Amherst Folger Humanities Fellow
The new Amherst Folger Humanities Fellowship provides one Amherst College graduate with nine months of professional development at two world-class institutions—the Folger Shakespeare Library and the Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection. Designed to support career exploration in the humanities, the opportunity offers project-based work that will be responsive to both the skills and potential of the selected candidate, and the work of their mentors at the Folger and Dumbarton Oaks. Projects may include hands-on work in curation and exhibit preparation, research and publication, collection development or conservation, marketing and communication, or education and public outreach initiatives. The fellowship term runs from September 2021 through May 2022 and includes a $23,000 stipend, housing in Washington, DC at Dumbarton Oaks for the term of the fellowship, and optional health insurance. Only current Amherst College seniors or alumni graduating between December 2019 and May 2021 will be eligible to apply.
The Folger Shakespeare Library is the world’s premier research library for the study of Shakespeare and the English Renaissance. It also holds major collections for research in European arts, culture and history from the early fifteenth century to the end of the eighteenth century, including New World materials. Its founder, Henry Clay Folger, graduated from Amherst in 1879 and bequeathed the Library to Amherst upon his death in 1930.
Dumbarton Oaks is a Harvard research institute, museum, and historic garden in Washington, DC. The institute supports research and learning internationally in Byzantine, Garden and Landscape, and Pre-Columbian studies. Dumbarton Oaks welcomes researchers at all career stages who come to study its books, objects, images, and documents related to its historic gardens and world-class collections of art. The garden and museum are open to the public and Dumbarton Oaks hosts an array of public and educational programs in addition to its scholarly events. The institution is the legacy of Robert and Mildred Bliss, collectors of art and patrons of learning in the humanities, who gifted the estate and collections to Harvard University in 1940.
APPLICATION
**Info Session on January 8 at 12:30pm. Check Handshake for details**
To be considered for the fellowship, applicants will be required to submit the following via Handshake by February 1, 2021 at 11:55pm:
- Résumé
- Transcript (an unofficial transcript from Registrar’s Office is acceptable)
- An example of the applicant’s work (a written paper, article, portfolio, or project)
- A statement of purpose that describes the applicant’s background and interests and explains how a fellowship in the humanities will further their intellectual and professional goals. The applicant should outline what skills they hope to acquire over the course of the fellowship.
- Two letters of recommendation to be sent by recommenders to ccosta@amherst.edu
Only current Amherst College seniors or alumni graduating between December 2019 and May 2021 will be eligible to apply.
PROGRAM DETAILS
The Fellowship term runs from September 2021 through May 2022. The Amherst Folger Fellow will split their 9-month assignment equally between both institutions, spending a majority of the week at the Folger in the fall, and the majority of their time at Dumbarton Oaks in the spring. Following an orientation week at Dumbarton Oaks, the fellow will work on a project, determined by the Folger, that will be responsive to the skills and potential of the selected candidate. During the second part of the fellowship, the fellow will return to Dumbarton Oaks to share and apply their knowledge by proposing and implementing a new idea and contributing to an institutional project. Projects might focus on curation and exhibit preparation, research and publication, collection development or conservation, marketing and communication, and education and public outreach initiatives. The Amherst fellow will be part of a cohort that includes post-baccalaureate fellows from Harvard University. Professional development opportunities will be offered to the fellow throughout their stay, connecting them with a wide range of humanities scholars, administrators, and practitioners in Washington, DC.
SELECTION PROCESS
Interviews of short-listed candidates will be held virtually in February or March of 2021. The fellow will be chosen for their outstanding scholarly achievements, broad cultural engagement, desire to gain and use new skills, and potential to contribute to dynamic humanities communities. The fellowship will benefit an individual who may not be intent on pursuing another degree immediately after graduating, would like to learn while contributing to the advancement of group projects, and would gain from spending an academic year in Washington, DC. The selected fellow need not have been a concentrator in the humanities, but should have demonstrated a strong and sustained commitment to the humanities through coursework or extracurricular activities. Their ability to communicate their vision of what the humanities mean to their own peers will be given weight in making the award.
QUESTIONS
If you encounter difficulties submitting via Handshake or have questions, please contact:
Carla Costa
Program Director, Arts and Communication in the Loeb Center for Career Exploration & Planning
ccosta@amherst.edu
413-542-5531
***Late applications will not be accepted.***