NYPL Charles Silverstein and William Bory Fellowship

Applications Open | Apply Now! | Deadline: July 6, 2026

The New York Public Library is pleased to announce the Charles Silverstein and William Bory Fellowship to support scholars researching any LGBTQ+ topic using the collections and resources of the Library. The fellowship is open to emerging and established scholars; however, preference will be given to academics and independent scholars that do not have permanent academic appointments, focusing on doctoral candidates and early career scholars working toward their first publications.  

The selected scholars will receive $7,500 to fund four to eight weeks of in-person research at The New York Public Library. They will be expected to utilize the Library’s premier LGBTQ+ collections, though it is not expected they confine themselves to those collections.

Questions about this fellowship may be directed to fellowships@nypl.org.

Fellowship Timeline

• Application deadline: June 30, 2026
• Award announced: July 31, 2026
• Fellowship term: September 2026 - June 2027

Application Guidelines

Applications are submitted through the new NYPL Fellowship Portal. Click here to be taken to the application form. A complete application must include the following:

• Application completed in the NYPL Fellowship Portal
• Research proposal of no more than 1750 words
• Proposed schedule of the research to be completed
• Updated CV
• Letter of recommendation

Eligibility

The Charles Silverstein and William Bory fellowship is open to individuals with the legal right to work in the United States. NYPL does not sponsor employment visas for this fellowship.

Selection Process and Criteria

Applications are reviewed by a committee of archivists, specialists, and curators who are familiar with NYPL and peer collections, as well as trends in LGBTQ+ studies. Applications are evaluated based on their originality, contribution to the scholarship, use of archives, and the potential impact of the funding on furthering the project.

NYPL Resources

The New York Public Library has one of the world’s largest collections of LGBTQ+ history and materials regarding the social history of the AIDS crisis, many of which are available to view online. Explore our extensive collections, including academic and popular literature, rare books, little magazines, historic newspapers, at least 100,000 volumes, and over 300 archival collections—containing hundreds of thousands of letters, manuscripts, photographs, posters, and other items.