Fellowships and Junior Fellowships
Fellowships and Junior Fellowships are normally awarded for the academic year (September 11, 2023, to May 10, 2024). During this time, recipients are expected to be in residence at Dumbarton Oaks and to devote full time to their study projects without undertaking any other major activities. Awards may also be made for a single term (either September 11, 2023, to January 5, 2024, or January 22 to May 10, 2024).
Fellowships are for individuals holding appropriate terminal degrees (e.g., PhD, MLA) at the time of the application deadline. Junior Fellowships are for degree candidates who at the time of application have fulfilled all preliminary requirements for a PhD or appropriate final degree and will be working on a dissertation or final project at Dumbarton Oaks under the direction of a faculty member at their own university. Graduate students who do not have the PhD in hand by the application deadline of November 1 must apply as Junior Fellows. Successful applicants for Junior Fellowships who have the PhD in hand by the beginning of the fellowship term may be granted the status and stipend of Fellows. For Byzantine Studies Junior Fellowships, preference will be given to candidates in the early stages of their dissertation.
Support includes a stipend of $21,000 for a Junior Fellow or $35,000 for a Fellow for the full academic year; housing (a housing allowance may be offered instead of housing if Dumbarton Oaks is unable to provide accommodations; successful applicants from the greater Washington metropolitan area will not be offered housing); lunch on weekdays; and the health insurance contribution from Dumbarton Oaks. Travel expense reimbursement for the lowest available economy airfare or rail travel (or mileage if less than the equivalent economy airfare), up to a maximum of $1,100 for domestic travel or $1,600 for international travel, may be provided for Fellows and Junior Fellows if support cannot be obtained from other sources (such as a Fulbright travel grant). Reimbursement of visa fees is also provided for Fellows, but not for dependents.
Fellowships are prorated for appointments shorter than the full academic year. Dumbarton Oaks anticipates that sabbatical salary or funds from other sources may supplement awards, particularly to Fellows. Fellows may hold other grants with the knowledge and permission of both the grantors and Dumbarton Oaks.
For Junior Fellowship applicants, graduate transcripts must be uploaded to the Embark application portal by the November 1 deadline.
Summer Fellowships
Summer Fellowships are for Byzantine and Pre-Columbian scholars on any level of advancement beyond the first year of graduate (post-baccalaureate) study. Summer Fellowships are awarded for a period of eight weeks. The 2023 Summer Fellowship term is June 12 to August 4, 2023.
Summer Fellowships provide a maintenance allowance of $300 per week; housing in a Dumbarton Oaks apartment (a housing allowance may be offered instead of housing if Dumbarton Oaks is unable to provide accommodations; successful applicants from the greater Washington, DC, area will not be offered housing); lunch on weekdays; the health insurance contribution from Dumbarton Oaks; and travel expense reimbursement (not to exceed the lowest available airfare, to a maximum of $1,100 for domestic travel or $1,600 for international travel) if other travel support cannot be obtained.
Mellon Summer Fellowships in Democracy and Landscape Studies and the Flora Clancy Summer Fellowship in Maya Studies for Latin American Researchers are also awarded for the summer fellowship term (June 12 to August 4, 2023). Please see their respective pages for more information and eligibility.
Terms
Please note that five years must elapse between the end of a Fellowship term and reappointment to a Fellowship. Three years must elapse between the end of a Fellowship term and appointment to a summer Fellowship; likewise three years must elapse between the end of a summer fellowship and appointment to a Fellowship. Two years must elapse between the end of a Fellowship term and the offer of a One-Month Research Award.
Applications
Please read and follow the online instructions. Applications, to be written in English, must be submitted electronically by November 1. Three letters of recommendation are required for all applicants and are also due November 1. Late applications will not be accepted. Awards will be announced by March and must be accepted by the end of the month. External committees of scholars decide the awards. Individuals currently affiliated with Dumbarton Oaks are not eligible for the fellowship and project grant programs. For further inquiries, please review Frequently Asked Questions for Fellowship Applicants or contact FellowshipPrograms@doaks.org.
Visas
For non-US citizens, Dumbarton Oaks provides J-1 visas for the term of the Fellowship appointment, as part of our US. Department of State-designated Exchange Visitor Program. Please be advised that scholars who have been in the United States with J status within the past 12 months may not qualify for a Dumbarton Oaks J-1 visa unless they were in the United States for a total time of less than six months. These individuals and all other non-US citizens are strongly urged to check their prospective visa status for the requested period of the Fellowship prior to submitting an application.