APS Library Resident Research Fellowship

The American Philosophical Society Library offers short-term residential fellowships for conducting research in its collections. The Society's Library, located near Independence Hall in Philadelphia, is a leading international center for research in the history of American science and technology and its European roots, as well as early American history and culture. The Library houses over 8 million manuscripts, 250,000 volumes and bound periodicals, and thousands of maps and prints.

Outstanding historical collections and subject areas include the papers of Benjamin Franklin; the American Revolution; 18th and 19th-century natural history; western scientific expeditions and travel including the journals of Lewis and Clark; polar exploration; the papers of Charles Willson Peale, his family and descendants; American Indian languages; anthropology including the papers of Franz Boas; the papers of Charles Darwin and his forerunners, colleagues, critics, and successors; history of genetics, eugenics, and evolution; history of biochemistry, physiology, and biophysics; 20th-century medical research; and history of physics. The Library does not hold materials on philosophy in the modern sense.

Eligibility
The fellowships, funded by a number of generous benefactors, are open to both U.S. citizens and foreign nationals who are holders of the Ph.D. or the equivalent, Ph.D. candidates who have passed their preliminary examinations, and independent scholars. Applicants in any relevant field of scholarship may apply. Candidates who live 75 or more miles from Philadelphia will receive some preference.

Award and duration
The stipend is $2,000 per month, and the term of the fellowship is a minimum of one month and a maximum of three, taken between June 1, 2008 and May 31, 2009. Fellowships are usually of one month in duration, and seldom exceed two months. Fellows are required to be in residence at the Library for four to twelve consecutive weeks, depending upon the length of their award. Awards are taxable income, but the Society is not required to report payments. It is understood that recipients will discuss their reporting obligations with their tax advisors.

Application forms
Completed applications include seven collated sets (clipped, not stapled) of:

the cover sheet, which is available on the Society's website.
the project statement, not to exceed three single-spaced pages, which briefly describes the project and how it relates to existing scholarship, states the specific relevance of the American Philosophical Society's collections to the project, and indicates expected results of the research, such as publications; type your last name in the upper left of each page.
your C.V. (not to exceed three pages).
two letters of support; if the applicant is a graduate student, one of the letters must be from the dissertation supervisor. The letters can be included with the proposal in sealed envelopes, signed across the flap.

Contact information:
Library Resident Research Fellowships
American Philosophical Society Library
105 South Fifth Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106-3386
(215) 440-3443
jjahern@amphilsoc.org