The John Hope Franklin Dissertation Fellowship
Last updated June 2008
Scope
This fellowship, named in honor of a distinguished member of the American Philosophical Society, is designed to support an outstanding doctoral student at an American university who is conducting dissertation research. There are two special features to this fellowship.
First, the objective of the John Hope Franklin Dissertation Fellowship is to help remedy the serious shortage of faculty of color in core fields in the arts and sciences, by supporting the Ph.D. projects of minority students of great promise (particularly African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans and Native Americans) as well as other talented students who have a demonstrated commitment to eradicating racial disparities and enlarging minority representation in academia.
Second, the John Hope Franklin Fellow is expected to spend a significant amount of time in residence at the APS Library and therefore all applicants should be pursuing dissertation topics in which the holdings of the Library are especially strong, such as quantum mechanics, nuclear physics, computer development, the history of genetics and eugenics, the history of medicine, Early American political and cultural history, natural history in the 18th and 19th centuries, the development of cultural anthropology, or American Indian linguistics and culture. The APS Library’s extensive collections in these and many other fields are fully described on our www.amphilsoc.org/library website.
Eligibility
Candidates must have completed all course work and examinations preliminary to the doctoral dissertation and be prepared to devote full time for twelve months—with no teaching obligations—to research on their dissertation projects or the writing of their dissertations. The John Hope Franklin Fellow will also be expected to spend a minimum of three months in Philadelphia, in residence at the APS Library with full encouragement to conduct research at other libraries and archives in and around the city. Attractive office space will be provided for the Fellow.
Stipend
The stipend for this fellowship is $25,000 for a twelve-month period, plus $5,000 to support the cost of residency in Philadelphia, for a total award of $30,000. The twelve-month period is flexible: for example, June 1, 2009-May 31, 2010; or September 1, 2009-August 31, 2010; or the calendar year 2010. The John Hope Franklin Fellowship may be held in conjunction with other stipendiary awards but may not be combined with payments for teaching or administration.
Fellowships are taxable income, but the Society is not required to report payments. It is recommended that the recipient discuss reporting obligations with his or her tax advisor.
Deadline and Notification
Applications are due April 1, 2009, with notification in May.
It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that all materials and letters of support have reached the Society; call 215-440-3429 or send an e-mail to Linda Musumeci, Research Administrator of the APS, at LMusumeci@amphilsoc.org.
How to Apply
Retrieve the 3-page application form below. Questions concerning the eligibility of a project or applicant should be sent to LMusumeci@amphilsoc.org.
Use nothing smaller than 11 pt, and respond to every section in the space provided. The completed application should be submitted as an e-mail attachment to applications@amphilsoc.org. NB: Do not send CVs or transcripts, which are not required and cannot be returned.
Download the referee letter below, forward it to your letter writers, notify them of the deadline, and instruct them to send the completed form to lettersofsupport@amphilsoc.org; confirm with them that the letters have been sent in time.
Forms
Click on the following links for necessary forms: