Institute for Research in the Humanities

IRH Fellowships

The IRH awards some 40-45 stipendary and non-stipendary fellowships to internal and external applicants each year. The College of Letters & Science and generous gifts to the Institute fund these fellowships, which are open to applicants in any discipline or field whose project has clear significance for the humanities. Most IRH fellowships are not limited by theme or research area, with the exception of the external Solmsen Fellowship for projects on pre-1700 Europe, the external Kingdon Fellowship on Judeo-Christian religious traditions, the Biruté Ciplijauskaité Fellowship for Iberian Spanish Literature, and the internal Race, Ethnicity, and Indigeneity Fellowships.

Fellowships are awarded across the humanities, at all faculty ranks and to independent scholars, based on the significance of proposed research, the record and potential of applicants, and the promise of interdisciplinary engagement in our intellectual community. The IRH is a member of American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) Research University Consortium and can serve as a residency site for ACLS fellows such as the ACLS Emerging Voices Fellows. The IRH also welcomes scholars with other grants or funding to apply for non-stipendiary Honorary fellowships.

IRH fellows are expected to attend the weekly Monday seminar and, schedule permitting, to make a seminar presentation. The many symposia, lectures, conferences, lectures, and workshops are available for fellows as time and interest warrant. Fellows have access to all UW-Madison libraries and campus facilities, email/internet, office space at IRH (if available), photocopying, mailbox, and assistance from IRH staff.

The UW-Madison Libraries offer a world-class library system with over 7.3 million printed volumes, many distinguished collections, and millions of resources in journals, databases, microfilms, government documents, etc. For more detailed information about the library collections, contact Nina Clements, the English Humanities Librarian at the UW-Madison Memorial Library. The Wisconsin Historical Society is a national repository of books and papers in American history and culture, a major resource for Americanists in the humanities.

Internal Fellowships

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UW–Madison Senior Fellowships

This year, IRH held a competition for one open-topic senior fellowship and one Race, Ethnicity, and Indigeneity senior fellowship with four-year terms beginning in 2025-2026 (term: 2025-2029).

Each year, the Institute for Research in the Humanities (IRH) maintains an average of eight senior fellowships funded by the College of Letters & Science. These are for tenured faculty members in the College who are engaged in innovative research in the humanities. Seven of these senior fellowships are designated for any projects in the humanities, and one senior fellowship is awarded for a project on race, ethnicity, and/or indigeneity.

Senior fellows attend IRH seminars, present their work, sit on selection committees, advise the director, and are encouraged to organize a Burdick-Vary Symposium or another comparable event.

Senior fellowships have a four-year term with four semesters of research leave to be taken in residence at IRH during this period. Flexibility in how leave time is taken during the four years is allowed: e.g., 50% research leave/50% teaching each semester; one semester of research leave/one semester of teaching each year; one year of research leave/one year of full- time teaching; etc. However, the start date of the fellowship may not be deferred for any reason, so we urge fellows to arrange their fellowship in ways mutually agreeable to themselves and their departments. Senior fellows are required to attend IRH seminars and meetings for the full academic year for the four-year term, regardless of how their teaching leave is distributed.

The application cycle for 2025-2029 fellowships is now closed. Applications were due on Friday, October 4, 2024. The final notification of the awards was sent in early January 2025.

Applications must be submitted through the “application form” link to Interfolio above. For help using Interfolio, or with issues with letters of recommendation or other files, please refer to the links below.

UW–Madison Resident Faculty Fellowships

The Institute for Research in the Humanities holds an annual competition for up to six one-semester resident fellowships for UW–Madison faculty in the College of Letters & Science who are working on a project of significance for the humanities. These resident faculty fellowships will be granted for one semester within the 2025-2026 academic year. Resident fellows receive their regular salary and are released from teaching and service duties for the semester of the fellowship so that they may undertake full-time research and participate in the intellectual community of the IRH. Fellows with additional funding (e.g., sabbatical, other grants) are invited to remain at IRH for the full academic year. However, the fellowship may not be deferred for any reason. These fellowships are prestigious appointments and represent one of the ways the College of Letters & Science seeks to strengthen the opportunities for concentrated research by faculty in the humanities. UW–Madison faculty budgeted outside the College of Letters & Science may also apply for resident fellowships, contingent upon agreement from their deans or department chairs to continue their salary during the duration of the fellowship.

