The purpose of this guide is to offer doctoral students a brief rundown of some of the available resources pertaining to the study of Russia, Eastern Europe, and Eurasia. It should serve as a jumping-off point for students to help them get a grasp of life in academia, which can often be difficult, confusing, and overwhelming. Our hope is that by having some idea of what to expect, what to keep an eye out for, and where to go, the woes of grad school life and research will be partly eased for doctoral students. Of course, students should check with their professors and advisors before embarking on any particular research path, but it is our hope that this guide will help with the basic details of scholarly research that can often be so confusing for young, early career scholars.

In this LibGuide we've included information pertaining to doctoral fellowships, both here at the University of Illinois and beyond. Furthermore, you’ll come across fellowships for conducting research abroad. You’ll find information on scholarly associations and both national and regional regional conferences, too. We’ve also included a section on mental and emotional support for life in academia.

Aside from giving doctoral students some direction about academic life pertaining to Russia, Eastern Europe, and Eurasia, we’ve also included some sections to help students begin their research. In these sections, we’ve featured a list of some of the most important library collections pertaining to the region from around the country, a rundown of the services available at various libraries in the US and Europe to help scholars in their research, and a brief compendium to help prepare first-time researchers to begin work on their dissertations and do long-term research.

While we strive to cover many areas in this guide, and we've done our best to anticipate and answer potential questions, our coverage is not necessarily comprehensive. Thus, if you should have any questions whatsoever about the research process, library collections, or the research programs affiliated with the University of Illinois, feel free to contact the Slavic Reference Service. You can set up an in-person appointment, send an email to: srscite@library.illinois.edu, or give us a call at 217-333-1349.