visiting, as this room is also used for classes, workshops, and meetings.