The Beinecke Library offers, on a competitive basis, short-term fellowships to support research in the Yale Library special collections. This application is open to academic and independent scholars, locally and globally, who would like to apply for funding to pursue research projects that require one to four months of onsite research with the collections. We welcome applications from all interested researchers, regardless of their institutional association, race, cultural background, ability, sexual orientation, gender, or socioeconomic status. Applications from scholars utilizing traditional methods of archival and bibliographic research are encouraged as are applications from individuals who wish to pursue creative, interdisciplinary, and non-traditional approaches to conducting research in the collections.

The application for the 2023-2024 application cycle is now closed. Please check back in August 2023 for information for the 2024-2025 application cycle. 

Applicants will be notified of all decisions by January 20, 2023

Research must be conducted between June 1, 2023 and May 31, 2024

COVID Advisory Note

Our ability to award fellowships to visiting researchers will be dependent on public health conditions and university guidelines. Current library policies can be viewed on the University library’s website. 

Eligibility

• Applicants cannot be enrolled in a degree program at the time of their fellowship.
   
• Students currently enrolled in degree-granting programs should apply to the graduate student fellowship program 

Expectations for Fellows

• This is a residential fellowship and fellows are expected to spend the majority of their time in the reading room. Fellows are meant to participate in the intellectual life of the university and are encouraged to participate in the activities of library.
   
• Seating in the reading room is limited, therefore applicants’ first choice for arrival cannot be guaranteed. Fellows must finalize their visit dates with the Fellowship Coordinator prior to arrival.
   
• At the end of the fellowship period, fellows are asked to complete a questionnaire about their experience, provide a brief statement on research outcomes, and to acknowledge the fellowship in publications and lectures that stem from research conducted during the fellowship term.

Funding Information

Fellowships will be awarded in the amount of $5,000 per month for up to four months of research depending on the research needs of the project. An additional modest travel budget may be awarded if the project would benefit from research at another repository with vital complementary materials; this research would take place directly following the fellowship period at Yale. Fellows’ funding will be awarded at the beginning of the fellowship. All fellows are responsible for paying any taxes related to the receipt of their fellowship.

Application Requirements

All materials must be received by the deadline. Applicants are required to submit the following materials through Interfolio:

• An application form
   
• A curriculum vitae (3 pages max)
   
• (Optional) A travel budget for up to $5,000 additional funding for travel and accommodations to do research in other repositories beyond Yale. Please upload this document under “Additional Documents” in the Interfolio application. 
   
• A research proposal (1,200 words max) that outlines:

o   Significance of the proposed collections research to your larger project

o   Value of your project to your field

o   Feasibility of completing the scope of research proposed within the fellowship period 

• A detailed list of materials to be examined during your fellowship, including call numbers, collection names and boxes, and any other bibliographic information available. If you anticipate consulting oversize materials (broadsides, posters, maps, etc.), please indicate those clearly in your list.
   
• Two confidential letters of recommendation that speak to the impact of your research on your field and the centrality of accessing the collections to this project.

To assist with your application, most of the holdings of the Beinecke Library are described in Orbis, the online catalogue of Yale University Library, and in Archives at Yale, a database of descriptions of archival collections (also known as finding aids.

Applicants will be notified of all decisions by January 20, 2023

If you have any further questions, please contact beinecke.fellowships@yale.edu