Residential Fellowships in Humanities at National Humanities Centre, USA

The National Humanities Center offers 40 residential fellowships for advanced study in the humanities for the period September 2014 through May 2015. Applicants must have doctorate or equivalent scholarly credentials. Young scholars as well as senior scholars are encouraged to apply, but they must have a record of publication, and new Ph.D.s should be aware that the Center does not normally support the revision of a doctoral dissertation. In addition to scholars from all fields of the humanities, the Center accepts individuals from the natural and social sciences, the arts, the professions, and public life who are engaged in humanistic projects. The Center is also international and gladly accepts applications from scholars outside the United States.

Areas of Special Interest

Most of the Center's fellowships are unrestricted. Several, however, are designated for particular areas of research. These include a fellowship for a young woman in philosophy and fellowships for environmental studies, English literature, art history, Asian Studies, and theology.

Stipends

Fellowships are individually determined, according to the needs of the Fellow and the Center's ability to meet them. The Center seeks to provide at least half salary and also covers travel expenses to and from North Carolina for Fellows and dependents.

Facilities and Services

Located in the Research Triangle Park of North Carolina, near Chapel Hill, Durham, and Raleigh, the Center provides an environment for individual research and the exchange of ideas. Its building includes private studies for Fellows, conference rooms, a central commons for dining, lounges, reading areas, a reference library, and a Fellows' workroom. The Center's noted library service delivers books and research materials to Fellows, and support for information technology and editorial assistance are also provided. The Center helps locate housing for Fellows in the neighboring communities.

Information for International Applicants

The National Humanities Center welcomes fellowship applications from scholars engaged in advanced humanities research regardless of citizenship or national origin. Each year, several scholars from countries other than the United States come to the Center as part of the cohort of Fellows.

The following information is intended primarily for scholars applying from outside the United States.

Eligibility

Successful candidates typically earned a Ph.D. in a humanities discipline from an accredited university at least five years prior to applying for a fellowship. Fellowships are awarded to established scholars, meaning that successful candidates usually have published at least one single-author monograph or a significant body of peer-reviewed scholarship. The Center does not fund post-docs. There is no upper age limit, but senior candidates must be actively engaged in scholarly research which will eventuate in significant publication.

Fluency in written and spoken English is required.

Preparing the Application

Project descriptions should emphasize the scholarly significance of the proposed research. Potential economic or public benefits of the proposed research are not taken into consideration in determining fellowship awards. Instead, proposals should convey the importance of the project for advancing knowledge both within a scholar's own field and for the humanities generally. Where appropriate, applicants should cite evidence of their participation in and contribution to international Anglophone scholarship.

Use a standard, easy-to-read font, preferably in 11- or 12-point; do not capitalize all text.

Fellowship applicants are asked to provide three letters of reference in support of their candidacy. Letters of reference from specialists who hold appointments in institutions other than the candidate's place of employment help to convey the breadth of the candidate's scholarly profile. Letters of reference from scholars with experience at American, British, or European research institutions can help to contextualize a candidate's preparation and suitability for a residency at the National Humanities Center.

Mail delivery from overseas can take several weeks: please take this into consideration when arranging for letters of reference.

Relocation Assistance for International Fellows

Fellowship recipients who come from overseas are provided with guidance in securing housing, arranging local transportation, and finding schools. Travel expenses to the Center and back home again by the Fellow and those members of the household who accompany him or her to North Carolina are reimbursed by the Center.

The Center sponsors J-1 (Research Scholar) visa applications for its Fellows who are not U.S. citizens. For more information, see http://j1visa.state.gov/programs/professor-and-research-scholar. The U.S. government requires that international Fellows have at least $50,000 in medical coverage per accident or illness and a deductible not to exceed $500 per accident or illness.

Support

Fellowships are supported by the Center's own endowment, private foundation grants, contributions from alumni and friends, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Deadline and Application Procedures

Applicants submit the Center's form, supported by a curriculum vitae, a 1000-word project proposal, and three letters of recommendation. A downloadable application form and instructions may be found at the Center's website. Applications and letters of recommendation must be postmarked by October 1, 2013.

Materials may also be requested via e-mail at nhc@nationalhumanitiescenter.org.

 Visit the official website at http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/fellowships/internationalinfo.htm