About the fellowship
The Library funds four-week visiting fellowships and two-week travel grants to support research in the Library’s rich collections of eighteenth-century materials (mainly British).
In addition, the Library administers two jointly funded residential fellowships.
- The LWL / ASECS Library Fellowship is awarded to an ASECS member in good standing for up to four weeks of research at the Lewis Walpole Library.
- The LWL / Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library Fellowship is awarded to support up to eight weeks of research in the collections of both libraries.
Scholars pursuing postdoctoral or advanced research, as well as doctoral candidates at work on a dissertation, are encouraged to apply. The fellowship year runs from July 1 through June 30th , and all fellowships must be completed within the fellowship year.
All fellowship recipients are expected to be in residence at the Library, to be free of other significant professional obligations during their stay, and to focus their research substantially on the Lewis Walpole Library’s collections. Fellows also have access to additional resources at Yale, including those in the Sterling Memorial Library, the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, and the Yale Center for British Art.
Visiting fellowships (four- and eight-week) include:
- the round-trip cost of travel between the Lewis Walpole Library and the recipient’s home institution or residence. The Library will reimburse the cost of a rental car or local travel expenses.
- accommodation for four weeks (or for the LWL BRBL Fellowship, eight weeks) in an eighteenth-century house on the Library’s campus.
- a per diem living allowance to cover living expenses.
- Four-week fellows are expected to take their fellowship in one uninterrupted period. Those awarded an eight-week LWL/BRBL fellowship may break their visit into two periods of four weeks each.
Travel grants include
- transportation costs between the Lewis Walpole Library and the recipient’s home institution or residence. The Library will reimburse the cost of a rental car or local travel expenses.
- on-site accommodation for two weeks in an eighteenth-century house on the Library’s campus. Travel grant recipients are expected to take their travel grant in one uninterrupted period, to complete their fellowship within the fellowship year.
Application details for visiting fellowships and travel grants
Applications are accepted beginning on the first Monday in November, and the deadline for submission is the second Monday in January. Decisions are based on a number of factors, including the merits of the project and fit with the collections. Application materials must be submitted directly through the listing in the Yale Grants Database . Search for Visiting Fellowships Lewis Walpole. Please note you will need to login to access the application form.
The following materials are required to complete the applicant dossier.
- Application (completed online)
- A curriculum vitae, including educational background, professional experience and publications
- A brief outline of the research proposal (not to exceed three double-spaced pages), including a detailed explanation of how the library’s collections will support the research project, with examples of materials where possible.
- Two confidential letters of recommendation. Letters should specifically address the merits of the candidate’s project and its relevance to the collections available at the Lewis Walpole Library. General letters of recommendation or dossier letters will not be considered. The online application includes a link to request letters of recommendation and which the recommenders use to upload letters directly.
Applications for 2017-2018 will be accepted beginning Monday, November 7, 2016, and the deadline will be Monday, January 9, 2017.
Frequently asked questions
Are the requirements different for named fellowships?
The Library offers several named awards, but, with the exception of the joint LWL/Beinecke fellowship, applicants do not apply for a particular fellowship; rather, those determinations are made by the fellowship committee once they have selected the fellows for the coming year.
Jointly funded Fellowships
ASECS-LWL Fellowship: The ASECS-LWL fellowship differs from other fellowships in only two ways: it is partly funded by ASECS, and the recipient must be a member of ASECS in good standing.
Lewis Walpole Library / Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library Fellowship: The Library’s fellowship offered jointly with the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. This fellowship is for a period of eight weeks and it is intended that time spent in each of the repositories should be divided fairly equally. The recipient has the option to take the fellowship in two parts. Accommodations for the full eight weeks are in Farmington.
Named Fellowships
Four Fellowships at the Library are named for former members of the Board of Managers and each is intended to support work in the LWL collections as noted below.
- Charles J. Cole Fellowship: awarded to a senior scholar.
- George B. Cooper Fellowship: awarded to a graduate student at the dissertation stage.
- Joseph Peter Spang Fellowship: awarded for projects focusing on Anglo-American relations or studies.
- Roger W. Eddy Fellowship: awarded to a promising younger scholar.
What kind of visa will I need if I am not a US citizen?
Lewis Walpole Library fellowship and travel grant recipients should contact the Library directly at 860-677-2140 or walpole@yale.edu before making any arrangements for a visa.
What are the main factors the committee considers in making the award?
- How well the application is written
- The originality of the research proposal
- The project’s contribution to scholarship
- The overall quality of the presentation
- The applicant makes a case to use Lewis Walpole Library collections
- Letters of recommendation specifically address the merits of this application and the use of this collection. They are not “file” or “dossier” letters or general letters of recommendation
- The proposal is not for general research at Yale
This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:
http://walpole.library.yale.edu/fellowships/visiting-fellowships-and-travel-grants