Newberry Short-Term Fellowships
Short-Term Fellows spend one to two months in residence at the Newberry, investigating specific collection items that are essential to their scholarship.
Applications for the 2027-28 Short-Term Fellowship program are now open
Deadline: December 4, 2026
About the Program
Newberry Library Short-Term Fellows are PhD-holding scholars and PhD candidates with a need to investigate specific Newberry collection items for their projects. They spend 1 to 2 months conducting intensive research at the Newberry and taking part in the Newberry's scholarly community.
Fellowship Details
Eligibility
Short-Term Fellowships are open to PhD-holding scholars at any stage of their career and to PhD candidates with ABD (all-but-dissertation) status or the equivalent. PhD-holding applicants do not need to be faculty members; curators, librarians, independent scholars, and others are also welcome to apply.
Applicants can be working in any field, as long as their proposed project demonstrates a need to work with specific items in the Newberry’s collection.
Funding and Award Period
Short-Term Fellows receive $3,000 per month. This stipend supports housing, travel, and other costs associated with living in Chicago. The Newberry does not provide housing for fellows.
The majority of Short-Term Fellowships provide 1 month of support. Exceptions are the Jody Enders Fellowship (2 months), the Frances C. Allen Fellowship (1-2 months), and the Lester J. Cappon Fellowship in Documentary Editing (1-2 months).
Awards can be taken up at any point in the 15-month period between June of the awarding year and August of the following year.
Other Opportunities
If you do not hold a PhD or ABD status and are a writer, artist, or other type of independent scholar or creative researcher, we encourage you to apply for our Artists-in-Residence Fellowships.
If you are a faculty member or graduate student from an NCAIS-affiliated institution, you are also eligible for NCAIS fellowships, which have their own application form and policies.
If you are completing research on behalf of a U.S. federally recognized tribal nation, please explore the Tribal Research Fellowship program.
Next Steps
How to Apply
Ready to start the process of applying for a fellowship? Here's everything you need to know.
Fellowships FAQ
Answers to questions about the fellowship programs, eligibility, applications, and more.
