Pre-Doctoral Residential Research Fellowship

Deadlines

Applications and application materials (including letters of reference mailed under separate cover) must be received by Tuesday, December 1, 2009 for consideration.

Fellowship Award Begins: August 25, 2010

Guidelines

The Carter G. Woodson Institute for African-American and African Studies at the University of Virginia invites scholars whose work focuses on Africa and/or the African Diaspora to apply for a two-year predoctoral research fellowship, beginning August 25, 2010.

Terms

Predoctoral fellowships cover two years, beginning August 25, 2010 and carry an annual stipend of $20,000, plus health insurance. Please note: Individuals may not apply for the Woodson predoctoral and postdoctoral fellowships in the same year.

Eligibility

The competition for the Woodson Institute fellowship is open to qualified candidates without restriction as to citizenship or current residence.  However, current University employees are not eligible to apply. Applicants for the predoctoral fellowships must have completed all requirements for the Ph.D. except the dissertation prior to August 1, 2010.

Conditions

The predoctoral fellow must be in residence at the University of Virginia for the duration of the award period. Fellows are expected to participate in the series of workshops held during the academic year and to present their work periodically to the larger academic community. Fellows may accept no employment, fellowships, or consulting obligations during the Woodson fellowship period without the approval of the Director.

How to apply

The following materials, with the exception of the letters of reference, should be uploaded in Jobs@UVA; search posting number 0604569. Applications must be received and completed by Tuesday, December 1, 2009.

• Letter of application (250-word maximum) stating interest in the program.
• Curriculum Vita, which should include the following: personal information; date(s) and location(s) of degree(s) earned; honors and awards; lectures and conference presentations; publications; names of referees.
• The project abstract, including title, not to exceed 50 words.
• The project description, including title, not to exceed seven double-spaced pages (1,750 words). It should indicate the nature of the research to be completed during the period of the fellowship award, as well as the significance of this work. The project description should include a detailed research plan giving concrete objectives to be achieved during the award period. Project descriptions exceeding seven double-spaced pages will not be passed on to the committee.
• Working Bibliography not to exceed four double-spaced pages.  The bibliography should list those scholarly works that the applicant considers most important to the intellectual development of the project.
• Three confidential letters of reference (signed originals only) to be sent directly to the Woodson Institute by persons qualified to evaluate the proposal for which support is being sought.  The deadline for receipt of the letters is December 1, 2009.
  

Reference letters should be sent to:

Selection Committee
Residential Research Fellowships
The Carter G. Woodson Institute
108 Minor Hall
P.O. Box 400162
Charlottesville, VA 22904-4162

Review Procedures

All applications and supporting documents will be reviewed by a local committee supported by such outside consultants as may be required. Proposals will be judged on the basis of the following criteria:

1. The significance of the proposed work
2. The qualifications of the applicant
3. Familiarity with existing relevant research literature
4. The research design of the project
5. The promise of completion within the award period

Preference will be given to applicants whose field research is already substantially completed.

Notification

Applicants will be notified by mail of the decision on their applications, and should receive those notifications in early March 2010.