Fellowships

ASCSA NEH Fellowships

American School of Classical Studies at Athens (ASCSA)

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Deadline: October 31, 2023

Website: https://www.ascsa.edu.gr/apply/fellowships-and-grants/postdoctoral-and-senior-scholars

The NEH Fellowship supports postdoctoral and advanced research in all humanities fields supported by its mission and resources. Founded in 1881, the American School of Classical Studies at Athens (ASCSA) is a premier resource in Greece for American scholars in the fields of Greek language, literature, history, archaeology, philosophy, and art, from pre-Hellenic times to the present. It offers two major research libraries: the Blegen, with over 113,000 volumes dedicated to the ancient Mediterranean world; and the Gennadius, with over 146,000 volumes and archives devoted to post-classical Hellenic civilization and, more broadly, the Balkans and the eastern Mediterranean. The School also provides centers for advanced research in archaeological and related topics at the Athenian Agora and Corinth excavations, and at the Malcolm H. Wiener Laboratory for Archaeological Sciences. By agreement with the Greek government, the ASCSA is authorized to serve as liaison with the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports on behalf of American students and scholars for the acquisition of permits to conduct archaeological work and to study collections.

Since its inception in 1994, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Fellowship program at the ASCSA has supported projects for over 60 scholars with distinguished research and teaching careers in the humanities.

Eligibility:  Postdoctoral scholars and professionals in all fields relevant to the mission of the ASCSA who are US citizens, or foreign nationals who have lived in the US for the three years immediately preceding the application deadline. Applicants must already hold their Ph.D. or have completed all requirements, except for the actual conferral of the degree, by the application deadline.

Terms:  Two to four fellows will be selected for awards of 4, 5, or 9 months duration. The monthly stipend per fellow is $5,000 allocated from a total pool of $90,000 per year. Applicants should indicate their preference for the length and dates of tenure of the award to coincide with the American School’s academic year: 9 months, Sept. 2024-end of May 2025; 4 months, Sept. – Dec. 2024; 5 months, January to end of May 2025. School fees are waived, and the award provides lunches at Loring Hall five days per week. The NEH Fellow will pay for travel costs, housing, residence permit, and other living expenses from the stipend. Foreign travel (while holding the fellowship) must be undertaken on U.S. flag carriers, wherever such service is available A final report is due at the end of the award period, and the ASCSA expects that copies of all publications that result from research conducted as a Fellow of the ASCSA will be contributed to the relevant library of the School. The NEH requires public acknowledgment of the projects it supports on all materials resulting from or related to the NEH award. The NEH Fellow is also requested to send one copy of all books and electronic copies of articles directly to the NEH.

NEH Fellows should use the American School of Classical Studies at Athens as their primary research base, but research may be carried out throughout Greece.

Application Process

Submit an application online on the ASCSA website by October 31.

The following items should be included in the application submitted online to the ASCSA:

1. Short abstract of the project (up to 300 words).
2. A statement of the project (up to five pages, single spaced), including desired number of months in Greece, a timetable, explicit goals, a selected bibliography, the importance of the work, the methodologies involved (where applicable), and the reasons it should occur at the ASCSA.
3. Current curriculum vitae. If not a US citizen, state US visa status/date of residence.
4. Supply names and contact information for three specialists, without any conflicts of interest, who might act as readers of the application.
5. Names and contact information for three recommenders who are familiar with the applicant’s work and field of interest. These recommenders should be able to comment on the feasibility of the project and the applicant’s ability to carry it out successfully. After the online application is submitted, the recommenders will automatically be sent instructions about how to upload a letter of recommendation. Or, applicants may choose to send the request at any time by clicking the “Send Request Now” button on the online application form. Recommendations are due by the application deadline.

The following criteria will be used by the Selection Committee when considering applications.

1. Are the objectives and approaches clearly stated and coherent?
2. Will the project result in an important and original contribution?
3. Are the research perspectives and methodologies appropriate?
4. Will the stated scope of the project be completed during tenure of the fellowship?
5. Does the American School provide resources that are not available at the home institution and, hence, will residency in Greece contribute substantially to the success of the project?
6. Do the applicant’s qualifications, training and expertise in the proposed area and their past productivity give confidence that the overall project will be accomplished in a timely fashion?

The awards will be announced during February. Awardees will be expected to accept the award within two weeks of notification of funding, but no later than March 1.

Application Form