Folger Institute Artistic Research Fellowships are open to all artists whose work would benefit from significant primary research related to the histories, concepts, art, and objects of the early modern world (ca. 1400-1800) and its legacies. Artistic applicants are not required to hold a formal degree, but should describe their training and level of industry-specific experience in their CV.
Artistic applicants may apply for one, two, or three months of research support and have the option to take their fellowships fully onsite, fully virtual, or a combination of the two. Fellowship awards are $4,000 per virtual month and $5,000 per onsite month, and may be taken any time between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026. Applicants may propose the research schedule that best fits their project’s needs. A final art deliverable is not required upon conclusion of the fellowship residency. However, we do require all fellows to complete an evaluation survey to help us continue to improve our program.
Applications open:
October 15, 2024
Applications due:
January 15, 2025, by 11:59 pm (ET)
Please note that while fellowships taken onsite at the Folger provide access to and time with our collection, they do not include studio space. Artists who need studio space while in residence will be expected to arrange their own.
The Folger Institute will offer one Long-term Public Humanities Fellowship at 70,000 USD for a standard period of 9 months. The Folger Institute is eligible to sponsor international scholars under the J-1 visa and covers the costs of application.
Application Instructions
The application portal for Long-term Public Humanities Fellowships is now open. All applications must be completed and submitted through our online portal.
Please be sure to review the Fellowships FAQs page before applying. To evaluate applications each year, the Fellowships Program assembles an external committee of respected experts, aiming for disciplinary, methodological, and geographical diversity. Committee membership changes annually.
To apply for a 2025–2026 Folger Long-term Public Humanities Fellowship, please submit the following:
- 250-word abstract of your project.
- 1,500-word description of the project you propose to work on while in residence at the Folger. Please emphasize your proposed project’s impact, its relevance to the field, the originality and sophistication of your approach, the feasibility of your research goals, and detailed descriptions and timelines of four public humanities programs. If you intend to take any portion of your fellowship virtually, you must include a statement describing your work plan and proposed location(s), with a justification of why and how this virtual time will be useful to your research, thinking, and/or creative process.
- Two-page CV.
- One- to two-page list of relevant Folger primary sources and rare materials you wish to consult onsite during the residential portion of your fellowship at the Folger Library. While you may also utilize the Folger’s secondary and digital holdings, the list of primary materials will help determine the viability of your project by assessing the availability, condition, and conservation or exhibition status of the requested items.
- One letter of recommendation. You will identify your recommender in the online application portal. Your recommender will be contacted directly via the online portal and given guidance on how to upload their letter. Anyone is eligible to act as a recommender: artists, scholars, teachers, colleagues. We recognize that, due to continuing contractions in the humanities, we are all under unique and significant pressures. Letters of recommendation are very helpful to interdisciplinary selection committees as they work to understand how a project fits within its field. Applications may be disadvantaged, but they are not rendered ineligible or formally penalized if they are missing a letter of recommendation.
- If you feel that portfolio materials or a link to an online portfolio will help the selection committee to better understand your application, please include them in your proposal document upload. DO NOT include portfolio materials that are unrelated to your proposed fellowship project. Providing portfolio materials is optional.
It is helpful to start your online application early. You can revise your application at any point in the process right up to the deadline. You must hit the “submit” button for your application to be completed.
Website link: https://www.folger.edu/research/the-folger-institute/fellowships/apply-for-a-fellowship/artistic-research-fellowships/
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