Cornell University : 2023-24 Society for the Humanities Fellowships

The Society for the Humanities at Cornell University invites applications for residential fellowships from scholars whose research projects reflect on the 2023-24 theme of Crossing. Up to six Fellows will be appointed. The fellowships are held for one academic year. Each Society Fellow will receive $56,000.

“Crossing begins by opening a possibility: to meet or to pass by, to encounter in a spirit of collaboration or conflict. Like an X on a map, crossing marks both a place and a process, an intersection and a journey…”

Fellows spend their time in research and writing during the residential fellowship, and are required to participate in a weekly Fellows Seminar workshopping each other’s projects and participating in lively discussions on readings based on the yearly theme. Fellows also teach one small seminar during their fellowship year appropriate for graduate students and advanced undergraduates. Fellows are encouraged to experiment with both the content and the method of their seminar particularly as it relates to their current research.

The nature of this fellowship year is social and communal—Fellows forge connections outside the classroom and the lecture hall by sharing meals following the weekly seminar and attending post-lecture receptions and other casual events throughout the year. Fellows live and work in Ithaca, NY, and are expected to be in their offices on campus frequently. All applicants for Society Fellowships should share in this commitment to creating a supportive and intellectually stimulating community.

Qualifications

Fellows should be working on topics related to the 2023-24 theme of Crossing. Their approach to the humanities should be broad enough to appeal to students and scholars in several humanistic disciplines. 

Applicants must have received the Ph.D. degree before January 1, 2022. The Society for the Humanities will not consider applications from scholars who received the Ph.D. after this date. Applicants must also have one or more years of teaching experience, which may include teaching as a graduate student. International scholars are welcome to apply, contingent upon visa eligibility.

Application Procedures

The following application materials must be submitted via AJO FELLOWSHIP #21965. Any other method of applying will not be accepted

1. A curriculum vitae
2. A one-page abstract describing the research project the applicant would like to pursue during the term of the fellowship (no more than 300 words)
3. A detailed statement of the research project (1,000 – 2,000 words). Applicants may also include a one-page bibliography of the most essential materials to the project.
4. A course proposal for a seminar related to the applicant’s research. Seminars meet two hours per week for one semester and enrollment is limited to fifteen advanced undergraduates and graduate students. The course proposal should consist of:
   1. A brief course description suitable for the University course catalog (50-125 words)
   2. A detailed course proposal (up to 300 words)
   3. A list of the essential texts for the course
5. One scholarly paper (no more than 35 pages in length)
6. Two letters of recommendation from senior colleagues to whom candidates should send their research proposal and teaching proposal. Letters of recommendation should include an evaluation of the candidate’s proposed research and teaching statements. Please ask referees to submit their letters directly through the application link. Letters must be submitted on or before September 20, 2022.

The deadline to apply is September 20, 2022.
Awards will be announced by the end of December 2022.

For further information

Email: humctr@cornell.edu