Department of English
English Graduate PreDoc Funding Blog
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Robert L. Platzman Memorial Fellowships - Summer 2019
The University of Chicago Library invites applications for short-term research fellowships for the summer of 2019.
Any visiting researcher, writer, or artist residing more than 100 miles from Chicago, and whose project requires on-site consultation of University of Chicago Library collections, primarily archives, manuscripts, rare books, or other materials in the Special Collections Research Center, is eligible.
The Special Collections Research Center is the principal repository of rare books, manuscripts, and archives in the University of Chicago Library.
The Rare Book Collection includes titles from the fifteenth century to the present. Areas of strength in the Rare Book Collection include works and editions of Homer, classical literature and antiquities, the history of science and medicine, English and American literature, history, and economics, nineteenth-century English poetry, modern English and American poetry, historical children's books, Jewish life and culture, theology, Renaissance humanism, and the printed works of Frederick Chopin.
Early manuscripts include texts from the ancient, medieval, Renaissance, and early modern periods. Holdings include the Goodspeed Manuscript Collection of early Byzantine Gospels and liturgical texts; late medieval and Renaissance secular and religious texts, including books of hours and works of Boccaccio and Chaucer; court and manorial documents of the Bacon family; and legal documents from northern Italy in the Rosenthal collection.
Modern manuscripts include collections on the early history of Kentucky and the Ohio River valley; Abraham Lincoln, Stephen A. Douglas, and the Civil War era; civil rights leader Ida B. Wells; Poetry magazine and modern poetry; post-World War II atomic scientists political organizations, Cold War intellectual politics, and world constitutionalism; Native American education and community organization; modern commercial printing; Chicago labor and social reform; Chicago medical history; the Hyde Park-Kenwood neighborhood of Chicago; and the Chicago Jazz Archive.
The University Archives documents the history of the University of Chicago, the work of its faculty, and the life of the academic community. Among areas of particular strength are the history of higher education, including race and gender on campus; the development of academic disciplines and area studies; and records and papers in economics, sociology, history, anthropology and ethnology, education, law, social thought, social work, theology and history of religions, ecology, physics, astrophysics, and geophysical science, among other fields.
Fellowship Applications
Support for beginning scholars is a priority of the program. Applications from underrepresented groups are encouraged. Applications in the fields of late nineteenth- or early twentieth-century physics or physical chemistry, or nineteenth-century classical opera, will receive special consideration.
Awards will be made based on the applicant's ability to complete the proposed on-site research successfully within the timeframe of the fellowship. Applicants should explain why the project cannot be conducted without on-site access to the original materials and the extent to which University of Chicago Library collections are central to the research. Up to $3,000 of support will be awarded to help cover estimated travel, living, and research expenses.
Successful applicants who are not US citizens must hold a J1 visa and meet other requirements for J1 visa status: https://internationalaffairs.uchicago.edu/page/important-information-j-1-scholars
The deadline for applications is March 4, 2019. Notice of awards will be made by March 29, 2019, for use between June 10, 2019, and September 27, 2019.
Applicants must provide the following information:
- A cover letter (not to exceed one page) including the project title; a brief summary; estimated dates of on-site research; and a budget for travel, living, and research expenses during the period of on-site research
- A research proposal not to exceed three double-spaced pages. Applicants should include references to specific archival finding aids and catalog records of particular relevance to their proposed project whenever possible.
- A curriculum vitae of no longer than two pages
- Two letters of support from academic or other scholars. References may be sent with the application or separately.
Submit application in one electronic file to: scrcfellowship@lib.uchicago.edu
Letters of reference in electronic form are preferred; print letters of reference can be sent to:
Robert L. Platzman Memorial Fellowships
Special Collections Research Center
The University of Chicago Library
1100 E. 57th Street
Chicago, IL 60637
For additional information contact:
Daniel Meyer, Director, Special Collections Research Center.
Applications are being accepted for the 2019 Eudora Welty Research Fellowship. Established by the Eudora Welty Foundation and the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, the $2,000 fellowship will be awarded to a graduate student for research using the department’s Eudora Welty Collection. The fellowship seeks to nurture scholars at the beginning of their academic careers, in order to increase their lifelong interest in, and promote continued academic and public appreciation of, Eudora Welty’s life and works.
The stipend may be used for travel, housing, and other expenses during the Welty fellow’s two-week minimum stay in Jackson Mississippi. To receive more information and an application click here. The deadline to apply is March 1, 2019.
