JHI Distinguished Visiting Fellowships

The Jackman Humanities Institute (JHI) invites proposals from external scholars and artists to take up a Distinguished Visiting Fellowship. Four 8-month awards will be granted for the 2027-28 academic year.

Fellows will be in residence at the JHI from September 1, 2027 to April 30, 2028, joining an intellectual community that also includes University of Toronto faculty researchers, postdoctoral fellows, graduate and undergraduate students. Fellows are expected to reside in Toronto and contribute to the JHI’s programming and activities.

This is an open call for scholars and artists who work in the humanities or qualitative social sciences.

Kinds of Fellowships

This Call encompasses four different fellowships. If you are eligible for more than one, you may request consideration for each with a single application.  One fellowship of each kind will be granted yearly.

1. Distinguished Visiting International Faculty Fellowship
2. Distinguished Visiting Canadian Faculty Fellowship
3. Distinguished Visiting Indigenous Faculty Fellowship
4. Distinguished Visiting Artist in Residence

Eligibility: All Fellowships

• Applicants cannot be employees of the University of Toronto
• Visiting Fellows may hold up to two JHI Visiting Fellowships throughout their careers, with a gap of at least five years between awards
• Applicants who have previously held any form of fellowship at the Jackman Humanities Institute must wait five years from the end of that fellowship before applying again

Eligibility: Fellowship Specific

Distinguished Visiting International Faculty Fellowship: Applicants must hold, or expect to hold, the rank of Associate Professor or higher, or its equivalent, by July 1, 2027 at a recognized degree-granting university outside Canada.

Distinguished Visiting Canadian Faculty Fellowship: Applicants must hold, or expect to hold, the rank of Associate Professor or higher by July 1, 2027 at a recognized degree-granting university in Canada.

Distinguished Visiting Indigenous Faculty Fellowship: Applicants must hold, or expect to hold, the rank of Associate Professor or higher, or its equivalent, by July 1, 2027 at a recognized degree-granting university anywhere in the world.

Distinguished Visiting Artist in Residence: Applicants must be able to demonstrate a professional career in music, visual arts, architecture and design, literary writing, journalism, or other artistic mediums, going back at least five years. A university appointment is not required to be considered for this fellowship. Applicants can be from anywhere in the world.

Funding and Benefits

• All fellowships comes with an award of $80,000 CAD
• All Fellows will have:
  • Membership in the year’s Circle of Fellows
  • 24/7 use of a dedicated office as well the JHI’s meeting spaces and office facilities
  • Administrative support
  • Access to the University of Toronto Libraries 

Responsibilities and Expectations

• Relocate to a dedicated office at the JHI for the fellowship period
• Contribute to JHI events, including the weekly Circle of Fellows Seminar, workshops, lectures, and public events
• Present your research at the weekly Circle of Fellows seminar
• Produce a brief report summarizing your fellowship research by end of May 2028 for inclusion in the JHI’s Annual Report

Application Components

All applicants must complete the online application and upload the following documents as a single PDF:

• Project Proposal: 5-7 pages recommended
• Curriculum Vitae
• For applicants who are faculty members, include a sample of published work, peer-reviewed preferred
• For Artist in Residence applicants, include samples of your work
• If you would like to be considered for the Artist in Residence fellowship alongside being considered for another fellowship, please provide both published work samples and creative work samples

You will be asked to provide information for external referees: two names with email addresses. Do not provide referees who are currently appointed at your home institution. Your referees will receive an emailed request for a letter of reference as soon as you submit your application. Please ensure that they are aware of your application and that they should expect a request to provide a letter of reference. Letters of reference are due Tuesday, November 17, 2026, three weeks after the application deadline (Tuesday, October 27, 2026).

You will also be asked to provide a biography and project summary (maximum 100 words each). If you are selected for a fellowship, these texts will be used for publicity and reporting.

Selection Criteria

• Applications will be evaluated by an adjudication committee based on:
• Demonstrated excellence in research and scholarship, relative to career stage
• Originality, creativity, and scholarly/artistic merit of the proposed research
• Capacity to engage in intellectual exchange beyond one’s own discipline

Important Dates

• Applications can be submitted as of Tuesday, August 4, 2026
• Application deadline: Tuesday October 27, 2026 at 4:00pm
• Reference letter deadline: Tuesday November 17, 2026 at 4:00pm
• Results: End of December 2026
• Fellowship Period: September 1, 2027 to April 30, 2028

Contacts and Additional Resources

• Please see our FAQs below
• Questions about this fellowship opportunity? Contact Kimberley Yates, JHI Associate Director
• Technical questions about the application form or process? Contact Sonja Johnston, JHI Communications Officer