Founded in 2018, the ARC Consortium Summer Program hosts a week-long residential training for Political Science and International Studies PhD students preparing for research in fragile and violence-affected settings. The course includes rigorous instruction in the practical design and implementation of qualitative and quantitative field methods, intensive discussion of research ethics, and conversations with experts in trauma and psychology. Students also receive training in first aid, data protection and management, risk assessment, and managing IRB protocols.

Each year, the ARC program culminates in a two-day conference featuring distinguished scholars who conduct research in fragile and violence-affected settings. The conference includes discussion-oriented panels focused on the ethical, methodological, and logistical implications of conducting research in field sites affected by violence. Students also have the opportunity to present their own work-in-progress for feedback while engaging with a broad community of experienced researchers.