Overview

Research Fellowships provide OSU faculty with resources to pursue research and writing projects, opportunities to share and discuss their work among a community of scholars, and occasions to introduce their ideas to a diverse and interested public audience. NOTE: Due to scheduled Autzen House renovations, the fellowship program will be on hiatus for the 2020-2021 academic year. We will resume accepting applications in the fall of 2020 for 2021–22 fellowships, and we look forward to reading your proposal. 

 

Resident Fellowships

Provide funds to a school in support of one quarter, usually two courses, of teaching release for fellows to pursue writing and research full-time. Fellows receive office space in the Autzen House, participate in interdisciplinary luncheons and other activities, and present their research to a public audience as part of our works-in-progress lecture series. 

Flex Fellowships

Provide targeted funding to be applied toward specific research needs detailed in the application. Examples of potential uses for flex funding include: archive research travel, a one-course release, production expenses for film or other media projects, etc. Combinations of funding use are acceptable, and applications should be supplemented with an estimated budget and description of costs.

Humanistic Science Fellowships

Provide support for research projects that seeks to connect the physical, biological, or technical sciences with perspectives or methodologies common to the humanities. These fellowships, offered in partnership with the Provost’s Office, are contingent upon available resources. Support funds sponsor a one-course teaching release, and awards include the use of office space in the Autzen House for one term.

Eligibility

  • Fellowships are available to OSU tenure-track and tenured faculty exclusive of courtesy or visiting appointments. Links to information about other forms of research support for OSU faculty and instructors are available via the College of Liberal Arts.
     
  • A minimum of three academic years must elapse between fellowships. Previous funding for a closely related project will be considered when the application is reviewed and could affect funding.
     
  • All fellowship awards are open to scholars working within humanities disciplines as traditionally defined as well as scholars beyond those disciplines working on projects that demonstrably engage in humanistic forms of inquiry. In all instances, the applicant is responsible for demonstrating that proposed funds will support work in the humanities.

Terms

  • Depending on available funds, at least four to six residential fellowships, two flex fellowships, and one humanistic science fellowship may be awarded each year by the advisory board in consultation with school directors. All fellows will receive administrative support and optional access to office space in the Autzen House.

  • Fellows participate in the community of scholars at the Autzen House, present their research in one work-in-progress talk during the fellowship year, and attend presentations by other fellows as well as additional events (opening reception, quarterly luncheons, etc.) as often as possible.

  • Fellows submit a 1-2 page report at the conclusion of the academic year and acknowledge the Center in any published work or presentations resulting from the fellowship research.

To Apply


Application forms and evaluation criteria generally follow the National Endowment for the Humanities outline so proposals may be easily adapted for submission to external fellowship opportunities. Prospective applicants are encouraged to consult the evaluation criteria listed below and to read sample narratives for projects awarded support by the NEH. If you have questions, consult the FAQ's before contacting the Center.

Package all required materials into a single pdf file. Name the file [LAST NAME-APP]. Email this file to centerforthehumanities@oregonstate.edu. The Center will send a confirmation email once your materials have been received.

Required Materials

  • Completed and signed application form available in Word or PDF 

  • < 300 word abstract

  • Narrative proposal, no more than 6 pages

  • Updated C.V.

  • Supplementary materials requested in form

We will resume accepting applications in November, 2020 for 2021–22 fellowships. 
Review Process and Criteria

Applications will be evaluated by the Center Advisory Board, and the total resources available to a fellow will be determined by the Center in consultation with school directors. Reviewers are asked to consider the following criteria adapted from NEH guidelines:

  • The significance of the proposed project’s intervention in the specific field and value to the humanities and/or a general audience
    (Does the proposal clearly define the subject of study, the problem at issue within this subject, and does it present a novel argument? Does it demonstrate the value of this project within a wider context?)
  • Quality and/or promise of the applicant’s work as an interpreter of the humanities
    (Does this proposal's approach lie within the bounds of the humanities?) 
  • Quality of the conception, definition, organization, and description of the project, and the clarity of expression
  • The feasibility and appropriateness of the proposed plan of work, including the soundness of expected outcomes, publication format, and potential venues of dissemination
    (Is the expected outcome made clear? Does the proposal present a method of carrying out this study within the proposed period?)
  • The probability that the fellowship will enable the applicant to achieve the expected outcomes  
    (Does the proposal demonstrate that a fellowship is warranted to complete the plan of work?)
  • The proposal's contribution to a diverse and inclusive vision of the humanities

 

Additional criteria pertain for a flex fellowship:

  • The feasibility and appropriateness of the form and amount of support requested

 

And for a humanistic science fellowship:

  • The effective demonstration of how the project seeks to connect the physical, biological, or technical sciences with perspectives common to the humanities