There are many fields of study within the humanities, and just as many fellowships to help you pursue academic work in those fields. Learn more about these unique humanities grants and research fellowships, spanning from summer workshops to funding for a humanities degree or scholarly research. This list includes a number of National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grants and NEH fellowships. Sign up for ProFellow to search our fellowships database and bookmark these fellowships to your account.
NEH Fellowship at the New-York Historical Society
One fellowship for the length of a single academic year is supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities for research at the New-York Historical Society. The fellowship is available to individuals who have completed their formal professional training and have a strong record of accomplishment within their field. There is no restriction relating to age or academic status of applicants. Foreign nationals are eligible to apply if they have lived in the United States for at least three years immediately preceding the application deadline. The ten-month residency will carry a stipend of $42,000, plus benefits.
Chateaubriand Fellowship – Humanities & Social Sciences (HSS)
The Chateaubriand Fellowship – Humanities & Social Sciences (HSS) provides PhD candidates currently enrolled at a U.S. university the opportunity to conduct research in France in any discipline of the Humanities and Social Sciences. The fellowship lasts for 4-8 months and provides travel, health insurance and a monthly stipend of $1,500 euros. Candidates do not have to be U.S. citizens, but they must be enrolled in an American university.
Humane Studies Fellowships
The Humane Studies Fellowship is a non-residency fellowship program that awards $2,000-$15,000 per year to each participant, and provides individual advising and a support network to foster academic success. The fellowship is open to full-time graduate students (including law students) from accredited universities anywhere in the world with research interests related to liberty in society, who are relating their work to the humanities (even if the core discipline falls outside the humanities) and dedicated to advancing the ideas of liberty through research and teaching.
ACLS Public Fellows Competition for Recent PhDs
The ACLS Public Fellows program allows PhDs to gain valuable, career-building experience in fields such as public policy, international aid, conservation, arts and culture, and digital media. The program will place up to 22 recent PhDs from the humanities and humanistic social sciences in two-year positions at partnering organizations in government and the nonprofit sector. Fellows will participate in the substantive work of these organizations and receive professional mentoring. Fellows receive a stipend of $65,000 per year, as well as individual health insurance. Applicants must possess US citizenship or permanent resident status and have a recent PhD in the humanities or humanistic social sciences.
New York Public Library Short-Term Research Fellowships
The New York Public Library offers Short-Term Research Fellowships to support visiting scholars from outside the New York metropolitan area engaged in graduate-level, post-doctoral and independent research. Fellowship stipends are $1,000 per week for up to 4 weeks and researchers must be in residence at the Library for a minimum of 2 weeks between July and June. Supports on-site research in the Library’s special collections for projects in the humanities including art history, cultural studies, history, literature, performing arts, and photography. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
American Antiquarian Society Fellowships
The American Antiquarian Society (AAS) maintains a major research library in American history, literature, and culture through 1876 in Worchester, MA. The AAS-NEH fellows are part of a community that includes the AAS staff, area college and university faculty, and the recipients of AAS short-term fellowships (including scholars from all over the U.S. and abroad, PhD candidates, and creative artists and writers producing work for the general public) and other long-term fellows. Twenty-eight months of AAS-NEH fellowship support are available.
American Center of Oriental Research (Amman) Fellowship
The American Center of Oriental Research (ACOR) in Amman, Jordan, is a private, international, non-profit academic institution dedicated to promoting research and publication in the fields of archaeology, anthropology, ancient through modern history, art history, conservation and preservation studies, Arabic and other Near Eastern languages, Islamic studies, and many other fields related to Near Eastern studies. One NEH postdoctoral fellowship award of $16,800–$25,200, for a tenure of 4–6 months residence at ACOR in Amman, will be available.
Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Predoctoral Fellowships in Women’s History
The two recipients of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship in Women’s History should have a strong interest in the fields of women’s history and public history. They must be currently enrolled students in good standing in a relevant PhD program in the humanities. The Predoctoral Fellows will be in residence part-time at the New York Historical Society for one academic year with a stipend of $15,000 per year. This position is not full-time and will not receive full benefits.
Library Resident Research Fellowship
The American Philosophical Society Library offers short-term residential fellowships for conducting research in its collections. We are a leading international center for research in the history of American science and technology and its European roots, as well as early American history and culture. The fellowships, funded by generous benefactors, are open to both U.S. citizens and foreign nationals. Applicants may be holders of the PhD or its equivalent, PhD candidates who have passed their preliminary examinations, and degreed independent scholars. A stipend of $3,000 per month is awarded for 1-3 months.