Resident fellows are expected to participate in the intellectual life of IRH by attending the required weekly Monday afternoon seminar (3:30 – 5:00 pm), utilizing their IRH office regularly (if receiving office space), and giving a seminar presentation at IRH. Fellows are also encouraged to join the weekly afternoon teas and other IRH events as time and interest permit.

Individual faculty members on the tenure-track or tenured at UW–Madison are encouraged to apply. Departmental nominations are accepted but do not necessarily increase the chances of success; departments should encourage all eligible faculty to apply without consideration of the number of applicants in each unit. IRH seeks the most exciting research projects from candidates who can contribute to and benefit from the interdisciplinary dialogue in the humanities that the IRH fosters.

The application cycle for 2025-2026 fellowships is now closed. Applications were due on Friday, October 4, 2024. The final notification of the awards was sent in early January 2025.

Applications must be submitted through the “application form” link to Interfolio above. For help using Interfolio, or with issues with letters of recommendation or other files, please refer to the links below.

UW–Madison Race, Ethnicity, and Indigeneity Faculty Fellowships

The Institute for Research in the Humanities (IRH) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison holds an annual competition for up to two one-semester fellowships for UW–Madison faculty in the College of Letters & Science who are working on projects that focus directly on race, ethnicity, and/or indigeneity in any part of the world and historical period and that foster comparative study of these issues with a clear significance for the humanities. These Race, Ethnicity, and Indigeneity (REI) faculty fellowships will be granted for semesters within the 2025-2026 academic year. REI fellows receive their regular salary and are released from teaching and service duties for the semester of the fellowship so that they may undertake full-time research and participate in the intellectual community of IRH. Fellows with additional funding (e.g., sabbatical, other grants) are invited to remain at IRH for the full academic year. However, the fellowship may not be deferred for any reason. These fellowships are prestigious appointments and represent one of the ways the College of Letters & Science seeks to strengthen the opportunities for concentrated research by faculty in the humanities. UW–Madison faculty budgeted outside the College of Letters & Science may also apply for REI fellowships, contingent upon agreement from their deans or department chairs to continue their salary during the duration of the fellowship.

REI fellows are expected to participate in the intellectual life of IRH by attending the required weekly Monday afternoon seminar (3:30 – 5:00 pm), utilizing their IRH office regularly (if receiving office space), and giving a seminar presentation at IRH. Fellows are also encouraged to join the weekly afternoon teas and other IRH events as time and interest permit.

Individual faculty members on the tenure-track or tenured at UW-Madison are encouraged to apply. Departmental nominations are accepted but do not necessarily increase the chances of success; departments should encourage all eligible faculty to apply without consideration of the number of applicants in each unit. IRH seeks the most exciting research projects from candidates who can contribute to and benefit from the interdisciplinary dialogue in the humanities that IRH fosters.

The application cycle for 2025-2026 fellowships is now closed. Applications were due on Friday, October 4, 2024. The final notification of the awards was sent in early January 2025.

Applications must be submitted through the “application form” link to Interfolio above. For help using Interfolio, or with issues with letters of recommendation or other files, please refer to the links below.

UW–Madison Dissertation Fellowships

Each year, the IRH offers 2-6 one-semester dissertation fellowships for UW–Madison graduate students in the humanities. Applications for these fellowships are by departmental nomination only. Most of the funding for these fellowships has been donated by former members of the IRH. The frequency of awards depends upon the availability of funds. Dissertation fellows are expected to attend the weekly Monday seminar, and may be invited to present their work at one of these meetings. Exchanges, both formal and informal, along with workshop and symposia, provide dissertation fellows with extended opportunities for engagement with faculty fellows across the humanities. Office space, photocopying/scanning, and limited support services are available. Fellowships may not be deferred.

