Affiliates

Alliance of Independent Scholars
Elizabeth Coons, Coordinator
1710 Commonwealth Ave, #6
Brighton, MA 02135
617-277-1296
E-Mail: ecoons@peoplepe.com

The AIS was founded initially in 1978 as a support group for women scholars in Greater Boston who had
lost academic positions through retrenchment. AI continues to serve scholars active in research but who lack academic affiliation. AIS meets monthly to discuss members’ work in progress and circulates
information about resources for scholarship and supports reading groups pertaining to members’
interests.

Capital Area Independent Scholars
Kay Orlans
4821 Montgomery Lane, #702
Bethesda, MD 20814
301-652-2256
E-Mail: kayorlans@comcast.net
CAIS was founded in 1992 and brings independent scholars together monthly (September to May) for
discussion of topics of scholarly interest and of works in progress. All meetings are open to the public; guests are welcome. Members’ disciplines include literature, history, art history, anthropology,
sociology, foreign affairs, chemistry, genetics, biography, philosophy, military history and
entomology.

Center for Independent Study
Marie-Dominique Boyce
PO 203193 Yale Station
New Haven, CT 06520
Website: www.cistudy.org
E-Mail: marie-dominique.boyce@yale.edu
With 55-60 members, CIS was one of the first in a national movement to provide a forum for individuals
of diverse academic and intellectual pursuits, CIS was incorporated as a non-profit organization in
1977. Membership is open to anyone with a commitment to intellectual pursuits, not only scholars
with traditional disciplinary interests, but also artists, photographers, fiction writers, editors and translators. Members share their work at monthly Board meetings, in study groups around individual interests, at public lectures and readings, during informal lunches and through the CISS newsletter. There is a Fall and Spring meeting with a general speaker. CIS periodically sponsors a conference on a general subject that mingles well-known people in relevant fields, whether independent scholars or not, with its own members.

Independent Scholars’ Association of the North
Carolina Triangle (ISA/NCT)
June Narber, President
Office of Continuing Education and University
Summer Programs
Duke University, Box 90700
Durham, NC 27708-0700
919-349-6425
E-Mail: jnarber@yahoo.com

ISA/NCT was founded in 1983 to provide science and humanities scholars with collegial support for
research and a public forum for testing ideas, projects and grants. It meets bimonthly in the Research Triangle area on Sunday afternoons in members’ homes, with a potluck meal following the program.
At these meetings, members present their own research or listen to invited speakers. Programs are
traditionally varied and cover a wide range of scholarly topics. Grant awards are made from time to
time to members with a promising research project. All meetings are open and free for anyone interested.

Institute for Historical Study
Michael Griffin, President
P.O. Box 5743
Berkeley, CA 94705
Website: www.tihs.org
E-Mail: information@tihs.org
The IHS, with 125 members, was founded in 1980 as a non-profit, public benefit organization to promote
the research, writing and public discussion of history. Membership is open to independent and academically affiliated scholars who are in agreement with its aims and have a commitment to any field of historical study, including history of art, literature and theater. Members are invited to present their work-inprogress for comment and discussion at informal monthly meetings, and there are several ongoing study groups. The IHS also sponsors and cosponsors public programs such as lectures,
conferences and workshops.

Minnesota Independent Scholars’ Forum
David Juncker, President
P.O. Box 80235, Lake Street Station
Minneapolis, MN 55408-8235
612-870-1859
Website: www.mnindependentscholars.org
E-Mail: djuncker@maroon.tc.umn.edu

MISF was founded in 1983 to support research, writing and publication by independent scholars; to
foster scholarly discussion; and to educate the public about the role and values of independent scholars and their work. Currently there are 87 members, mostly in the Twin Cities. Membership is open to any dues paying individual who endorses the purposes of MISF. Members have borrowing privileges in the University of Minnesota Library system. Public programs include works-in-progress meetings, at which members receive feedback on their scholarly work, and more formal public meetings, sometimes co-sponsored with other organizations. A variety of study groups have come and gone as members’ needs and interests change.

Northwest Independent Scholars Association
Margaret DeLacy, President
7356 S.E. 30th Ave
Portland, OR 97202-8837
Website: http://home.pacifier.com/~mdelacy/nisa/
E-Mail: Mdelacy@pacifier.com
Founded in 1983, NISA is registered as a tax-exempt organization in Oregon. Members are working
scholars whose interests cover a wide range of topics including music, art, women’s history, local history, European and Asian history, photography, history of science and medicine, philosophy and mathematics. There is a rule that a new member must present his or her work to the group within about a year of joining. In addition to bimonthly presentations of members’ work in progress, NISA also schedules general interest meetings. NISA has 20 members.

Princeton Research Forum
Mary Beth Lewis, President
301 N. Harrison St, #222
Princeton, NJ 08540
609-497-9228
Website: www.princetonresearchforum.org
E-Mail: info@princetonresearchforum.org

The PRF, with 80 members, is a community of independent scholars and other professionals in the
greater Princeton area. Founded in 1980, PRF offers collegiality and opportunities for intellectual
exchange, as well as a forum for the presentation of members’ work and work-in-progress. A significant part of PRF’s activities is in study and discussion groups such as: history, translation, poetry, biography, science and science history, and editing. PRF Editorial Associates, made up of members who are freelance editors, undertakes joint projects. PRF also sponsors public conferences, lectures and workshops.

San Diego Independent Scholars
Catherine Blecki, President
1607 Bittern Court
Carlsbad, CA 92011
760-603-8930
E-Mail: cblecki@pacbell.net
SDIS, founded in 1982, currently numbers 82 members engaged in intellectual and creative
projects. Members are an interdisciplinary group representing a variety of interests: literature,
history, political science, medicine, biological sciences, physics and social sciences. General
meetings are held on the third Wednesday of the month, which provide forums where members
may present their own work, respond to other speakers or engage in panel discussions. SDIS
also encourages independent research and writing through study groups in literature and
science and in works-in-progress. Members can apply for financial assistance on scholarly
projects from the Helen Hawkins Memorial Research Fund.

Five College Associates
97 Spring Street
Amherst, MA 01002
413 256-8316

FOREIGN AFFILIATE
Canadian Academy of Independent Scholars
Dr. Yosef Wosk, President
Director of Interdisciplinary Programs
and Continuing Studies
Simon Fraser University
515 West Hastings St
Vancouver, BC
CANADA V6B 5K3
604-291-5237
E-Mail: ywosk@sfu.ca
The CAIS was founded by the members of the Academy of Independent Scholars, Vancouver.
In December 2006 CAIS announced the launch of its scholarly journal The International Journal
of Independent Scholars - Journal international de chercheurs indépendants.