The Susan Jaffe Tane Fellowship

The Walt Whitman Initiative (WWI) invites applications for a fellowship program to encourage new research on Walt Whitman and his cultural legacy and to mentor a promising, public-minded scholar pursuing a career in the humanities. The fellowship will be available to graduate students and/or graduating seniors (college level and above) enrolled in a graduate program in the 2021-2022 academic year. Applications are sought particularly from those at the beginning of their careers in cultural studies. This fellowship is made possible with the generous support of Susan Jaffe Tane, fellow WWI member.

The selected Fellow will be hosted remotely and will be mentored by member(s) of the WWI for one year. As each WWI member represents a different focus of Whitman scholarship, and as WWI itself is dedicated to advancing public understanding of Whitman’s literary and cultural legacy, the Fellow will have the opportunity to work on both traditional and public scholarship with professional guidance. In addition to the mentorship of distinguished scholars in the field of Whitman studies, the Fellow will receive individualized introductions and access to important archival repositories, including the Whitman research library generously donated to WWI by Susan Jaffe Tane.

The fellowship offers an honorarium of $1,500 to support research and related expenses. Funding to support travel to research institutions will be available. Projects may deal with any subject related to Whitman: biographical, literary, historical, social, artistic, political, typographical and other elements of book design. We encourage projects using primary documents and will support such work by assisting in the access to relevant collections and repositories.

The WWI Fellow will work with a WWI member for a total of 9 months in the Fellow position and be responsible for reporting on their time spent and their accomplishments in bimonthly reports. The WWI Fellow will be expected to work a minimum of seven hours per week on the approved project. The first Fellowship will begin in September 2021 and conclude in May 2022.

Requirements:

• Enrolled in a graduate program in the academic year 2021-2022.
• Demonstrated interest in American literature and culture, cultural activism and public scholarship.
• Enthusiasm for outreach work and teaching.
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment.
• Experience using electronic resources and basic web technologies.

Responsibilities:

• Work on an independent topic, approved by the WWI Board, related to Whitman and his writings to foster new scholarship.
• Document the fellowship project on the WWI website and other relevant social media platforms. Create documentation on the fellowship’s progress to be published via social media.
• Contribute to the goals of WWI’s initiatives, respond to relevant reference inquiries and attend select committees, meetings and events and assist with outreach programs.
• The Fellow will collaborate with the WWI Board to confirm responsibilities, expectations, and projects for each assignment. Regular feedback on the project will be provided by the WWI board member(s).

Applicants should submit a cover letter, cv or resume and a project proposal, not to exceed 750 words. Please include the contact information for one reference, who will be emailed if the applicant moves to the finalist stage.

For more information click "LINK TO ORIGINAL" below.