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Resident Fellowships

The American Philosophical Society Library and Museum offer several groups of fellowships for scholars at various stages in their careers.
Library Fellowships
Museum Curatorial Fellowships
Contact Information

The APS Library & Museum invites scholars to apply for fellowships to do research in the collections. Fellowships are offered for short-term and long-term opportunities, for subject-specific research, and in digital humanities.

Postdoctoral fellowships are also available for recent Ph.D. graduates seeking hands-on experience in curatorial work and the opportunity to pursue an independent research project, preferably one related to the collections or programs of the Society’s Library & Museum.

More information about these opportunities can be found below.

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Library Fellowships

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Native American Scholars Initiative (NASI) Fellowships

January 29, 2021 [Pre and Postdoctoral Fellowships]
NASI Fellowships are for scholars working on projects related to Native American and Indigenous topics. Opportunities include long-term predoctoral and postdoctoral fellowships, an 8-week undergraduate internship, and short-term Digital Knowledge Sharing Fellowships supporting university- and community-based scholars working on digital projects that connect archives and Indigenous communities.

Indigenous Community Research Fellowships

March 5, 2021
The American Philosophical Society (APS)’s Indigenous Community Research Fellowships support research by Indigenous community members, elders, teachers, knowledge keepers, tribal officials, traditional leaders, museum and archive professionals, scholars, and others, regardless of academic background, seeking to examine materials at the APS Library & Museum in support of Indigenous community-based priorities.

David Center for the American Revolution Fellowships

January 29, 2021 [Pre and Postdoc Fellowships]; March 5, 2021 [Short-Term Fellowships]
These fellowships continue the 30-year tradition of the David Library awarding over 200 fellowships to scholars working on projects about the American Revolution and Founding Era. Opportunities include a two-year postdoctoral fellowship, a 12-month predoctoral fellowship, as well as one month short-term fellowships open to scholars in all fields who show a demonstrated need to use the collections for their project.

Friends of the APS Predoctoral Fellowship in Early American History (to 1840)

January 29, 2021
These yearlong fellowships are offered to advanced Ph.D. students working on topics related to early American history (to 1840).

Swan Foundation Short-Term Resident Research Fellowship for Revolutionary-Era Material Culture

March 5, 2021
This funding opportunity provides one month of support for researchers to work in the artifact collections of the Swan Historical Foundation, the American Philosophical Society, and other repositories in the Greater Philadelphia Region.

John C. Slater Predoctoral Fellowship in the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine

January 29, 2021
These yearlong fellowships are offered to advanced Ph.D. students working on topics related to the history of science, technology, and medicine.

Jacques Barzun Fellowship for Collections and Programming in the History of Biology

April 30, 2021
This 4-month fellowship will contribute to improving the visibility of the Library & Museum’s holdings in the history of modern biology by assisting with the development of a new subject guide in the History of Science and will also work with the Library & Museum’s programming division to identify opportunities for public programs and educator resources (grades 6-12)

Digital Humanities Fellowships

Not offered in 2021-2022
The American Philosophical Society offers fellowships to scholars working to interpret archival materials through emerging technologies.

Short-Term Resident Research Fellowships

Not offered in 2021-2022
One- to three-month fellowships are available for Ph.D. candidates, holders of the Ph.D., and degreed independent scholars, within any field of study that requires using the collections of the APS Library & Museum.

Museum Curatorial Fellowships

The Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Curatorial Fellowships

December 4, 2020
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Postdoctoral Curatorial Fellowship, based in the APS Museum, provides hands-on experience in curatorial work and the opportunity to pursue an independent research project, preferably one related to the collections or programs of the Society’s Library and Museum.

Contact Information

Questions concerning all LIBRARY and MELLON NASI Fellowships should be directed to libfellows@amphilsoc.org or 215-440-3400.

Questions concerning the MELLON CURATORIAL FELLOWSHIPS should be directed to Magdalena Hoot at mhoot@amphilsoc.org or 215-440-3442.

Questions concerning the DALAND, FRANKLIN, LEWIS AND CLARK, and PHILLIPS programs should be directed to Linda Musumeci, Director of Grants and Fellowships, at LMusumeci@amphilsoc.org or 215-440-3429.