Harry Ransom CenterThe University of Texas at Austin

2009-2010 Research Fellowship Application Instructions

The Harry Ransom Center, one of the world's foremost institutions for research in the humanities, announces its 2009-2010 Research Fellowship Program.

Approximately 50 fellowships are awarded annually by the Ransom Center to support scholarly research projects in all areas of the humanities. Priority will be given to those proposals that concentrate on the Center's collections and that require substantial on-site use of them.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 2, 2009

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ONE MONTH FELLOWSHIPS * $3,000 PER MONTH

The American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies jointly sponsors with the Ransom Center two fellowships for literary, cultural, or historical study in this period. Applicants must be members of ASECS at the time of application.

The British Studies Fellowship supports research in British literary, cultural, and historical subjects.

The Cline Memorial Fellowship supports research on nineteenth- or early twentieth-century British topics.

The Robert De Niro Fellowship supports supports film research, especially in the Center's Robert De Niro collection.

The Dorot Foundation Fellowships in Jewish Studies support a number of awards for research on Jewish authors and on relevant cultural topics requiring research in the Center's collections.

The David Douglas Duncan Fellowship supports research in the Center's photography collections.

Two Fleur Cowles Fellowships support research on topics related to twentieth-century art, journalism, women's studies, and general literature and culture.

The Erle Stanley Gardner Fellowship supports research on topics related to mystery and suspense.

The Hobby Family Foundation Fellowship supports research in general literary studies.

The Alfred A. and Blanche W. Knopf Fellowship supports research in the areas of publishing and general literary studies, with special emphasis given to research concerning Knopf authors.

The Limited Editions Club Fellowship supports research in the Center's rare book and print collections, with emphasis given to work with illustrated books.

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation sponsors numerous fellowships in general literary and cultural studies.

The Marlene Nathan Meyerson Photography Fellowship supports research in the Center's photography collections.

The Cora Maud Oneal Fellowship supports research in general literary studies.

Two Pforzheimer Fellowships in Renaissance Studies support research in the Pforzheimer collection, as well as in general Renaissance Studies.

The Schusterman Center Fellowship supports research on Jewish writers, photographers, and artists in the Center's collections, while providing affiliation with the Schusterman Center for Jewish Studies at The University of Texas at Austin.

The Warren Skaaren Film Fellowship supports research in the Center's film collections.

The C. P. Snow Fellowship supports research in general literary and cultural studies, with a special emphasis on the relationship of literature and science.

The South Central Modern Language Association Fellowship, jointly sponsored by SCMLA and the Ransom Center, is offered to members of SCMLA for general literary and cultural studies. Applicants must be current members and have been members for the previous two years at the time of application. SCMLA Executive Committee members are ineligible; former SCMLA research award winners must wait five years before reapplying.

The Woodward and Bernstein Fellowship supports research on topics related to Watergate, the First Amendment, and the press.

TWO- TO FOUR-MONTH FELLOWSHIPS * $3,000 PER MONTH

A limited number of Dorot Foundation Fellowships in Jewish Studies and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fellowships may be awarded for periods of residency up to four months to scholars whose projects require extended use of the Ransom Center's collections. Dorot Fellowships may, in exceptional cases, be awarded for longer periods.

TRAVEL STIPENDS * $1,200-$1,700

Travel stipends may be awarded to scholars with research projects that require less than one month's research at the Ransom Center. Awards of $1,200 are available for domestic U.S. travel; $1,700 for foreign travel. There is not a specific required length of residency for travel stipends. Travel stipends may not be combined with other Ransom Center fellowships and are not available to graduate students.

DISSERTATION FELLOWSHIPS * $1,500

Six Dissertation Fellowships jointly sponsored by the Ransom Center and The University of Texas at Austin Office of Graduate Studies are designated for graduate students who are working on doctoral dissertations. Dissertation Fellowship residencies must be taken up during the period from September 1, 2009 through August 31, 2010. There is not a specific required length of residency for dissertation fellowships.

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Application Procedures. Consideration for all fellowships requires only a single application. The Ransom Center matches scholars with appropriate fellowships, and applicants therefore need not specify a particular fellowship in which they are interested. A complete application consists of three copies of a four-page proposal and two letters of recommendation in sealed, signed envelopes. The applicant should submit all materials together. Applicants for Dissertation Fellowships need submit only one letter of recommendation as indicated in the instructions below.