  • Dana-Allen Dissertation Fellowship in the Humanities. Open to all dissertators in the humanities. This fellowship is made possible through a generous bequest to the University of Wisconsin–Madison from the Chicago artist Eugene F. Dana (B.S. 1936) and named for Mr. Dana and Glenn R. Allen. Typically, 1-2 fellowships are awarded each year as funds become available. IRH only accepts nominations directly from departments; please contact your department administrator, chair, and/or graduate coordinator for department-specific requirements and deadlines. Departmental nominations are limited to one candidate per department unless the department’s graduate program has more than fifty students pursuing doctoral degrees with humanistically-oriented research projects. In that case, the department may nominate two candidates. IRH is holding a competition for one Dana-Allen Fellowship for 2025-2026.
  • Biruté Ciplijauskaité Dissertation Fellowship in Peninsular Spanish Literature and Culture. Made possible by the late Biruté Ciplijauskaité, John Bascom Professor Emerita in the Department of Spanish & Portuguese at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a Senior Fellow of IRH, this fellowship is for an outstanding graduate student in an advanced stage of writing a dissertation on Peninsular Spanish literary and cultural studies supervised by a faculty member in the Department of Spanish & Portuguese. Typically, 1 fellowship is awarded each year as funds become available. The IRH only accepts nominations directly from the Department of Spanish & Portuguese; please contact your department administrator, chair, and/or graduate coordinator for department-specific requirements and deadlines. IRH is holding a competition for one Ciplijauskaité Dissertation Fellowship for 2025-2026.
  • William Coleman Dissertation Fellowship in History of Science. The William Coleman fellowship is made possible by a generous bequest from Louise Coleman in memory of her husband, William Coleman, UW–Madison Professor of the History of Science. One fellowship is usually awarded each year to an outstanding graduate student in an advanced stage of writing a dissertation supervised by a faculty member in the History of Science, Medicine, and Technology degree program (HSMT) in the Department of History at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Typically, 1-2 fellowships are awarded each year as funds become available. The IRH only accepts nominations directly from the HSMT department; please contact your department administrator, chair, and/or graduate coordinator for department-specific requirements and deadlines. IRH is holding a competition for up to two Coleman Fellowships for 2025-2026.
  • Madeleine Doran Dissertation Fellowship in English. Made possible through a bequest by Professor Madeleine Doran, the fellowship is for an outstanding graduate student in an advanced stage of writing a dissertation supervised by a faculty member in the English Department at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Typically, 1 fellowship is awarded as funds become available. The IRH will not be offering a Madeleine Doran Dissertation Fellowship for the 2025-2026 academic year. The following information is for reference only. Please contact the English department for more information.
  • Robert J. Reinhold Dissertation Fellowship in Classics. Made possible by Carl D. Reinhold in honor of his brother, Robert J. Reinhold, the fellowship is for an outstanding graduate student in an advanced stage of writing a dissertation supervised by a faculty member in the Classical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies (CANES) Department at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Typically, 1 fellowship is awarded as funds become available. The IRH will not offer a Robert J. Reinhold Dissertation Fellowship for the 2025-2026 academic year. The following information is for reference only. Please contact the CANES department for more information.

“The Humanities Respond to Global Challenges” Seed Program

“The Humanities Respond to Global Challenges” is a seed program to support up to two teams of five (5) UW-Madison faculty to develop new humanistic and descriptive social scientific projects that take a collaborative, multiple-PI, and cross-disciplinary approach to global challenges, both enduring and emerging. Potential topics may include peace and social justice; climate change, environmental justice, and sustainability; migration, immigration, and translation; democracy and authoritarianism; the history, culture, and politics of sport; the role of humanities and artistic creative practices in health and well-being; and security, privacy, and surveillance. 

Funded by the College of Letters & Science (L&S) – including the Arts and Humanities division and the Collective for Research Impact and Social Partnerships (CRISP) – and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education (OVCRGE), this seed program will provide each team of researchers with support for developing their collaborative project. Awardees will be determined through an internal competition. Preference may be given to UW-Madison humanities-based projects that include at least one researcher in the social, natural, or computer sciences or in the creative arts; show a concrete plan for demonstrating impact (incl. collaborating with community partners and other external stakeholders as well as producing both scholarly and public-facing publications); and identify concrete and viable sources for funding the research (esp. the NEH, NSF, NIH, Mellon Foundation, Henry Luce Foundation, and other major funding agencies).

