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Logistics

Getting to Northwestern

Emerging scholars and mentors who are flying into the Abell Institute 2025 should aim to arrive at O’Hare (ORD) on Sunday, July 20. We will host an informal, social dinner (location and time TBD) on Sunday night. Institute activities begin Monday, July 21st at 9am. Mandatory activities will finish at lunch on Friday, with optional activities after. Participants should aim to leave Friday afternoon.

After arrival:
From O’Hare, we strongly recommend everyone take the Pulse Dempster Line. This bus will take you directly to the Davis Station in Evanston, which is about a 15 minute walk to housing. It will be much cheaper and nearly as fast as a rideshare or taxi. The Pulse Dempster bus leaves every 15 to 20 minutes from the O’Hare Multimodal Facility (MMF). To reach the MMF, take the tram (follow the signs that say Airport Transit) to the rental cars. Walk down to the ground level and exit outside to the bus stops. The Pulse Dempster will be on the far north end in Bus Bay 9. All public transit takes tap to pay (Apple Pay, Google Pay, or contactless card) and will cost $2.  You do not need to download the Ventra app. The Davis Station is the last stop on the line. On your return trip, the MMF is also the last stop on the line.

If you must fly into Midway, expect a 2+ hour trip to Northwestern after leaving the airport. Google Maps works well for public transit and should tell you to take the Orange line, transfer to the Red line, and then transfer to the Purple line. Once you are on the train you will not need to pay for each transfer. If you’re flying into Midway because of Southwest Airlines, consider a transfer at one of the places that flies into ORD.

Local travelers

If possible, take public transit, as parking in Evanston is $18 a day. The Davis Station services both the Purple Line, Metra UP-N and many CTA and Pace bus routes. If you are taking an Amtrak to Union Station, walk to Ogilvie Transportation Center and take the UP-N. Tickets can be purchased by vending machine and will be $3.75 traveling from Zone 1 to Zone 2.

Schedule

To be announced

Lodging

Check-in begins at 8am on Sunday, July 20th in Allison Hall (1820 Chicago Ave, Evanston, IL). The check-in desk will be staffed 24/7.

Lodging will be in Foster-Walker Complex (commonly known as Plex; 1927 Orrington Ave, Evanston, IL). Linens (excluding pillows, pillow cases, and fitted sheets) will be provided. Breakfast and dinner will be in a nearby dining hall.

Check-out is by 12 pm on Friday, July 25th.

Things to do

Enjoy the Block Museum. Through exhibitions, educational programs, and its Block Cinema film series, the Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art is where the Northwestern community experiences excellence in the visual arts without leaving campus.

 

Explore the picturesque town of Evanston! Evanston is a terrific city right outside of Chicago that has many shopping and dining locations within walking distance of campus. Visit the Downtown Evanston website for more information.

 

We encourage you to sample the restaurants, theaters, shops, parks, and other attractions that Chicago has to offer. Selected destinations and events are highlighted at the Chicago North Shore Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Chicago Office of Tourism. There are many free or cheap things to do. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How much will the Institute cost?

Due to support from NARST, we are able to entirely cover the cost of running the Institute, meals, and housing. All participants will likely need to cover all or part of their transportation costs to and from Northwestern University, although we expect to be able to provide a partial travel stipend. Fellows are also expected to bring a poster of their work, which will be explained later.

Social outings at night with other Fellows is a standard part of the experience, so Fellows may want to take this into account when budgeting.

 

How do I know if I'm in the right stage to apply?

Our programming is designed to help students make progress on their dissertation research. One thing to ask yourself is if it will be productive at your stage to have as many as 8-10 different readers, and thus 8-10 different kinds of feedback. If you are still in the proposal writing stage, then consider how much of your research is still in flux. We will not be as useful in helping you come up with ideas, as we will be with engaging with what you have and refining and improving upon it. Other Fellows and Mentors will be reading your work and providing substantive feedback for moving forward and it can be counterproductive to have so many differing opinions at early stages of work. Will this help you move forward or lead you down too many different paths? Similarly, if you are nearing completion of your dissertation, for instance intending to defend shortly before or after the Institute, we also ask you to consider if it may be counterproductive to receive feedback from many different voices at so late a stage. We think it is likely that students will get the most out of this experience if they range from having a fairly concrete dissertation proposal, although not necessarily completed or defended, to having collected data and begun analysis and writing.

To allow more students the opportunity to participate, we will not accept any students who attended a prior Abell Institute.

 

Do I need to be a NARST member?

You do not need to be a NARST member to attend. However, you should want to engage more deeply in the NARST community. As part of your commitments, you will be asked to present a poster at the 2026 NARST annual meeting.

 

Do I need letters of recommendation?

We will not ask for a letter of recommendation. We do ask for your advisor’s information as we may ask them to confirm your trajectory and timeline.

What should I wear?

Weather in Evanston in the summer is warm and occasionally hot, expect mid-70s to mid-80s. It can rain and there may be lightning storms. Feel free to dress casually for the Institute. Northwestern is located along the lake and there is beach access.

Where will Fellows stay?

All Fellows will stay in the residence halls (dorms). These are a short walk to the main campus. We do not yet have additional details beyond that. Fellows should expect to share a room with another Fellow and share a bathroom with the floor. When we have more information, we will update this page.