The Eudora Welty Collection at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History is the premier collection of Eudora Welty materials in the world and one of the most varied literary collections in the United States. The collection includes manuscripts, letters, photographs, drawings, essays, and film and video footage that spans Welty’s entire life. Beginning in 1957, and over the course of more than forty years, Welty donated materials to the department, primarily literary manuscripts and photographs. At her death the remainder of her papers were bequeathed to MDAH and included unpublished manuscripts and 14,000 items of correspondence with family, friends, scholars, young writers, and noted writers. The collection may be accessed at the William F. Winter Archives and History Building, 200 North Street, Jackson.
For colleges and universities interested in sharing the fellowship opportunity, a flier is available here. For more information on the collection or the fellowship, contact Forrest Galey at 601-576-6850, or by email at fgaley@mdah.ms.gov.
The Wolf Humanities Center announces a Graduate Research Assistantship for the 2019–2020 academic year for a University of Pennsylvania dissertation-level (ABD) student in the humanities whose work pertains to Kinship, the Center's research topic for the year.
See link for more details: https://wolfhumanities.upenn.edu/graduate-research-assistantship
The RAship provides full support for the 2019–20 academic year (tuition plus a stipend of approx. $25,500), and carries membership in the Wolf Humanities Center's Mellon Research Seminar on Kinship. Applicants may not be holding other positions and must be in good academic and financial standing with the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
The RAship is awarded competitively. Semifinalists are interviewed on campus in March/April as part of the selection process. Application deadline: March 20, 2019.
The half-time position requires 15–20 hours per week of service in a variety of functions:
- Assist the administrative staff of the Wolf Humanities Center and the Price Lab for Digital Humanities in carrying out general business. Requires some evenings and, rarely, weekends to help staff events.
- Staff and participate in the weekly Wolf Humanities Center's Mellon Research Seminar and the bi-weekly Price Lab Mellon DH Seminar.
- Serve as the lead organizer of a one-day conference or symposium related to the theme of Kinship.
TO APPLY
- Complete the following information and upload to our secure server as a single PDF:
- Cover letter expressing interest in the RAship.
- Project title, 125-word (max.) abstract.
- Project proposal (500 words) describing the research to be carried out during the course of the year and its relation to the Wolf Humanities Center's 2018-2019 theme, Kinship.
- Curriculum vitae and scan of unofficial Penn course transcript.
- Also required is one confidential letter of recommendation from either your dissertation director or your graduate chair. Please ask your referee to upload that letter to our secure server no later than March 20, 2019. (Letters should not be emailed.)
Call for Applications, 2019–2020
Research Topic: Kinship
Application deadline: March 20, 2019
See link for more details: https://wolfhumanities.upenn.edu/fellowships/penn-graduate-student-resea...
The Wolf Humanities Center is currently offering two one-year research fellowships at $2500 each to Penn graduate students in the humanities who are ABD. Students should be conducting dissertation research related to the Center's theme for the year in which the award is granted. Fellows are required to attend the Wolf Humanities Center's Mellon Research Seminar, held Tuesdays from noon–1:50pm* during the academic year, and present their work at one of the sessions. Seminar members also include postdoctoral fellows, faculty from Penn and regional universities, and the Center's director and topic director.
Two $2500 fellowships are available for Penn ABD graduate students in the humanities whose dissertation research relates to Kinship, the Center's topic for 2019-20.
To apply, please provide the following information:
- Your name and department
- Project Title
- Project Abstract (125 words maximum)
- Project Proposal (approx. 1000 words)
- Up-to-date c.v.
Please submit all information to our secure online server as a single PDF, naming your file <your Last name_First name.pdf> (e.g., Franklin_Ben.pdf)
Also required:
- One confidential letter of recommendation from your dissertation advisor or graduate chair. Please ask your referee to upload their letter to our secure server no later than the application deadline, March 20, 2019.
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
2019-2020 Academic Year
Application Deadline: Fri. March 15, 2019
See link for more details: https://www.sas.upenn.edu/andrea-mitchell-center/fellowships#gradfellows...
The Andrea Mitchell Center for the Study of Democracy will award 3 graduate fellowships during the 2018-2019 academic year to Penn graduate students with approved prospectuses for dissertation topics in any discipline relevant to the study of democracy, its theory or practice, or related topics of citizenship and constitutional government.
The Mitchell Center Graduate Fellowship will provide for the graduate student’s tuition and annual stipend during the 2019-2020 academic year. Recipients will also be compensated for administrative work done for the Program.
