Folger Shakespeare Library Fellowships

The Folger Shakespeare Library is embarking on a major renovation project to commence in early 2020. While this work is underway, the Folger Institute is committed to continuing its support of collections-based research, and to providing scholars with the resources they need to pursue and advance their work. The renovation offers the Institute the opportunity to create new kinds of awards, to make fellowships more adaptable, and to forge new relationships with archives, collections, libraries, and museums around the world. In 2020-2021, Folger research fellowships will place value on many different forms of scholarly enterprise and places to pursue it.

The Folger Institute will offer research fellowships, in the amount of $3,500, to support four continuous weeks of research and writing away from the Folger.

The deadline for applications is January 1, 2020 for fellowships to be undertaken any time from July 2020 through May 2021.

Application

To apply for a 2020-20201 Folger Research Fellowship, please submit the following:

1. 250-word abstract of your project.
2. 1,500-word description of your project, emphasizing your proposed topic’s importance, its relevance to a field of study broadly supported by the Folger Library’s collections and programs, and the originality and sophistication of its approach. Please describe the proposed location(s) of your work – either at home or abroad – with a justification of why and how this agenda will advance your project. Scholars may articulate their need for collections-based research, access to digital resources, and/or time for writing.
3. A one-to-two page list of the materials you wish to consult during your fellowship; this can include databases, electronic resources, or media.
4. Two-page CV.
5. Two letters of recommendation. You will identify your recommenders in the online application portal. Your recommenders will be contacted directly via the online portal and will be given guidance on how to upload their letters.

Applicants are encouraged to make their own best cases to pursue their research at a place of their choosing. But here are some scenarios an applicant might propose:

• A researcher is planning a trip to multiple archives in order to consult a range of rare materials, all in one trip.
• A researcher requests access to select electronic resources while writing from home.
• A researcher needs the dedicated time to work with a local collection.
• A researcher wishes to conduct research at a repository which is non-traditional, under-funded, or under-utilized.