Fellowships for Stanford Faculty | Stanford Humanities Center

Full Job Description

Internal Faculty Fellowships are intended primarily for active Stanford academic council faculty, but senior lecturers with continuing appointments and emeriti faculty may also apply. The fellowship selection process intends to create a community of scholars from diverse roles, ranks, experiences, and perspectives. Applications are open to any and all candidates that meet the above requirements. We welcome and encourage applicants of all identities and backgrounds. Applications are open to all that meet the above requirements, and we welcome applicants of all identities and backgrounds.

The application deadline for 2026–27 has passed. Check back in August 2026 for the following academic year.

Eligibility

• Must be tenured or untenured Stanford faculty, or Stanford senior lecturer with a continuing position and Dean’s approval. (N.B. Other Stanford lecturers may apply as external faculty fellows in the separate application pool. The deadline for external fellowship is October 1 each year.)
• Preference is given to applicants who have not previously held a fellowship at the Center. Those who have previously held internal fellowships at the Center may reapply for another fellowship to be held in the fourth year, or anytime thereafter, following their original award.
• Internal Faculty Fellowships are funded through a combination of Humanities Center and School of Humanities and Sciences resources. All applicants must document their eligibility with their Chairs and Senior Associate Deans before submitting applications.
• Eligibility for faculty from schools other than H&S is at the discretion of the appropriate dean.

RequirementsFellowships are for one full academic year, and require the fellow to be in residence during Autumn, Winter, and Spring Quarters (mid-September to mid-June). We do not consider applications for different amounts of time.

All fellows are also expected to attend lunch regularly and to participate in weekly research presentations. During the year, faculty fellows are required to make an intellectual contribution to the Stanford community, usually by participating in a Humanities Center Research Workshop . Precise details regarding the intellectual contribution will be determined with the Center's Associate Director after fellowships are awarded.

StipendsAt the discretion of H&S, Internal Faculty Fellows from the School of Humanities and Sciences will usually receive their full pay and benefits through a combination of Humanities Center and H&S resources. Associate and full professors must bring funding equivalent to one-half their salary in sabbatical credits. (usually a minimum of 12 quarters, plus H&S top up). Junior faculty members should consult H&S for questions concerning Junior Faculty Leave benefits and eligibility.

Internal Fellows from schools other than H&S will receive the usual Humanities Center contribution, which is based on an agreement with H&S and is not the same as the External Fellowship stipend. They will, in most instances, need to bring additional funding from their schools or from outside grants to achieve full salary and benefits.

Awards to emeriti faculty will depend upon success in the selection process and on space constraints. Emeriti fellows will have offices at the Center and all privileges and responsibilities of other fellows, and must be in residence for the entire academic year. The financial award will be limited to a modest research allowance. Applicants who plan to become emeritus prior to the end of the fellowship year must indicate this intention in their applications. Faculty who unexpectedly become emeritus after applying and before taking up a fellowship will be treated the same as emeriti faculty.

Application ProcessApplications for a given academic year will open in August of the year prior. For example, applications for fellowships in AY2027–28 will open in August 2026.

Applicants are notified when applications are received, and are notified of the fellowship competition outcome in late March.

Application Content

• Contact and biographical information about the applicant
• A curriculum vitae of no more than 10 pages
• Statement of your project’s scholarly significance: Provide a concise explanation of the ways in which your project is a significant contribution to its area of study. Assume your audience to be academics who are not specialists in your field. (250 word maximum)
• A brief description (no more than 1,000 words) of a research project. State clearly the objectives, significance, methodology, and originality of the project in a manner clear to nonspecialists (the selection committee is composed of a range of scholars from humanities fields and may not include specialists in your field).
• Two reference letters. Current Stanford faculty are not eligible to submit letters of support for internal faculty applicants. Reference letters should be written in English. If this is impossible, we reserve the right to request a translation. Referees are encouraged to submit letters through our online application system. Referees who wish to submit their letter of reference via email should send them to shc-fellowships@stanford.edu. Reference letters must be received at the Center by the application deadline. Consideration of letters received after that date cannot be guaranteed.
• Internal Eligibility Form: Please download the form below, complete section II, and forward it to Lisa Thomas (ldthomas@stanford.edu) for the required verification. The completed form should be received at the Humanities Center no later than January 4, 2026. Please begin this process well in advance of the application deadline.

Download Eligibility Form

Application CriteriaFellows will be chosen by a multidisciplinary selection committee after an initial screening process by experts in the various disciplines. Applications will be judged based on the following factors:

• The promise of the specific research project being proposed.
• The research project's potential interest to scholars in different fields of the humanities.
• The originality and intellectual distinction of the candidate's previous work.
• The applicant's perceived ability to engage in collegial interaction and to contribute to the discussion of presentations.