The application for the 2025 Seed Program is now closed. The deadline was March 7, 2025, 5:00 pm CST. 

For questions related to the seed program, please contact IRH Director Steven Nadler (smnadler@wisc.edu) and Associate Dean for Arts and Humanities Grant Nelsestuen (nelsestuen@wisc.edu).

Summer Humanities Grant Writing Workshop

The Institute for Research in the Humanities, with the support of the College of Letters and Science and the Office of Vice Chancellor for Research, announces a call for applications for a Summer Humanities Grant Writing Workshop, to be run this coming summer between late June and early August. The purpose of the workshop is for participants to prepare proposals both for internal university award competitions (the OVCG Fall competition, IRH fellowships, etc.) and for applications to external funding agencies (ACLS, Mellon, Luce, Guggenheim, other discipline-specific bodies, etc.). At the end of the summer, each participant will be expected to have a complete proposal (with budget) ready to go for fall deadlines.

Eight (8) L&S tenure-track or tenured faculty will be selected for this workshop. They will be expected to meet as a cohort at a regular schedule to discuss and compare notes on opportunities and challenges in writing grant proposals, share feedback on their individual proposals, and, at the end of the summer, workshop full drafts of their applications. This in-person workshop will be supervised by Steven Nadler, IRH director, with assistance from other scholars on campus who have been especially successful in winning grants and from other campus resources for expertise on grant applications and planning budgets.

Each member of the workshop will receive $1500 in flexible research funds; pending space availability, they will also be welcome to use an office in the IRH for the duration of the workshop.

The deadline for the 2025 Summer Humanities Grant Writing Workshop is on May 12, 2025 at 5:00 pm CST. 

For questions related to the SHGWW, please contact IRH Director Steven Nadler (smnadler@wisc.edu).

External Fellowships and Residencies

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Solmsen Fellowships

The Institute for Research in the Humanities at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is pleased to offer four Solmsen Fellowships for the academic year 2025-2026, to be awarded to scholars from outside the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Through a generous bequest from Friedrich and Lieselotte Solmsen, the Solmsen Fellowships sponsor scholars working in the humanities on European history, literature, philosophy, politics, religion, art and culture in the classical, medieval, and/or early modern periods before 1700. Projects on the relationship of pre-1700 Europe to other parts of the world are also welcome. The Solmsen Fellowship does not typically support editions or translations.

The award provides a stipend of $60,000, office space, limited support services, and access to university facilities (libraries). All IRH fellowships are residential. Solmsen Fellows are required to live in Madison, Wisconsin throughout the academic year to ensure their active participation in the intellectual and social life at IRH (alternatively, fellows must demonstrate to the Institute’s satisfaction the ability to be on campus daily and at short notice). Fellows may extend their residency through the summer on a non-stipendiary basis. However, the fellowship may not be deferred for any reason.

The application cycle for 2025-2026 fellowships has closed. Applications were due by Thursday, October 24, 2024. The final notification of awards was sent in late February 2025.

Applications must be submitted through the “application form” link to Interfolio above. For help using Interfolio, or with issues with letters of recommendation or other files, please refer to the documents below.

Kingdon Fellowships

The Institute for Research in the Humanities at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is pleased to offer two Robert M. Kingdon Fellowships for the academic year 2025-2026, to be awarded to scholars from outside the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Through a generous bequest from Robert M. Kingdon, the Kingdon Fellowship sponsors scholars working in the humanities in the historical, literary, artistic, and/or philosophical studies of Christian and/or Jewish religious traditions and their role in society. Projects may focus on any period from antiquity to the present, on any part of the world, and in any field(s) in the humanities. They may explore various forms of the Jewish and/or Christian traditions; the interaction of one or both of these with other religious traditions; and/or the relationship of one or both of these religions to other aspects of society within or outside of Europe. The Kingdon Fellowship does not typically support editions or translations.