Proposal Page One. Applicants should list their name, institutional affiliation (or indication of independent scholar status), mailing address, telephone and fax numbers, email address, the category of fellowship requested (one, two, three, four months or longer, or travel stipend or dissertation fellowship), and a brief project title. Applicants must also indicate whether they are currently a member of the American Society for Eighteenth Century Studies (ASECS) or the South Central Modern Language Association (SCMLA).

Proposal Page Two. The second page of the proposal should consist of a summary of the proposed research project. Applicants should bear in mind that they are writing for a multi-disciplinary faculty committee, so research topics and their significance should be thoroughly explained. Applicants should place their project in the context of their larger field of study and describe the anticipated result of the project (journal article, book, edited volume).

Proposal Page Three. Applicants should describe in detail their anticipated use of Ransom Center collections.

Proposal Page Four. The final page of the proposal should consist of an abbreviated one-page curriculum vitae stressing relevant publications. No other items should be appended to the proposal, which should not exceed four pages in length.

Letters of Recommendation. Applicants, with the exception of those applying for Dissertation Fellowships, should request two confidential letters of recommendation from individuals who are qualified to judge the proposal. Applicants for Dissertation Fellowships should request a single letter of recommendation from the dissertation director or an appropriate member of the dissertation committee. All letters of recommendation should be sent to the applicant, sealed and signed, to be submitted to the Center along with the proposal. Letters of recommendation should not be submitted to the Center independently. Faxed and emailed letters will not be accepted.

Complete applications for 2009-2010 Research Fellowships must be received by February 2, 2009. Awards will be announced by letter on or before April 1, 2009. Award winners and their research projects will be acknowledged in Ransom Center publicity.

Application Deadline & Acknowledgment. Complete applications must be received by February 2, 2009. Applications received after this deadline or transmitted by fax or email will not be considered. The Ransom Center will acknowledge the receipt of complete applications if a self-addressed, stamped postcard is sent with the proposal. We will return the card upon receipt of the complete application. Queries about applications in process cannot be acknowledged.

The project proposal and letters of recommendation should be sent to:

Harry Ransom Center
attn: Research Fellowships
The University of Texas at Austin
P.O. Drawer 7219
Austin, TX
78713-7219

Eligibility. All applicants, with the exception of applicants for Dissertation Fellowships, must be post-doctorates or possess an equivalent terminal degree or substantial record of scholarly achievement. Independent scholars are encouraged to apply. United States citizens and foreign nationals are eligible to apply. Individuals who have received a Ransom Center fellowship are eligible to reapply after one year has passed.

Period of Residency. Residencies must be taken up during the period from June 1, 2009 through August 31, 2010, or from September 1, 2009 and August 31, 2010 for Dissertation Fellowships. Recipients of one-month fellowships are expected to be in continuous residence for the duration of their award. Recipients with longer-term awards may split the residency, with a minimum stay at any time of one month. During their residency period, fellows are expected to have a significant, consistent presence at the Center.

Final Report. All fellows are invited to participate in the intellectual life of The University of Texas at Austin, and are asked to write a brief research report on their work at the Ransom Center to be submitted after the residency has been completed.

Learning More About the Collections. General information about the Center's collections may be found online. Many of the Center's books are listed in the online library catalog of The University of Texas at Austin, which can be accessed through the Center's website. Many of the Center's finding aids for manuscript collections are similarly available on the website. Additional information on the Center's collections may be found in the Guide to the Collections (2003), which may be ordered at www.hrc.utexas.edu/store. Specific inquiries about the relevance of the Center's holdings to a research project may be directed to the appropriate curator. Please request information from curators by January 1. We advise that you contact only one curator or librarian to avoid unnecessary duplication of effort. If more than one collection is involved, we will see that your message is properly forwarded.

General Books:	Richard Oram   512.471.4458 roram@mail.utexas.edu
General Manuscripts:	Richard Workman   512.471.3374 rworkman@mail.utexas.edu
Modern British & American	Molly Schwartzburg   512.471.4430 schwartzburg@mail.utexas.edu
Photography:	David Coleman   512.471.6795 davidcoleman@mail.utexas.edu
Film:	Steve Wilson   512.471.6352 swilson@mail.utexas.edu
French:	Elizabeth Garver   512.471.6350 elgarver@mail.utexas.edu
Music:	Richard Workman   512.471.3374 rworkman@mail.utexas.edu
Performing Arts:	Helen Adair   512.475.6502 helen.adair@mail.utexas.edu
Renaissance & 18th Century:	Richard Oram   512.471.4458 roram@mail.utexas.edu
Art	Peter Mears   512.471.6593 pmears@mail.utexas.edu

Email queries about the collections may be directed to reference@hrc.utexas.edu