Wallenberg Academy Fellows
The purpose of the Wallenberg Academy Fellows program in Sweden is to give young researchers working conditions that enable them to focus on research and tackle difficult long-term research questions. The program addresses young researchers in medicine, natural sciences, engineering and technology, humanities, and social sciences. Swedish universities are invited to nominate candidates for the program. The Swedish Academies will evaluate and select the most promising researchers and the universities will then take long-term responsibility for these individuals.
Council of American Overseas Research Centers Multi-Country Research Fellowship Program for Advanced Multi-Country Research
The Multi-Country Fellowship Program supports advanced regional or trans-regional research in the humanities, social sciences, or allied natural sciences for U.S. doctoral candidates and scholars who have already earned their PhD. Preference will be given to candidates examining comparative and/or cross-regional research. Scholars must carry out research in two or more countries outside the United States, at least one of which hosts a participating American overseas research center. Approximately nine awards of up to $12,000 each will be given.
COARC/NEH Senior Scholar Fellowship
The Council of American Overseas Research Centers is pleased to announce the inaugural National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Fellowship Programs at Independent Research Institutions (FPIRI) competition for postdoctoral fellowships. Applicants must propose 4 consecutive months of research in an American Overseas Research Center in one of the following countries: Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Cyprus, Georgia, Indonesia, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal, Senegal, Sri Lanka or Tunisia. Fields of study include, but are not limited to, history, philosophy, religious studies, literature, literary criticism, and visual and performing arts. Fellowship awards are for a maximum of 4 consecutive months ($4,200 per month).
Leibniz-DAAD Fellowship Program
Launched in 2011, the Leibniz-DAAD Research Fellowship offers highly-qualified recent foreign postdocs the opportunity to conduct special research at institutes of the Leibniz Association in Germany. Fellows can do their research at one of the Leibniz Institutes which are covered in the following (five) sections: Humanities and Educational Research; Economics, Social and Spatial Sciences; Life Sciences; Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Engineering; and Environmental Research. Grants for postdocs can be awarded for up to a maximum of 12 months.
National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Fellowship
NEH grants and fellowships support individuals pursuing advanced research that is of value to humanities scholars, general audiences, or both. Recipients usually produce articles, monographs, books, digital materials, archaeological site reports, translations, editions, or other scholarly resources in the humanities. Projects may be at any stage of development. Fellowships cover periods lasting from six to twelve months at a stipend of $4,200 per month. The maximum stipend is $50,400 for a twelve-month period.
NEH Summer Stipends
Summer Stipends support individuals pursuing advanced research that is of value to humanities scholars, general audiences, or both. Recipients usually produce articles, monographs, books, digital materials, archaeological site reports, translations or editions. Summer Stipends provide $6,000 for two consecutive months of full-time research and writing. Recipients must work full-time on their projects for these two months and may hold other research grants supporting the same project during this time. Summer Stipends normally support work carried out during the summer months, but arrangements can be made for other times of the year.
NEH Fellowships for Advanced Social Science Research in Japan
The Fellowship Program for Advanced Social Science Research in Japan is a joint activity of the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission (JUSFC) and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Awards support research on modern Japanese society and political economy, Japan’s international relations, and U.S.-Japan relations. Fellowships support continuous full-time work for a period of 6-12 months. Successful applicants receive a stipend of $4,200 per month. The maximum stipend is $50,400 for a twelve-month period.
National Humanities Center Fellowships
The National Humanities Center in North Carolina will offer up to 40 residential fellowships for advanced study in the humanities for September through May. 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 international in scope and welcomes applications from scholars outside the U.S. Applicants must have a doctorate or equivalent scholarly credentials. The Center seeks to provide at least half salary and covers travel expenses for Fellows and dependents.
American Academy in Rome Prize
For over a century, the American Academy in Rome has awarded the Rome Prize to support innovative and cross-disciplinary work in the arts and humanities. Prize recipients are invited to Rome, Italy for five months or eleven months to immerse themselves in the Academy community. Each Rome Prize winner is provided with a stipend, meals, a bedroom with private bath, and a study or studio. Those with children under 18 live in partially subsidized apartments nearby. Winners of half-term and full-term fellowships receive stipends of $16,000 and $28,000, respectively. Winners of the Two-Year fellowships receive $28,000 annually.
Confucius China Studies Program (CCSP) Fellowships
The Institute of International Education continues to welcome applications for the Confucius China Studies Program (CCSP) Fellowships. There are two fellowships available. The Research PhD Fellowship offers generous funding to students in doctoral programs at U.S. institutions who are pursuing China-related research across a broad range of fields in the arts, education, humanities and social sciences. Grantees will be supported for a period of at least one semester and up to two years. The PhD in China Fellowship provides funding to students holding a master’s degree in a China-related field who wish to earn a doctoral degree at a Chinese institution. Funding is normally available for three to four years.
