The American Philosophical Society Library in Philadelphia invites applications for long and short-term research fellowships for scholars working in all fields, and especially those working on projects pertaining to the history of science, technology, and medicine; early American history; and Native American and Indigenous studies.
The Library houses over 13 million manuscripts, 350,000 volumes of printed materials, thousands of maps and prints, and more than a thousand hours of audio recordings of Native American languages. Collections continue to grow and are renowned for their depth and interdisciplinary strengths in diverse fields, including (but not necessarily limited to): Early American History and Culture to 1840 • Atlantic History • Intellectual History • Travel, Exploration and Expeditions • History of Science, Technology and Medicine • History of Biochemistry, Physiology and Biophysics including 20th-Century Medical Research • History of Eugenics and Genetics • History of Physics, especially Quantum Physics • History of Natural History in the 18th and 19th Centuries • Anthropology, particularly Native American History, Culture and Languages • Caribbean and Slavery Studies. The Library does not hold materials on philosophy in the modern sense.
Comprehensive, searchable guides and finding aids to our collections are available online at www.amphilsoc.org/library.
Applications are now open for the following positions. Applicants whose research subjects overlap any other APS Library fellowship programs may also submit applications to other pertinent programs, though only one fellowship can be awarded to an individual. The strongest applications will demonstrate a clear need to consult materials housed in the APS Library and will list which collections will be used during the fellowship term.
See individual fellowship descriptions below for more information and instructions on how to apply.
**The deadline for all long-term fellowship opportunities is Friday, February 1, 2019 at 11:59 p.m. EST.
**The deadline for all short-term fellowship opportunities (including Digital Knowledge Sharing and Digital Humanities Fellowships) is Friday, March 1, 2019 at 11:59 p.m. EST.
For a complete listing of all APS grant and fellowship opportunities, visit www.amphilsoc.org/grants/fellowships.
Long-Term Fellowships
Applications for all long-term fellowship opportunities may be submitted no later than Friday, February 1, 2019 at 11:59 EST.
Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Native American Scholars Initiative (NASI) Predoctoral Fellowship
This 12-month fellowship is intended for advanced Ph.D. students working toward the completion of the dissertation
- Applicants will receive a stipend of $25,000, plus travel and research funds, to support twelve months of work in Native American and Indigenous Studies or allied fields.
- Applications are open to scholars in all related fields and all periods of time, although preference will be given to those who have experience working with Native communities.
- The successful applicant will be based at the Library’s Center for Native American and Indigenous Research (CNAIR), which aims to promote greater collaboration between scholars, archives, and indigenous communities.
To apply, please submit materials to https://apply.interfolio.com/56007.
Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Native American Scholars Initiative (NASI) Postdoctoral Fellowship
This 12-month fellowship is intended for a recent Ph.D., professor at any level seeking sabbatical support for a research project, or an independent scholar working closely with an Indigenous community on a project.
- Applicants will receive a stipend of $45,000-$60,000 for twelve months, depending on health insurance needs and other factors. An additional $5,000 will be provided to support outside research and travel.
- Applications are open to scholars working on projects in Native American and Indigenous Studies and related fields and in all periods of time. Preference will be given to those who have experience working with Native communities.
- The successful applicant will be based at the Library’s Center for Native American and Indigenous Research (CNAIR), which aims to promote greater collaboration between scholars, archives, and indigenous communities.
To apply, please submit materials to https://apply.interfolio.com/55932.
Friends of the American Philosophical Society Predoctoral Fellowship in Early American History (to 1840)
This 12-month fellowship is intended for advanced Ph.D. students working toward the completion of the dissertation.
- Applicants will receive a stipend of $25,000 to support twelve months of work on topics pertaining to early American history (to 1840).
- The successful applicant will receive an appointment as a Research Associate at the McNeil Center for Early American Studies, which will provide library and computer privileges at the University of Pennsylvania to those who agree to participate regularly in the McNeil Center’s seminars and other programming (www.mceas.org).
To apply, please submit materials to https://apply.interfolio.com/56009.
Predoctoral and Sabbatical Fellowships in the History of Science
These 12-month fellowships are intended for advanced Ph.D. students working toward the completion of the dissertation or for faculty taking a sabbatical leave.
- Applicants will receive a stipend of $25,000, plus research and travel funds, to support twelve months of work on topics pertaining to the history of science, broadly defined.
- Applicants’ research must pertain to topics in the history of science or related fields.
- The successful applicant will be affiliated with the Consortium for History of Science, Technology, and Medicine (www.chstm.org).
To apply, please submit materials to https://apply.interfolio.com/57037.
Short-Term Fellowships
Applications for all short-term fellowship opportunities may be submitted no later than Friday, March 1, 2019 at 11:59 EST.
Library Resident Short-Term Research Fellowship
The APS’s short-term fellowships provide one to three months of support for researchers in residence who are using Library collections. Fellowships are open to researchers working in all fields who show a demonstrated need to use the Library’s collections for their project.
A stipend of $3,000 per month is awarded to all successful applicants for a minimum of one month and a maximum of three months. Approximately 25-30 short-term fellowships are awarded each year.
Applicants may be:
- Holders of the Ph.D. or its equivalent
- Ph.D. candidates who have passed their preliminary examinations and are working on their dissertation research
- Degreed independent scholars (without current academic affiliation)
- Applicants may be U.S. citizens or foreign nationals. Candidates who live 75 or more miles from Philadelphia receive some preference.
To apply, please submit materials to https://apply.interfolio.com/56014.
Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Native American Scholars Initiative (NASI) Digital Knowledge Sharing Fellowship
These fellowships complement the collaborative work undertaken by the Library’s Center for Native American and Indigenous Research (CNAIR) to support university- and community-based scholars working on digital projects that connect archives and Indigenous communities.
- DKS fellowships are open to scholars at all stages of their careers, especially Native American scholars in training, tribal college and university faculty members, and other scholars working closely with Native communities.
- Successful applicants will receive a stipend of $3,000 plus the costs associated with visiting the APS in Philadelphia to attend a summer workshop with other DKS fellows.
- Applicants may use materials hosted at the APS Library as well as those held at other archives and libraries.
- These funding opportunities are supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Native American Scholars Initiative (NASI). Selected fellows will be associated with the APS’s Center for Native American and Indigenous Research (CNAIR).
To apply, please submit materials to https://apply.interfolio.com/56341.
Digital Humanities Fellowship
These one-month fellowships are open to scholars at all stages of their careers, including graduate students, who are developing digital projects that: 1) utilize the APS’s Library holdings to advance a digital component of an independent research project, or, 2) seek to apply existing tools and expertise to digital projects developed in collaboration with the Library’s Center for Digital Scholarship.
- Successful applicants will receive a stipend of $3,000 per month upon arrival at the APS Library
- Possible collaborative projects will focus on the Center’s Open Data Initiative and would explore data sets created from either a) the Benjamin Franklin postal records kept during his tenure as Postmaster of Colonial Philadelphia, 1748-1752, or b) datasets created from a stout volume of indenture records for servants and redemptioners coming through the port of Philadelphia during the 1770s. Applicants interested in working on these project need not have special expertise in early American history.
To apply, please submit materials to http://apply.interfolio.com/56792.
Applicants: Use Interfolio's help desk for any issues pertaining to the online application process.
Contact regarding the program and the American Philosophical Society: [email protected]