The award provides a stipend of $60,000, office space, limited support services, and access to university facilities (libraries). All IRH fellowships are residential. Kingdon Fellows are required to live in Madison, Wisconsin throughout the academic year to ensure their active participation in the intellectual and social life at IRH (alternatively, fellows must demonstrate to the Institute’s satisfaction the ability to be on campus daily and at short notice). Fellows may extend their residency through the summer on a non-stipendiary basis. However, the fellowship may not be deferred for any reason.

The application cycle for 2025-2026 fellowships has closed. Applications were due by Thursday, October 24, 2024. The final notification of awards was sent in late February 2025.

Applications must be submitted through the “application form” link to Interfolio above. For help using Interfolio, or with issues with letters of recommendation or other files, please refer to the documents below.

Biruté Ciplijauskaité Fellowship in Peninsular Spanish Literature and Culture

The Institute for Research in the Humanities at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is pleased to announce that it will offer up to two Biruté Ciplijauskaité Fellowships for the 2025-2026 academic year, to be awarded to a scholar from outside the University of Wisconsin–Madison. The fellowship may be renewable for a second year. Thanks to a generous bequest by the late Biruté Ciplijauskaité, John Bascom Professor Emerita in the Department of Spanish & Portuguese and a Senior Fellow of IRH, the fellowship is available to a scholar with a Ph.D. (at any stage of career), working in Spanish literary and cultural studies of the Iberian Peninsula. We are especially interested in scholars working on peninsular Spanish poetry. The Ciplijauskaité Fellowship does not typically support editions, anthologies, or translations.

The award provides a stipend of $60,000, office space, limited support services, and access to university facilities (libraries). All IRH fellowships are residential. Ciplijauskaité Fellows are required to live in Madison, Wisconsin throughout the academic year to ensure their active participation in the intellectual and social life at IRH (alternatively, fellows must demonstrate to the Institute’s satisfaction the ability to be on campus daily and at short notice). Fellows may extend their residency through the summer on a non-stipendiary basis. However, the fellowship may not be deferred for any reason.

The application cycle for 2025-2026 fellowships has closed. Applications were due by Thursday, October 24, 2024. The final notification of awards was sent in late February 2025.

Applications must be submitted through the “application form” link to Interfolio above. For help using Interfolio, or with issues with letters of recommendation or other files, please refer to the documents below.

Universities of Wisconsin Fellowships [formerly "UW System" Fellowships]

Each year, the Institute for Research in the Humanities offers up to four fellowships each year to faculty at The Universities of Wisconsin campuses (formerly “UW System”), with full release time from teaching and service for 1 semester. Funding comes from a combination of sources: the home institutions, Universities of Wisconsin grant fund allocations of $7,500 to the home institution, and UW–Madison’s contribution of about $5,000 per fellow to each home institution. Fellows are provided with an IRH office (space permitting), support services, and access to UW–Madison facilities (libraries, databases). One-semester fellows with additional funding are invited to remain in residence at IRH for the full academic year, and may extend their appointments through the summer. However, fellowships may not be deferred.

The application cycle for 2025–2026 fellowships has closed. Applications were due by Friday, February 21, 2025. The final notification of the awards was sent in mid-March 2025.

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Postdoctoral Fellow Residencies

The Institute for Research in the Humanities serves as a residency site for SSHRC postdoctoral fellows who seek a dynamic intellectual community, interdisciplinary dialogue, contact with campus faculty and programs related to their fields and interests, and excellent library resources.

Eligibility is limited to scholars who have received a SSHRC fellowship through the SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowship program. SSHRC postdoctoral fellows can be in residence at IRH for a semester term, the academic year, and/or the summer. Applications for IRH residency can be made at any point in the year. SSHRC postdoctoral fellows and the host institution negotiate their own arrangements tailored to the needs, interests, and capabilities of both parties.

The residency provides office space, limited support services, and access to university facilities (libraries). All IRH fellowships are residential. SSHRC residents are required to live in Madison, Wisconsin, throughout the academic year to ensure their active participation in the intellectual and social life at IRH. (Alternatively, fellows and residents must demonstrate to the director’s satisfaction the ability to be on campus daily and at short notice.) Residents are expected to participate in the intellectual life of IRH by attending the weekly Monday seminar (3:30 – 5:00 pm), utilizing their campus office Monday – Friday, and giving a seminar presentation at IRH (if schedule allows). Residents are also encouraged to join weekly afternoon teas and other IRH events as time and interest permit.

