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; three 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; three 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

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 (see link at right) for a Frederick Burkhardt Fellowship, which carries a stipend of $75,000.