2016-2017 Heyman Center for the Humanities Public Humanities Fellowship in Partnership with the New York Council for the Humanities

The Heyman Center for the Humanities at Columbia University and the New York Council for the Humanities announce the call for applications for the 2016-17 Public Humanities Fellowship. Please note that only current Columbia graduate students and recent doctoral recipients (PhD awarded after January 2015) are eligible to apply.

The Public Humanities Fellowship was developed by the New York Council for the Humanities in partnership with the Heyman Center for the Humanities to bring humanities scholarship into the public realm, to encourage emerging humanities scholars to conceive of their work in relation to the public sphere, to develop skills for doing so, and to strengthen the public humanities community in New York State. The yearlong Fellowship, which will provide training in the methods and approaches of public scholarship, supports projects that explore the public dimensions of the Fellow’s scholarship in partnership with a local community organization.

The skills and experiences afforded by the Fellowship are intended to serve both those scholars who have a record of working with the public and those who are just beginning work in public humanities. It is equally valuable for scholars who plan to pursue tenure-track careers within the academy and those who may plan to pursue alternative career paths.

Heyman Center Public Humanities Fellows will join a cohort of Fellows from these other New York State universities: The City University of New York Graduate Center, Cornell University, New York University, Syracuse University, the State University of New York at Buffalo, and the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Fellows are required to attend a two-day orientation and facilitation training run by the New York Council for the Humanities at their office in New York City, on Monday, August 22 and Tuesday, August 23, 2016.
• During the Fellowship year, Fellows will develop a plan to implement their projects and identify community partners, if they have not already done so.
• Fellows will present the outcomes of their research and public work to the Heyman Center community and will submit a final report to the New York Council for the Humanities.
• As part of the Heyman Center community, Public Humanities Fellows are required to attend the Thursday Lecture Series of the Society of Fellows in the Humanities, (12:15-1:45), which run for most of the academic year.

During the course of the Fellowship, the Fellow will have the opportunity to participate in programs, workshops, conferences, and advocacy events sponsored by the New York Council for the Humanities. The Fellow is also eligible for additional project funds from the Council to support programs developed during the course of the fellowship. Throughout the Fellowship, Fellows are encouraged to work collaboratively with the Council to identify community partners, to explore possible methods and program formats, and to share findings as their research progresses.

ELIGIBILITY:

NYCH Public Humanities Fellowship applicants must be residents of New York State and enrolled graduate students (or, at Columbia, recent doctoral recipients) in a humanities field at one of these six universities: The City University of New York Graduate Center, Columbia University, Cornell University, New York University, Syracuse University, and the State University of New York at Buffalo. Applicants need not have performed publicly engaged scholarship before but will have the opportunity to explain previous experience in the application materials.

DURATION & STIPEND:

Duration of the Fellowship is August 2016 to June 2017, including mandatory attendance at a two-day training on August 22-23, 2016 in New York City. The Fellowship stipend is $8,000, plus a $500 travel and research stipend. The Fellowship is supported by grants from the Mrs. Giles Whiting Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

TO APPLY:

Interested applicants should submit an online application, including CV and references, by Friday, February 12, 2016.

Applicants will be notified of final decisions by Friday, April 8, 2016.

CONTACT:

New York Council for the Humanities Program Officer Adam Capitanios (212-233-1131 / [email protected])

ABOUT THE HEYMAN CENTER FOR THE HUMANITIES AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY:

The Heyman Center for the Humanities provides the intellectual and physical space for interdisciplinary discussions among members of the Columbia community and the New York City public. It brings together faculty and students from across the university—from the humanities, social and natural sciences, law, medicine, journalism, and the arts—to share thinking, debate ideas, and collectively consider methodological, conceptual, and ethical issues of common interest and concern. It sponsors public programming—lectures, poetry and fiction reading, workshops, conferences, symposia, seminars, and performances—and fosters scholarly and artistic collaborations.

ABOUT THE NEW YORK COUNCIL FOR THE HUMANITIES:

The mission of the New York Council for the Humanities is to help all New Yorkers become thoughtful participants in our communities by promoting critical inquiry, cultural understanding, and civic engagement. Founded in 1975, the New York Council for the Humanities is the sole statewide proponent of public access to the humanities. The Council is a private 501(c)3 that receives Federal, State, and private funding.