SSHRC postdoctoral fellows interested in a residency at IRH should contact the director for information before submitting an application below. With the director’s approval, they should then submit the form below, along with a copy of their SSHRC fellowship award letter, their CV, and a copy of their project proposal as submitted to SSHRC to both the director and associate director.

Steven Nadler, IRH Director (smnadler@wisc.edu); 608-262-8151

American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) Fellow Residencies

The Institute for Research in the Humanities serves as a residency site for American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) fellows who seek a dynamic intellectual community, interdisciplinary dialogue, contact with campus faculty and programs related to their fields and interests, and excellent library resources.

Eligibility is limited to scholars who have received a fellowship from the ACLS through the Charles A. Ryskamp Research Fellowship, the Mellon/ACLS Recent Doctoral Recipients Fellowship, or other ACLS fellowship programs. ACLS fellows can be in residence at IRH for a semester, the academic year, and/or the summer. Applications for IRH residency can be made at any point in the year.

The residency provides office space, limited support services, and access to university facilities (libraries). All IRH fellowships are residential. ACLS residents are required to live in Madison, Wisconsin, throughout the academic year to ensure their active participation in the intellectual and social life at IRH. (Alternatively, fellows and residents must demonstrate to the director’s satisfaction the ability to be on campus daily and at short notice.) Residents are expected to participate in the intellectual life of IRH by attending the weekly Monday seminar (3:30 – 5:00 pm), utilizing their campus office Monday – Friday, and giving a seminar presentation at IRH (if schedule allows). Residents are also encouraged to join weekly afternoon teas and other IRH events as time and interest permit.

ACLS fellows interested in a residency at IRH should contact the director for information before submitting an application below. With the director’s approval, they should then submit the form below, along with a copy of their ACLS fellowship award letter, their CV, and a copy of their project proposal as submitted to ACLS to both the IRH director and associate director.

Steven Nadler, IRH Director (smnadler@wisc.edu); 608-262-8151

Madison Area Technical College (MATC) Fellowships

The Institute for Research in the Humanities offers one external, non-stipendiary fellowship each year to a faculty member from Madison Area Technical College with sabbatical or research leave. MATC fellows are expected to attend the weekly Monday seminar, and (schedule permitting) may be invited to present their work at one of the seminars. Fellows are provided with an IRH office (space permitting), support services, and access to all university facilities.

Scholars interested in MATC fellowships at IRH should contact the director for more information and then submit the application form below, along with their CV, a project proposal, and a recommendation letter.

Steven Nadler, IRH Director (smnadler@wisc.edu); 608-262-8151.

Honorary Fellowships

The Institute for Research in the Humanities provides, by invitation of the director, a limited number of non-stipendiary honorary fellowships to scholars with a completed PhD who have other sources of support and plan to do research at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. The tenure of an honorary fellowship may be anywhere from six weeks to one year. Honorary fellows are provided with support services and access to all university facilities. If space is available, they may also have access to an office in IRH. All IRH fellowships are residential. Honorary fellows are required to live in Madison, Wisconsin throughout the period of their fellowship to ensure their active participation in the intellectual and social life at IRH (alternatively, fellows must demonstrate to the Institute’s satisfaction the ability to be on campus daily and at short notice).

Scholars interested in honorary fellowships at IRH should contact the director for more information at least one semester before they would like to serve as a fellow and then submit the application form below along with their CV, a project proposal, and a recommendation letter. The proposal must state how a residency at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is essential for pursuit of the project, and in particular what resources at the university need to be accessed. Application deadlines are as follows: fall semester or academic year fellowships=May 31st deadline; spring semester fellowships=September 30th deadline; summer semester or full calendar year fellowships=February 28th deadline.

Steven Nadler, IRH Director (smnadler@wisc.edu); 608-262-8151.

Note: We are unable to accept applications for honorary fellowships from scholars who either (a) are not U.S. citizens/permanent residents, or (b) do not already have an active and transferrable J-1 visa in hand.