Amherst Folger Humanities Fellowship Program Details

The Amherst Folger Humanities Fellowship provides one Amherst College graduate with nine months of professional development at two world-class institutions—the Folger Shakespeare Library and the Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection. Designed to support career exploration in the humanities, the opportunity offers project-based work that will be responsive to both the skills and potential of the selected candidate, and the work of their mentors at the Folger and Dumbarton Oaks. All fellows will have the opportunity to work closely with staff in the Folger’s collections, research, or exhibitions teams, and departmental assignments at Dumbarton Oaks may include hands-on work in curation and exhibit preparation, research and publication, collection development or conservation, marketing and communication, or education and public outreach initiatives. 

The fellowship term runs from September 3, 2024 through May 16, 2025 and includes a $26,000 stipend, housing in Washington, DC at Dumbarton Oaks for the term of the fellowship, a research allowance of $1,000 to support attendance of a conference, exhibition, or to pursue coursework related to the fellow’s academic or professional interests, and optional health insurance. 

APPLICATION

To be considered for the fellowship, applicants will be required to submit the following:

• Résumé
• Transcript (an unofficial transcript from Registrar’s Office is acceptable)
• An example of the applicant’s work (a written paper, article, portfolio, or project)
• A statement of purpose that describes the applicant’s background and interests and explains how a fellowship in the humanities will further their intellectual and professional goals. The applicant should outline what skills they hope to acquire over the course of the fellowship.
• Two letters of recommendation to be sent by recommenders to Carla Costa: ccosta@amherst.edu

QUESTIONS

All interested applicants can reach out to Carla Costa, program director for careers in arts and communication at the Loeb Center for Career Exploration & Planning (ccosta@amherst.edu). Carla can answer questions about the fellowship experience and provide support in developing application materials.

You can also review this list of Frequently Asked Questions.

PROGRAM DETAILS

The Fellowship term runs from September through May. The Amherst Folger Fellow will split their 9-month assignment equally between both institutions–spending two days per week at each site and devoting each Friday to professional development. Following an orientation week at Dumbarton Oaks, the fellow will work on a collections, research, or exhibitions project, determined by the Folger, that will be responsive to the skills and potential of the selected candidate. At Dumbarton Oaks the fellow will apply their knowledge by conducting original research and contributing to an institutional project. Projects might focus on curation and exhibit preparation, research and publication, collection development or conservation, marketing and communication, and education and public outreach initiatives.

The Amherst fellow will be part of a cohort that includes post-baccalaureate fellows from Harvard University. Professional development opportunities will be offered to the fellow throughout their stay, connecting them with a wide range of humanities scholars, administrators, and practitioners in Washington, D.C.