MIT Postdoctoral Fellowships on Islamic Achitecture, Urbanism and Conservation
The Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at MIT (AKPIA@MIT) is pleased to announce its postdoctoral fellowship program for the academic year 2019-2020. The fellowship program is intended for scholars with a Ph.D. in any field related to architecture — including architectural, art, landscape, and urban history; design, technology, heritage studies, urban planning, anthropology, and archeology. The focus of the postdoctoral program are the issues of heritage conservation, destruction, and reconstruction, especially but not exclusively in the Middle East. Fellows are expected to help define, develop, and expand research in these areas rather than fit into a set agenda. Their research proposals will ask, and attempt to show, what the historical, cultural, comparative, environmental, technological, and ethical dimensions of architecture and urbanism contribute to the current urgent issues of conservation and reconstruction.
We seek applications both from fields close to AKPIA@MIT’s historical core, e.g., historical, comparative, and humanistic inquiry, and from complementary fields analyzing contemporary crises and responses. Fellows are expected to engage in research that contributes to the topics listed here, give at least one public lecture and participate in meetings and workshops about the research subject, submit an article on their input to the subject at the end of their fellowship that will be included in the publication planned by AKPIA@MIT for 2020, and participate in the program's other scholarly and academic activities during their stay at MIT.
One to three fellowships will be granted. The fellowship duration can range from two months to a maximum of two semesters, or nine months, of residency, that will have to fall within the academic year (September to June). The fellowship award consists of monthly stipend not to exceed the amount of $4,036 (before taxes) per month. Fellows will be responsible for their travel and to find their own housing and health insurance, which will be administered individually and according to MIT’s institute wide policies. AKPIA will also provide library cards, email accounts at MIT, and, if available, a workplace in the AKPIA@MIT office that is shared with other fellows.
Deadline for application is March 29, 2019 and recipients will be announced by April 15, 2019. To apply please complete the electronic form below and make sure to fill all fields marked with asterisks. The form includes a field for uploading accompanying documents, which should be formatted as a single compressed file or PDF file less than 12 MB in size. This file must include a C.V., research proposal, substantial writing sample and/or a portfolio, and two letters of recommendation in that order. Letters of recommendation can be sent separately either by mail or electronically to akpiafellowapp@mit.edu.
Applicants are encouraged to seek other sources of funding to supplement the fellowship award. Scholars on sabbatical or with their own financial resources are also welcome to apply to AKPIA fellowships. AKPIA reserves the right to prorate its fellowship when combined with another grant or fellowship.
