The Library Company of Philadelphia invites applications for short-term, dissertation, and post-doctoral fellowships for 2020-2021. The fellowships support on-site research on topics related to the collections of the Library Company and other local archives as noted below.

The Library Company of Philadelphia and The Historical Society of Pennsylvania will jointly award approximately 25 short-term (usually one-month) fellowships for research in either or both collections, with a stipend of $2,000, for residencies between June 1, 2020, and May 31, 2021.

The Albert M. Greenfield Foundation Dissertation Fellowship supports dissertation research at the Library Company, with a stipend of $20,000.  The award may be divided between two applicants, each of whom would receive $10,000 for the period September 1, 2020, to January 15, 2021, or January 15 to May 31, 2021.

The Library Company’s Program in Early American Economy and Society (PEAES) offers both short-term and dissertation fellowships that are designed to promote scholarship in early American economy and society, broadly defined, from its colonial beginnings to the 1850s.  Applicants may submit proposals based not only on the Library Company’s collections but also on those of other institutions in the Philadelphia area. The stipends and tenure of the awards are the same as for the short-term and dissertation fellowships described above.

The Library Company of Philadelphia’s Program in African American History (PAAH) is now accepting applications for its Mellon Scholars Fellowship Program, which aims to promote research in the collections of the Library Company and to enhance the production of scholarly work in African American history of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. The Mellon Scholars Program is made possible with the support of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and is designed to increase the participation of scholars from underrepresented backgrounds and others in the field of African American history prior to 1900. The following PAAH fellowships are offered for 2020-2021, with dates of tenure as above:

• A Dissertation fellowship, with a stipend of $25,000, which may be divided between two applicants.  Applicants must be in the later stages of research or writing.
• Short-term (one month) fellowships, for doctoral candidates and senior scholars, with a stipend of $2,500.
• A Post-doctoral fellowship, with a stipend of $50,000, which may be divided between two applicants.  Recent recipients of the Ph.D. as well as senior scholars may apply, but applicants must hold a Ph.D. by September 1, 2020.

The application deadline for all fellowships is March 1, 2020, with a decision to be made by April 15.  Applicants are strongly encouraged to inquire about the appropriateness of the proposed topic.  Reasonably priced housing is available at the Cassatt House fellows’ residence.

To apply, go to www.librarycompany.org/fellowships, fill out a required electronic cover sheet, indicating all the fellowships you wish to apply for, and submit a brief résumé and a 3-5 page description of the proposed research. For short-term awards please submit one letter of recommendation; for dissertation and post-doctoral awards also submit a writing sample of about 25 pages and a second letter of recommendation.

More detailed information is available at www.librarycompany.org/fellowships.  For further information about the general fellowship program, contact James Green atjgreen@librarycompany.org ; for PEAES fellowships, contact Cathy Matson at cmatson@udel.edu ; for PAAH fellowships, contact Jasmine Smith at jsmith@librarycompany.org or Deirdre Cooper Owens at paahdirector@librarycompany.org

N B: A new fellowship for 2020, sponsored by the American Trust for the British Library, funds research at the British Library and the Library Company.  Stipend $5,000. See website for details.  ​