International Dissertation Research Fellowship (IDRF)
The Mellon International Dissertation Research Fellowship (IDRF) offers 9-12 months of support to graduate students in the humanities and humanistic social sciences who are enrolled in PhD programs in the United States and conducting dissertation research on non-US topics. Eighty fellowships are awarded annually. Fellowship amounts vary depending on the research plan, with a per-fellowship average of $20,000. The fellowship includes participation in an SSRC-funded interdisciplinary workshop upon the completion of IDRF-funded research.
Camargo Core Program
The Camargo Foundation, located in Cassis, France, is a residential center offering programming in the Arts and Humanities. It offers time and space in a contemplative environment to think, create, and connect. Applications from all countries, nationalities, and career levels are welcome. Scholars & Thinkers (including professionals and practitioners in creative fields such as curators, critics, urban planners, independent scholars, etc.) should be connected to the Arts and Humanities working on French and Francophone cultures, including but not limited to cross-cultural studies that engage the cultures and influences of the Mediterranean region. Artists, in all disciplines, who are the primary creators of a new work/project. Roundtrip transportation and a stipend of 1,000 USD per month is available.
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Fellowship
The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Fellowship Program provides recent PhD recipients and ABDs with opportunities to conduct research in Japan under the leadership of a host researcher. Fellows are encouraged to advance their own research and at the same time closely collaborate with young Japanese researchers and contribute to Japanese research communities. Applications are welcome from all social science and humanities disciplines and need not be explicitly related to the study of Japan. Projects propose a single, continuous stay in Japan from 1-12 months (short-term) or 1-2 years (long-term).
JMC-Huntington Fellowship
The Huntington is an independent research center in San Marino, CA with holdings in British and American history, literature, art history, and the history of science and medicine. There are many areas of special strength, including: Middle Ages, Renaissance, 19th- and 20th-century literature, British drama, Colonial America, American Civil War, Western American and California. The fellowship is a short-term award of 3 months’ support in the amount of $9,000 to support research in the collections as they pertain to the central mission of the Jack Miller Center.
Mellon Fellowships for Dissertation Research in Original Sources
These fellowships are for dissertation research in the humanities or related social sciences in original sources. Applicants may be of any nationality but must be enrolled in a U.S. doctoral program and be studying in the U.S. Proposed research may be conducted at a single or multiple sites abroad, in the U.S., or both. Fellowships are for 9-12 months and provide an annual stipend of up to $25,000.
Bellagio Residency Program: Academic Writing
The Bellagio Residency program in Italy offers researchers in the humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, and other academic disciplines a serene setting conducive to focused, goal-oriented work. Residencies last between 2-4 weeks. The Center has a strong interest in proposals that align with the Foundation’s work to expand opportunities and to strengthen resilience for poor or vulnerable people, in particular projects relevant to the Foundation’s core issue areas: Advance Health, Revalue Ecosystems, Secure Livelihoods, and Transform Cities. Room and board are provided to all residents and their spouses/partners.
The Woodrow Wilson Dissertation Fellowships in Women’s Studies
The Woodrow Wilson Dissertation Fellowships in Women’s Studies support the final year of dissertation writing for PhD candidates in the humanities and social sciences whose work addresses topics of women and gender in interdisciplinary and original ways. In each round, ten Fellows will receive $5,000 to be used for expenses connected with completing their dissertations, such as research-related travel, data work/collection, and supplies.
Kluge Fellowships
The Library of Congress invites qualified scholars to conduct research in the John W. Kluge Center using the Library of Congress collections and resources for a period of up to eleven months. Scholars who have received a terminal advanced degree within the past seven years in the humanities, social sciences or in a professional field such as architecture or law are eligible to apply. Fellows receive a stipend of $4,200/month.
APS/Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities Fellowship for Research in Edinburgh
In collaboration with the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities (IASH) at the University of Edinburgh, the APS offers a visiting fellowship of between 2-4 months for research in Edinburgh in any aspect of the humanities and social sciences. This award includes travel expenses between the United States and the United Kingdom, a private office, library and research facilities at the IASH, and a monthly subsistence paid by the APS. Travel expenses and the monthly subsistence amount will not exceed a maximum of $6,000.
Newton International Fellowships
The Newton International Fellowship selects the very best early stage postdoctoral researchers from all over the world, and offers support for two years at UK research institutions. It is for researchers in the fields of physical, natural and social sciences and the humanities. They provide grants of £24,000 per annum to cover subsistence and up to £8,000 per annum to cover research expenses, plus a one-off relocation allowance of up to £2,000. In addition, Newton Fellows may be eligible for follow-up funding of up to £6,000 per annum for up to 10 years following the completion of the Fellowship.
