NYBG | CALL FOR FELLOWS 2018

THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN

THE HUMANITIES INSTITUTE — LUESTHER T. MERTZ LIBRARY

CALL FOR FELLOWS 2018

The Humanities Institute, a research division within the LuEsther T. Mertz Library at The New York Botanical Garden, is pleased to offer a full-time, residential Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship for 2018 for current Ph.D. students or recent post-doctoral researchers. Candidates are invited to submit a proposal for independent research in the environmental humanities.

Fellows will conduct research that involves innovative interdisciplinary approaches to areas such as landscape and garden design; urban planning and social history; cultural anthropology; the history and philosophy of botany; botanical exploration; and arts and illustration, with a primary focus on areas of inquiry that connect nature to the human experience. Specific collections at NYBG should also be taken into consideration as part of the research topic. Recipients will be given full access to the unique, historical collections of the LuEsther T. Mertz Library, the Archives, the William and Lynda Steere Herbarium, and the Living Collections, including the 250-acre historic landscape. Recipients are also encouraged to take advantage of the cultural and educational resources of New York City.

Eligibility: Current Ph.D. candidates and recent post-doctoral researchers (no more than four years since graduation) who would like to further their studies in a large, international plant-based research center. Students from diverse backgrounds and ethnicities are encouraged to apply.

Tenure of Fellowship: Nine months (tenure can be activated as early as April 1, 2018, and no later than September 6, 2018). Deferral of a student’s Mellon Fellowship is not permitted. Fellowships at NYBG’s Humanities Institute are full-time residential awards that place great emphasis on the exchange of ideas among fellows and the spirit of community within the larger institution. Fellows are expected to devote themselves fully to their studies, and give a presentation about their own research. They are also requested to participate in the Humanities Institute’s activities, including symposia, colloquia, and workshops, as well as important lectures and exhibits held Garden-wide.

Fellowship award: $42,000 (forty-two thousand U.S. dollars), plus health benefits. Fellows are also eligible for a Travel stipend during their tenure to conduct research directly related to their project (travel maximum three weeks, arranged in consultation with the administrative manager).

How to apply:

The application must be submitted as a single document—Microsoft Word or PDF file—to: HIfellows@nybg.org. Letters of recommendation, in PDF file format, must be submitted directly from the recommender to the Humanities Institute Research Coordinator, Vanessa Bezemer Sellers, at vsellers@nybg.org. All applications will receive an e-mail acknowledgement of receipt. If you have further questions, please contact the Humanities Institute Research Coordinator, Vanessa Bezemer Sellers, at vsellers@nybg.org.

Applications should include:

• Complete curriculum vitae of education, professional experience, honors, awards, and publications.
• Project proposal, including a 2–3 page (max. 750 words) statement that provides an overview of the project you plan to include with an explanation of your research’s significance in the field and the manner in which it will contribute to new scholarship in the environmental humanities.
• Copy of your Graduate Transcripts.
• Tentative schedule of work to be accomplished during the fellowship.
• Three letters of recommendation to be sent electronically by the recommenders.
• The Deadline for all application material, including transcripts and letters of recommendation, is January 12, 2018.
• Applications, to be written in English, must be submitted electronically by 5 p.m. (EST), January 12, 2018. Late applications will not be accepted. Three letters of recommendation are required for all applicants. Awards will be announced by March 1, 2018.

Upon acceptance of the fellowship, applicants will discuss their academic year plan (a period of nine months)—including their schedule for residence in New York/New York Botanical Garden, and their specific contribution to the Humanities Institute and related institutional projects—with the Humanities Institute Research Coordinator.

Housing for Fellows: Fellows are responsible for their own housing arrangements, but suggestions will be provided.

Health Insurance for Fellows: A comprehensive Health Benefit package is offered in addition to the fellowship payment (details of coverage to be finalized in consultation with Human Resource Dept.).

Learn more about the Humanities Institute at nybg.com/humanities