Religious Studies

GENERAL INFORMATION FOR APPLICANTS

Fellowships are offered by the Smithsonian Institution to provide opportunities for graduate students, predoctoral students, and postdoctoral and senior investigators to conduct research in association with members of the Smithsonian professional research staff, and to utilize the resources of the Institution. These fellowships are offered through the Smithsonian's Office of Fellowships, and are administered under the charter of the Institution, 20 U.S. Code section 41 et seq. Fellowship awards under this program are contingent upon the availability of funds.

The publication, Smithsonian Opportunities for Research and Study (www.si.edu/research+study), outlines Smithsonian research activities and lists the research staff. Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact staff members to help identify potential advisors, determine the feasibility of the proposed research being conducted at the Smithsonian Institution, and the availability of relevant resources such as staff, collections, archives and library materials during the proposed tenure dates. (Other Smisthsonian fellowship opportunities availalble here.)

From the program website:

Submit an application if you are a researcher from abroad with above average qualifications, at the beginning of your academic career and only completed your doctorate in the last four years. A Humboldt Research Fellowship for postdoctoral researchers allows you to carry out a long-term research project (6-24 months) you have selected yourself in cooperation with an academic host you have selected yourself at a research institution in Germany.

From the program website:

Submit an application if you are a researcher from abroad with above average qualifications, completed your doctorate less than twelve years ago, already have your own research profile and are working at least at the level of Assistant Professor or Junior Research Group Leader or have a record of several years of independent academic work. A Humboldt Research Fellowship for experienced researchers allows you to carry out a long-term research project (6-18 months) you have selected yourself in cooperation with an academic host you have selected yourself at a research institution in Germany. The fellowship is flexible and can be divided up into as many as three stays within three years.

Eligible Fields in the Humanities: American and English Literatures, Foreign Languages and Literatures (including Area Studies), Art History, Classics, History, Musicology, Philosophy, Religion

I am pleased to inform you about an exciting fellowship opportunity funded by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and administered by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation (WWNFF). Career Enhancement Fellowships for Junior Faculty aims to increase the presence of minority Junior Faculty (African Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, Hispanics, Native Americans and Native Alaskans), and other junior faculty members committed to eradicating racial disparities, in core fields in the arts and sciences. Applicants should 1) be in the third year of the tenure-track teaching appointment at the time of application, 2) teach in one of the eligible academic fields, and 3) be able to accept the award for the 2012-2013 academic year.

The objective of the fellowship program is to aid the scholarly research and intellectual growth of junior faculty (men and women) and improve their chances for success as tenured university scholars by offering support for twelve months of research and writing. The award includes a maximum $30,000 stipend, a $1,500 research, travel or publication stipend, and funding to attend the Fall Retreat in October 2013. The 2013 Career Enhancement Fellowships application deadline is November 18, 2012.

For Achieving Excellence in College and University Teaching

This year the program will award approximately 20 postdoctoral fellowships. The postdoctoral fellowships provide one year of support for individuals engaged in postdoctoral study after the attainment of the Ph.D. or Sc.D. degree.

Postdoctoral fellowships will be awarded in a national competition administered by the National Research Council (NRC) on behalf of the Ford Foundation. The awards will be made to individuals who, in the judgment of the review panels, have demonstrated superior academic achievement, are committed to a career in teaching and research at the college or university level, show promise of future achievement as scholars and teachers, and are well prepared to use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students.

Hunt Postdoctoral Fellowships support the writing-up of already completed research. The fellowship is awarded to scholars in the earlier stages of their careers, when they frequently lack the time and resources to develop their research for publication.  Scholars with a Ph.D. in hand for no more than ten years (from the application deadline) are eligible to apply. A maximum of eight Hunt Postdoctoral Fellowships are awarded annually.

Post-Ph.D. Research Grants are awarded to individuals holding a Ph.D. or equivalent degree to support individual research projects. The program contributes to the Foundation's overall mission to support basic research in anthropology and to ensure that the discipline continues to be a source of vibrant and significant work that furthers our understanding of humanity's cultural and biological origins, development, and variation. The Foundation supports research that demonstrates a clear link to anthropological theory and debates, and promises to make a solid contribution to advancing these ideas. There is no preference for any methodology, research location, or subfield. The Foundation particularly welcomes proposals that employ a comparative perspective, can generate innovative approaches or ideas, and/or integrate two or more subfields.

I. Program Description

Collaborative Research Grants support interpretive research undertaken by a team of two or more scholars, for full-time or part-time activities for periods of a minimum of one year up to a maximum of three years. Support is available for various combinations of scholars, consultants, and research assistants; project-related travel; field work; applications of information technology; and technical support and services. All grantees are expected to communicate the results of their work to the appropriate scholarly and public audiences.

Eligible projects include:

• research that significantly adds to knowledge and understanding in the humanities;
• conferences on topics of major importance in the humanities that will benefit scholarly research;
• archaeological projects that include the interpretation and communication of results (projects may encompass excavation, materials analysis, laboratory work, field reports, and preparation of interpretive monographs); and
• research that uses the knowledge and perspectives of the humanities and historical or philosophical methods to enhance understanding of science, technology, medicine, and the social sciences.

These grants support full-time or part-time activities for periods of one to three years.

Candidates must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Candidates are evaluated on the basis of scholarly excellence, the quality and originality of project design, and active commitment to helping women and girls through service in their communities, professions, or fields of research.

Summer/Short-Term Research Publication Grants fund women college and university faculty and independent researchers to prepare research for publication. The grants are intended for tenure-track, part-time, or temporary faculty or new or established scholars and researchers at universities. Time must be available for eight consecutive weeks of final writing, editing, and responding to issues raised in critical reviews. Funds cannot be used for undertaking research. Applicants must have received their doctorates by the application deadline. Scholars with strong publishing records should seek other funding.

American Fellowships support women scholars who are completing dissertations, planning research leave from accredited institutions, or preparing research for publication. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Candidates are evaluated on the basis of scholarly excellence; quality and originality of project design; and active commitment to helping women and girls through service in their communities, professions, or fields of research.

Postdoctoral Research Leave Fellowships offer funding for women in tenure-track faculty positions in support of their earning tenure and further promotions by enabling them to spend a year pursuing independent research.

Please note that any additional funds received in additon to the AAUW award must be less than the amount of the AAUW award, per the terms of their acceptance agreement for fellows.