Friday, October 2, 2009

Winterthur Research Fellowship Program

Winterthur offers one to three month short term fellowships for academic, museum, and independent scholars, including graduate students. Fellows receive a stipend of $1500 per month. Applicants need not apply for a specific named fellowship, but they do designate certain awards as:

* Faith Andrews Fellowships for the study of Shaker life and material culture

* Robert Lee Gill Fellowships for research on American decorative arts, painting, architecture, or historic preservation

* Dwight P. Lanmon Fellowships for the study of glass and ceramics

* Neville McD. Thompson Fellowships for the study of domestic life, late 19th- and early 20th-century design and material culture

To Apply

1. Application Form: Complete the application cover sheet. If you are applying for a Dissertation Fellowship or a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship, you may ask to have your application considered for a short-term research fellowship in the event that your primary application is not accepted.
2. Essay: Prepare an application essay of no more than 1,500 words that opens with a concise overview of the project and then addresses the following questions.
* What ideas, questions, or problems guide your project? If this is a new area of research, explain its significance in your discipline and field of study.
* What is distinctive about your project? How does it complement, expand, or challenge prior study in the field? Please be specific about prior scholarship that informs your work.
* What work do you plan to undertake at Winterthur? Why is a residence fellowship at Winterthur necessary for successful completion of your project?
3. Bibliography: Based on your searches of Wintercat (our online library catalogue), prepare a bibliography of no more than two pages of primary sources you plan to use at Winterthur. If you plan to use objects from the museum collection in your research, please provide a brief listing.
4. Vita: Provide a copy of your current vita.
5. References: Obtain two recent letters of reference addressing your previous scholarly record, your current project, and your ability to work with a collegial group. If you are a graduate student, one of these letters must come from your dissertation advisor. Please instruct your reference writers to e-mail their letters to the address below. Please ask that they put your last name and the word "reference" in the subject line. We prefer .pdf documents. Word documents are also acceptable.
6. E-mail the completed application package to the e-mail address below (cover sheet, essay, bibliography, and vita). Please put your name in the subject line.

researchapplication@winterthur.org
Subject: Your Name

Mailed copies are also acceptable, if necessary. Mailed copies must contain six copies of the completed application package (cover sheet, essay, bibliography, and vita) to the address below. Mailed letters of recommendation (one copy only) also should be sent directly to this address

Rosemary Krill
Administrative Assistant, Research Fellowship Program
Academic Programs
Winterthur Museum & Country Estate
Winterthur, DE 19735

The deadline for all research fellowship applications is January 7, 2009. Notice of acceptance is sent by mid-April.

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