John Carter Brown Research Fellowship for Indigenous Communities

The John Carter Brown (JCB) Library, located on the campus of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, stewards a research collection focused on the histories and cultures of the Early Americas. The Library is free and open to the public with appointments required for research visits, and operates a robust fellowship program to support researchers across myriad research topics. The JCB invites tribal communities and community members to apply to its Research Fellowship for Indigenous Communities. This fellowship supports community-prioritized and community-based research that would benefit from research time in the JCB’s collections, that could  be undertaken, for example, by Native or Indigenous scholars, Elders, Tribal librarians or archivists, and knowledge keepers. 

Individual scholars may apply but must include a letter of support from the tribal community that will benefit from their research.  Researchers do not need to have an academic affiliation or academic background to apply. Fellowship funding supports the JCB’s commitment to knowledge sharing and digital and on-site access to its collection of materials focused on the history of the western hemisphere from the 15th through the 19th centuries.

Priority will be given to applications from tribal communities across the southern New England region for the 2023-2024 pilot year of the fellowship. 

The Fellowship is available for periods of two to four months and includes a stipend of $2,250 per month. (Stipend amount will change to $2,500 as of July 1, 2024.) The JCB supports both residential and remote fellowships. Applications for this fellowship are accepted and awarded on a rolling basis.

Awards are open to U.S. citizens and foreign nationals who hold the necessary U.S. government documents. Successful proposals will require the use of materials available only at the JCB.