Fellowships in Hellenic Studies

The application for 2013-14 academic year has closed.

The Center for Hellenic Studies (CHS) offers fellowships to scholars working on the ancient Greek world in all its varieties, for example, in fields of archaeology, art history, epigraphy, history, literary criticism, philology, philosophy, pedagogical applications, reception, and interdisciplinary studies.

All fellows, regardless of the duration of their fellowship, receive an appointment for the academic year with full access to the resources of the Harvard library system. Fellows receive varying levels of financial support and reside at the CHS for (1) a shorter period up to two weeks, or (2) a semester, or (3) the full academic year (September through May), depending on the scope and needs of their proposed projects.

Fellowships in category "1" (with a residency for up to two weeks) include housing at the CHS and a $5000 allowance for professional travel and other research expenses. (Fellows may divide their residencies by spending one week at the CHS during the fall semester and another in the spring, or they may come for a continuous two-week period.)

Fellowships in category "2" (with a residency for a semester) include a stipend, housing at the CHS, and subsidized health insurance. The stipend (maximum $17,000) is adjusted for individual circumstances, such as the number of dependents accompanying the fellow and the amount of support from other sources. Additional support (up to $1,000) is available for professional travel and other research expenses. The CHS will also assist with the fellows' travel expenses to and from Washington.

Fellowships in category "3" (with a residency for the academic year) include a stipend, housing at the CHS, and subsidized health insurance. The stipend (maximum $34,000) is adjusted for individual circumstances, such as the number of dependents accompanying the fellow and the amount of support from other sources. Additional support (up to $1,000) is available for professional travel and other research expenses. The CHS will also assist with the fellows' travel expenses to and from Washington.

As members of the scholarly community at the CHS, all fellows will periodically document the evolution of their projects and share their work in progress. Fellows will present the outcomes of their research and welcome feedback through (1) the online CHS Research Bulletin and (2) a webcast symposium. The fellows’ symposium papers and videos of their presentations will appear in a publication on the CHS website.

Eligibility

Prerequisites for fellowships are a Ph.D. degree (or its equivalent) and professional competence in ancient Greek studies as documented by published work. The principal requirement of the application is a detailed but brief research proposal (no more than 1,000 words).

Criteria Used in the Awarding of Fellowships

The purpose of the fellowship program is to encourage and support scholarship of the highest quality on ancient Greek civilization. It also aims to develop and support a network of scholars, placing emphasis on the collaborative and interdisciplinary nature of the field of Hellenic Studies. Of vital interest to the CHS is the goal of fostering interaction among scholars from diverse backgrounds and regions of the world. To that end, each cohort of fellows will include scholars from the United States and abroad. Also, as one of the leading supporters of research on the development and use of digital information in the humanities, the CHS particularly welcomes proposals that use and advance information technologies in the study of the ancient Greek world.

The CHS will fund proposals that (a) show scholarly promise as indicated by the merits of the project, (b) demonstrate the capability of the researchers to achieve the proposed outcomes as reflected in their academic records, prior publications, and supporting letters, and (c) achieve results that will have a broad impact both on the immediate field and on the humanities in general.

The CHS will give preference to proposals that outline clearly and in detail how a fellowship and the appropriate duration of residency at the CHS can enable the proposed research and contribute to its completion and application.

The CHS encourages proposals from scholars who are at a point in their careers when access to the resources of the CHS and its interactions with other fellows are critical to the successful outcome of their research agenda. The CHS rigorously supports the principles of affirmative action and equal opportunity in the selection of fellows.

The CHS seeks proposals that will take full advantage of its unique working environment. In addition to conventional proposals for conducting research on topics for which the collection of resources at the CHS is especially well suited, proposals that would benefit from the close collaboration of a team of two or more scholars are of particular interest. Such a team could propose to work in residence during the same fellowship year or during consecutive years. To enable collaboration among current and potential applicants, the CHS will accept applications for fellowships during the 2013-2014, 2014-2015, and 2015-2016 academic years. Members of team may apply during different application cycles (for example, in fall 2012 and in fall 2013). Each member of the team should submit an individual application, with cross-references to the other members (or potential members), and describe the collaborative nature of the project in the proposal.

Application Information

The deadline for submissions is October 1, 2012. Recommendation letters are due by October 8, 2012.

Applicants must fill out the application form completely before clicking on the "Submit" button at the end of the form. The system will not save incomplete applications. For questions that require more lengthy responses (for example, "How would a fellowship at the CHS fit into your short- and long-term plans?"), applicants may want to draft them in a separate word processor, and have them ready to paste into the application form.

As part of the application process, applicants will upload three documents in PDF format:

1. a detailed, but brief research proposal (no more than 1,000 words),

2. a curriculum vitae listing your recent publications and presentations, and

3. a sample of published work (no more than 50 printed pages in length).

The system will not accept files larger than 2MB.

Applicants will also provide the names and contact information for three references. The CHS will contact references for their letters only after an applicant has submitted an application. Those who write the references must prepare and submit their letters in PDF format by the deadline, October 8, 2012. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that those who write their references should submit their letters on time.

Please note that applicants may not write reference letters for other applicants. Additionally, members of the selection committee (senior fellows and the Director) may not write reference letters.

The selection committee of senior fellows will meet to consider applications at their meetings in December and April and inform applicants of their status within a few weeks of each meeting. Applicants with questions should consult the FAQ page or contact a fellowships program coordinator by e-mail or by telephone at 202-745-4400 between 9:00AM-4:00PM (EST), Monday through Friday.