Applicants who have received a major research grant within the last three years generally will not be as competitive as other applicants.

For more information, contact the fellowship manager

Application DeadlineJanuary 4, 2026 11:59 PM Pacific Time

• Must be tenured or untenured Stanford faculty, or Stanford senior lecturer with a continuing position and Dean’s approval. (N.B. Other Stanford lecturers may apply as external faculty fellows in the separate application pool. The deadline for external fellowship is October 1 each year.)
• Preference is given to applicants who have not previously held a fellowship at the Center. Those who have previously held internal fellowships at the Center may reapply for another fellowship to be held in the fourth year, or anytime thereafter, following their original award.
• Internal Faculty Fellowships are funded through a combination of Humanities Center and School of Humanities and Sciences resources. All applicants must document their eligibility with their Chairs and Senior Associate Deans before submitting applications.
• Eligibility for faculty from schools other than H&S is at the discretion of the appropriate dean.

Fellowships are for one full academic year, and require the fellow to be in residence during Autumn, Winter, and Spring Quarters (mid-September to mid-June). We do not consider applications for different amounts of time.

All fellows are also expected to attend lunch regularly and to participate in weekly research presentations. During the year, faculty fellows are required to make an intellectual contribution to the Stanford community, usually by participating in a Humanities Center Research Workshop . Precise details regarding the intellectual contribution will be determined with the Center's Associate Director after fellowships are awarded.

At the discretion of H&S, Internal Faculty Fellows from the School of Humanities and Sciences will usually receive their full pay and benefits through a combination of Humanities Center and H&S resources. Associate and full professors must bring funding equivalent to one-half their salary in sabbatical credits. (usually a minimum of 12 quarters, plus H&S top up). Junior faculty members should consult H&S for questions concerning Junior Faculty Leave benefits and eligibility.

Internal Fellows from schools other than H&S will receive the usual Humanities Center contribution, which is based on an agreement with H&S and is not the same as the External Fellowship stipend. They will, in most instances, need to bring additional funding from their schools or from outside grants to achieve full salary and benefits.

Awards to emeriti faculty will depend upon success in the selection process and on space constraints. Emeriti fellows will have offices at the Center and all privileges and responsibilities of other fellows, and must be in residence for the entire academic year. The financial award will be limited to a modest research allowance. Applicants who plan to become emeritus prior to the end of the fellowship year must indicate this intention in their applications. Faculty who unexpectedly become emeritus after applying and before taking up a fellowship will be treated the same as emeriti faculty.

Applications for a given academic year will open in August of the year prior. For example, applications for fellowships in AY2027–28 will open in August 2026.

Applicants are notified when applications are received, and are notified of the fellowship competition outcome in late March.

• Contact and biographical information about the applicant
• A curriculum vitae of no more than 10 pages
• Statement of your project’s scholarly significance: Provide a concise explanation of the ways in which your project is a significant contribution to its area of study. Assume your audience to be academics who are not specialists in your field. (250 word maximum)
• A brief description (no more than 1,000 words) of a research project. State clearly the objectives, significance, methodology, and originality of the project in a manner clear to nonspecialists (the selection committee is composed of a range of scholars from humanities fields and may not include specialists in your field).
• Two reference letters. Current Stanford faculty are not eligible to submit letters of support for internal faculty applicants. Reference letters should be written in English. If this is impossible, we reserve the right to request a translation. Referees are encouraged to submit letters through our online application system. Referees who wish to submit their letter of reference via email should send them to shc-fellowships@stanford.edu. Reference letters must be received at the Center by the application deadline. Consideration of letters received after that date cannot be guaranteed.
• Internal Eligibility Form: Please download the form below, complete section II, and forward it to Lisa Thomas (ldthomas@stanford.edu) for the required verification. The completed form should be received at the Humanities Center no later than January 4, 2026. Please begin this process well in advance of the application deadline.

Download Eligibility Form

Fellows will be chosen by a multidisciplinary selection committee after an initial screening process by experts in the various disciplines. Applications will be judged based on the following factors:

• The promise of the specific research project being proposed.
• The research project's potential interest to scholars in different fields of the humanities.
• The originality and intellectual distinction of the candidate's previous work.
• The applicant's perceived ability to engage in collegial interaction and to contribute to the discussion of presentations.

Applicants who have received a major research grant within the last three years generally will not be as competitive as other applicants.

For more information, contact the fellowship manager

January 4, 2026 11:59 PM Pacific Time

Frequently asked questions

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