Funds are provided through a generous grant from the Mellon Foundation and the Mary and David Boies Family Fund. The recipients are expected to assist in organizing an interdisciplinary Mitchell Center Graduate Student Workshop in which graduate students from Penn and surrounding institutions may present pertinent research. They will be expected to attend the Mitchell Center Faculty Workshop series and conferences and may also be asked to provide administrative support for these events.
Applicants should send:
1) a CV
2) a description of their dissertation’s aim, current status, and further research plans
(not to exceed five double-spaced pages)
3) a copy of their transcript
4) a letter of endorsement from their Dissertation Supervisor.
Please send applications in Word or PDF format to mitchell-center@sas.upenn.edu, or mail hard copies to:
Matthew Roth
Mitchell Center Administrator
College Hall 208
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Questions concerning the Mitchell Center Graduate Fellowships should be directed to Matthew Roth at maroth@sas.upenn.edu, phone 215-573-4881.
The Eudora Welty Foundation and the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) are delighted to announce the 2016 Eudora Welty Research Fellowship, to encourage and support research use of the Eudora Welty Collection and related materials at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History by graduate students.
This competitive fellowship of $2,000 will be offered for research conducted in summer 2016. The stipend may be used to cover travel, housing, and other expenses during their two-week stay in Jackson, Mississippi.
Please post the promotional flier, available at http://mdah.state.ms.us/2016-welty-fellowship.pdf.
The deadline for applications is February 26, 2016.
Additional information and the application form are available on the MDAH website at http://mdah.state.ms.us/fellowship.pdf.
For more information conntact Forrest Galey at fgaley@mdah.state.ms.us.
Graduate Fellowships 2016-17
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
2016-2017 Academic Year
Application Deadline: March 15, 2016
The Penn Program on Democracy, Citizenship, and Constitutionalism (DCC) will award 3 graduate fellowships during the 2016-2017 academic year to Penn graduate students with approved prospectuses for dissertation topics in any discipline relevant to any or all of the program’s three overarching themes, “Democracy, Citizenship, and Constitutionalism.” Dissertations need address only one of the three themes.
The DCC Graduate Fellowship will provide for the graduate student’s tuition and annual stipend during the 2016-2017 academic year, plus $3500 to support dissertation-related research expenses in the summer of either 2016 or 2017. Recipients will also be compensated for administrative work done for the Program.
Funds are provided through a generous grant from the Mellon Foundation and the Mary and David Boies Family Fund. The recipients are expected to assist in organizing an interdisciplinary DCC Graduate Student Workshop in which graduate students from Penn and surrounding institutions may present pertinent research. They will also be asked to provide administrative support for the DCC Faculty Workshop Series and Annual Conference and they will be eligible to participate in these events.
Applicants should send:
1) a CV
2) a description of their dissertation’s aim, current status, and further research plans (not to exceed five double-spaced pages)
3) a copy of their transcript
4) a letter of endorsement from their Dissertation Supervisor.
Please send applications in Word or PDF format to dcc-penn@sas.upenn.edu, or mail hard copies to:
Matthew Roth
DCC Administrator
College Hall 208
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Questions concerning the DCC Graduate Fellowships should be directed to Matthew Roth at maroth@sas.upenn.edu, phone 215-573-4881.
Columbia University Libraries/Information Services invites applications from scholars and researchers to its annual program designed to facilitate access to Columbia’s special and distinctive collections, the Libraries Research Awards. (see: http://library.columbia.edu/about/awards/research-awards.html)
The Libraries will award ten (10) grants of $2,500 each on a competitive basis to researchers who can demonstrate a compelling need to consult Columbia University Libraries/Information Services holdings for their work. The award was established in 2011 and supports scholars and researchers who may benefit from access to Columbia’s special and unique collections. Participating Columbia libraries and collections include those located on the Morningside Heights campus:
Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library (http://library.columbia.edu/locations/avery.html)
Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary (http://library.columbia.edu/locations/burke.html)
Butler Library (http://library.columbia.edu/locations/butler.html)
Lehman Social Sciences Library (http://library.columbia.edu/locations/lehman.html)
Rare Book & Manuscript Library (http://library.columbia.edu/locations/rbml.html)
C. V. Starr East Asian Library (http://library.columbia.edu/locations/eastasian.html)
Global Studies Collections (http://library.columbia.edu/locations/global.html)
Applicants must be U.S. citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs). Persons holding J-1 or F-1 exchange, student, or visitor visas are not eligible for this grant. Preference will be given to those applicants residing outside the greater New York metropolitan area who need to travel to New York City to conduct their research.
