Available fellowships

Each year, the Folger Institute offers 50 long- and short-term residential research fellowships to encourage use of the exceptional collections of the Folger Shakespeare Library and to encourage ongoing cross-disciplinary dialogue among scholars of the early modern period. These fellowships derive from a variety of funding sources. Awardees are expected to be in continuous residence and to participate in the intellectual life of the Folger.

Long-term Fellowships

Long-term fellowships are supported by the funds from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Folger Shakespeare Library. We seek highly talented, productive scholars whose work will be significantly advanced by a prolonged period of access to the collection. Long-term fellows are selected by an external committee whose members consider the following criteria in making selections: importance of the topic, originality and sophistication of the approach; feasibility of research objectives, and the applicant’s need for the Folger collections.

A complete application includes: a 250-word abstract; a 1,000-word proposal and brief bibliography of primary sources to be consulted; a four-page curriculum vitae; two letters of recommendation.

Application Deadline: 1 November of each year

Number of Fellowships awarded: up to five

Period of residence: six to nine months

Stipend: up to $50,000 for nine months, prorated for fewer than nine

Must hold Ph.D. or equivalent at time of application

NEH fellowships are restricted to US citizens or foreign nationals who have been living in the US for at least three years prior to application; Mellon and Folger fellowships are open to citizens of any country. The Folger fellowship may be awarded to an untenured scholar.

Short-term Fellowships

Short-term fellowships are supported by the Library’s own endowments and carry a stipend of $2,500 per month. Some fellowship endowments seek to support scholars working on a specific topic or from a specific region, while others are unrestricted. Short-term Fellows are selected by an internal committee and one external scholar. The members of the committee consider the following criteria in making selections: importance of the topic, originality and sophistication of the approach; feasibility of research objectives, and the applicant’s need for the Folger collections. The members of the selection committee may be inclined to give special weight to the applicant's need for the collections.

A complete application includes: a 250-word abstract; a 1,000-word proposal and brief bibliography of primary sources to be consulted; a 4-page curriculum vitae; and two letters of recommendation.

Application Deadline: 1 March of each year

Number of Fellowships awarded: approximately 40

Period of Residence: one to three months

Stipend: $2,500 per month

Must hold Ph.D. or equivalent at time of application

Restricted Folger Fellowship Endowments

Of the endowments that support short-term Fellowships, the Folger has a number of endowments that are restricted by research topic or by region. Those endowments are described below:

  • The Matillda D. Mascioli Fellowship Fund: for scholars from Italy or conducting research on Shakespeare or early modern Italian literature, history, or culture.
  • The Bess and Philip Rosenblum Fellowship Fund: for scholars from Israel or the Middle East conducting research on Shakespeare and/or the early modern period.
  • The Susan Snyder Memorial Fellowship Fund: for younger Shakespeare scholars.
  • The Myra and Charlton Hinman Fellowship Fund: for editorial and/ or bibliographic research.
Unrestricted Folger Fellowship Endowments
  • The Hanson Lee Dulin Senior Fellowship Fund The O.B. Hardison, Jr. Fellowship Fund
  • The Philip A. Knachel Fellowship Fund
  • The Reader Fellowship Fund The Hearst Fellowship Fund
  • The Mary and Eric Weinmann Fellowship Fund

Applicants are always encouraged to contact Assistant Director for Fellowships, Dr. Amanda Herbert, with any questions about the process of applying for or holding a fellowship.

Collaborative Fellowships

The Renaissance Society of America/Folger Shakespeare Library Fellowship

The Fellow will be awarded a two-month fellowship to be taken at the Folger Shakespeare Library. The award carries a stipend of $5000. Applicants must hold the Ph.D. at the time of application and must be a member in good standing of RSA. Apply directly to RSA.

The Sixteenth Century Society and Conference/Folger Shakespeare Library Fellowship

The Fellow will be awarded a two-month fellowship to be taken at the Folger Shakespeare Library. The award carries a stipend of $5000. Applicants must hold the Ph.D. at the time of application and must be a member in good standing of SCSC. Applicants must submit a cover letter in the place of the Folger's own application form and all other components as specified above. Apply directly to SCSC.

ACLS Fellowships

The Folger Institute joins the American Council of Learned Societies in support of fellowships for recently tenured faculty in the humanities. Applicants must apply directly to the ACLS for a Frederick Burkhardt Fellowship, which carries a stipend of $75,000.