James Smithson Fellowship Program
The James Smithson Fellowship Program is a 1-year opportunity for post-doctoral students and scholars in the fields of science, humanities and the arts, interested in gaining a better understanding of the interplay between research and public policy and discourse. Fellows are immersed with Smithsonian researchers and relevant collections and receive hands-on experience exploring relationships between research and public policy through interaction with Smithsonian and policy leaders in Washington, D.C. Candidates must be U.S. citizens and have received their doctorate degree within 5 years. Fellows receive a stipend of $53,000.
ARIT Fellowships in Humanities and Social Sciences
The ARIT fellowships support research in Turkey for the academic year. Scholars and advanced graduate students engaged in research on ancient, medieval, or modern times in Turkey, in any field of the humanities and social sciences, are eligible to apply. Non-U.S. applicants who reside in the U.S. or Canada are expected to maintain an affiliation with an educational institution in the U.S. or Canada.
Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships
The Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships support the final year of dissertation writing on ethical and religious values in all fields of the humanities and social sciences. Awards are based on a rigorous national competition, with at least 22 winners who receive a stipend of $25,000. These fellowships are supported by the Newcombe Foundation and are administered by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation of Princeton, NJ. Through its various fellowship programs, the Woodrow Wilson Foundation works to identify and prepare the next generation’s best minds for the nation’s most urgent needs.
Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships
The Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships program provides funding to the very best postdoctoral applicants, both nationally and internationally, who will positively contribute to Canada’s economic, social and research-based growth. Areas of research include health research, natural sciences, engineering, social sciences and humanities. 70 fellowships are awarded annually. The two-year fellowships offer a stipend of $70,000 per year.
Vanier Canada Graduate Fellowship
The Government of Canada launched the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Vanier CGS) program in 2008 to strengthen Canada’s ability to attract and retain world-class doctoral students and establish Canada as a global centre of excellence in research and higher learning. Vanier Scholars demonstrate leadership skills and a high standard of scholarly achievement in graduate studies in the social sciences and/or humanities, natural sciences and/or engineering and health. Up to 167 scholarships are awarded annually. Fellows receive $50,000 per year for three years.
Berlin Program for Advanced German and European Studies Fellowships
The Program supports North American scholars in all social science and humanities disciplines, including historians working on modern and contemporary German and European history. Applicants must be U.S. or Canadian nationals or permanent residents who are either full-time graduate students who have completed all coursework required for a PhD or have received their doctorates within the past two calendar years. Awards provide between 10 and 12 months of research support and a generous travel allowance for intra-European research.
CJH/NEH Fellowship for Senior Scholars
The Center for Jewish History (CJH) offers a fellowship to senior scholars through a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). The award supports original research at the Center in the humanities, including but not limited to Jewish studies, Russian and East European studies, American studies and Germanic studies, as well as musicology, linguistics, anthropology, sociology and history. Applications are welcome from college and university faculty in any field who have completed a PhD more than six years prior to the start of the fellowship. Full fellowships carry a stipend of up to $50,400 for a period of one year.
NEH-NSF Documenting Endangered Languages Fellowship
Made urgent by the imminent death of an estimated half of the 7,000 currently used languages, this fellowship aims also to exploit advances in information technology. Awards support fieldwork and other activities relevant to recording, documenting, and archiving endangered languages, including the preparation of lexicons, grammars, text samples, and databases. DEL funding is available in the form of one- to three-year project grants as well as fellowships for 6-12 months. At least half the available funding will be awarded to projects involving fieldwork.
Woolf Institute Cambridge Scholarships
The Woolf Institute and the Cambridge Commonwealth Trust / Cambridge Overseas Trust have agreed to co-fund PhD students at the University of Cambridge. Scholars will be selected from amongst applicants in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. Their research must be relevant to the focus of the Woolf Institute – the multi-disciplinary study of relations between Jews, Christians and Muslims. Each scholarship will cover the full cost of studying for a PhD at the University of Cambridge, and will be tenable at any of the thirty-one Cambridge Colleges. Applicants are required to apply to the University in the normal way by the deadlines.
Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship
The MMUF program is coordinated on each of its member campuses by faculty members and academic administrators who select their institution’s undergraduate fellows, typically in the sophomore year. Fellows have demonstrated academic ability and an aspiration to pursue a doctoral degree in selected humanities, social sciences, and physical sciences. The fellowship provides fellows with many forms of support, including regular, structured programming; faculty mentoring; term-time stipends for research activities; support for summer research; and repayment of undergraduate loans up to $10,000. Check out our interview with Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow Jonathan Peraza.
© Victoria Johnson 2017, all rights reserved.