Applications will be accepted until February 29, 2016. Award notifications will be sent to applicants by April 30, 2016 for research conducted at Columbia during the period July 1, 2016 – June 30, 2017.
For more information and application materials, please visit the Libraries Research Awards page.
Columbia University Libraries/Information Services is one of the top five academic research library systems in North America. The collections include over 12 million volumes, over 160,000 journals and serials, as well as extensive electronic resources, manuscripts, rare books, microforms, maps, and graphic and audio-visual materials. The services and collections are organized into 21 libraries and various academic technology centers, including affiliates. The Libraries employs more than 450 professional and support staff. The website of the Libraries is the gateway to its services and resources: library.columbia.edu.
Since 1978, more than 200 advanced graduate students from dozens of universities across North America and Europe have received dissertation fellowships from the McNeil Center. At least eight new fellows will be appointed for the 2016-2017 academic year, most with stipends of at least $21,000. Fellows receive office space in the Center's magnificent building on the University of Pennsylvania's campus and library, computer, and other privileges at the University. Limited travel funds for research are also available. While no teaching is required for most fellowships, all McNeil Center fellows are expected to be in residence in Philadelphia during the academic year and to participate regularly in the Center's program of seminars and other activities.
Awards may be made in the following categories, depending on the qualifications of the applicants and the availability of funding. In a given year, appointments may not be made in all categories.
Nine-Month or One-Semester Fellowships
- MCEAS Barra Dissertation Fellowships are open to candidates from any discipline working on topic within the McNeil Center's area of interest.
- Barra Foundation Fellowship
The Barra Foundation Fellowship supports research related to art or material culture.
- Friends of the MCEAS Fellowships
Friends of the MCEAS Fellowships support research dealing with Philadelphia or the Mid-Atlantic region.
- MCEAS Consortium Fellowships are reserved for candidates from research universities that are members of the McNeil Center Consortium. (For more information about the Consortium, please visit www.mceas.org.)
- The Richard S. Dunn Fellowship, acknowledges excellence in Early American Studies.
- The E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Fellowship in Early American Religious Studies is open to candidates in any discipline researching any aspect of religion in North America and the Atlantic world before 1850.
- Marguerite Bartlett Hamer Fellowships are awarded to advanced doctoral candidates from any relevant program at the University of Pennsylvania who meet the same rigorous standards as external candidates. Terms of appointment are determined by the School of Arts and Sciences.
Other Fellowships
- The Monticello-McNeil Fellowship, co-sponsored by the McNeil Center and the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello, facilitates scholarship on Thomas Jefferson and his times. Holders of this fellowship spend a portion of their fellowship term at the ICJS in Charlottesville, Virginia.
How to Apply
A single online application suffices (paper copies will not be accepted) for all dissertation fellowships. Categories and duration of awards are determined by the selection committee, but candidates interested in the Monticello-McNeil fellowship should state their interest clearly in their research proposals. The following will be completed by submitting your application online:
- A curriculum vitae
- A proposal not to exceed 1,500 words, double-spaced, describing the general scope of the project and the specific work proposed for the fellowship term
- An unpublished writing sample related to the project, not to exceed 7,500 words, double-spaced.
- Two letters of recommendation should be uploaded by your recommenders or they can email recommendations to mceas@ccat.sas.upenn.edu Please ask recommenders to address the specifics of this application. Do not send generic letters from placement dossiers.
Fellowship applications and letters of recommendation can be uploaded by following the links on the fellowship page:
http://mceas.org/dissertationfellowships.shtml
Questions can be directed to:
The McNeil Center for Early American Studies
University of Pennsylvania
3355 Woodland Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19104-4531
The deadline for online applications is 1 February 2016.
The EDIS announces a fellowship award of $1,000 in support of graduate student scholarship on Emily Dickinson. The project need not be devoted solely to Dickinson, but her work should be a substantial focus. The award may be used for any expense incurred to advance the project. Preference will be given to applicants in the dissertation stage or writing a work aimed at publication. To apply, please send a cv, a cover letter, a 600-800 word project description, a brief bibliography, and contact information for two references to Eliza Richards at ecr@email.unc.edu. Applications are due by January 15, 2016. Applicants will be notified of final decisions by March 1. For more information, see www.emilydickinsoninternationalsociety.org