Deadline: 15 July 2017
Open to: Women over 18
Venue: United States

Description

The John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress invites qualified scholars to conduct research at the Kluge Center using the Library of Congress collections and resources for a period of four to eleven months. Established in 2000 through an endowment of USD 60 million from John W. Kluge, the Center is located in the splendid Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress.

The Kluge Center furnishes attractive work and discussion space for Kluge Chair holders, for distinguished visiting scholars, and for post-doctoral Fellows supported by other private foundation gifts. Residents have easy access to the Library’s specialized staff and to the intellectual community of Washington.

The Kluge Center especially encourages humanistic and social science research that makes use of the Library’s large and varied collections. Interdisciplinary, cross-cultural, or multilingual research is particularly welcome. Among the collections available to researchers are the world’s largest law library and outstanding multi-lingual collections of books and periodicals. Deep special collections of manuscripts, maps, music, films, recorded sound, prints and photographs are also available.

Kluge Fellows will give one public presentation of their research and provide a final report on their research and its results. Two copies of any ultimate product of this research (book, article, film, website, etc.) should be sent to the Library of Congress. Kluge Fellows will also have opportunities to meet with Library specialists and curators, and on occasion with Members of Congress and Congressional staff.

Eligibility

Scholars who have:

• Received a terminal advanced degree within the past seven years in the humanities, social sciences or in a professional field such as architecture or law are eligible;
• Exceptions may be made for individuals without continuous academic careers;
• Applicants may be U.S. citizens or foreign nationals.

Upon selection, and in accordance with relevant visa regulations, foreign nationals will be assisted in obtaining the appropriate visa. To meet the minimum eligibility requirements, the degree must be formally awarded by the deadline date.  

For applicants whose native language is not English, there must be evidence that the applicant is fluent in English so as easily to conduct research, discuss work with colleagues, and make a public presentation, although the ultimate product of the research may be written in the applicant’s native language. For English speakers who seek to do research in the Library’s foreign language collections, there must be evidence that they have a command of the relevant language or languages at the level requisite for serious research.

Benefits

• Fellowships are tenable for periods from four to eleven months at a stipend of USD 4,200 per month for residential research at the Library of Congress. The Kluge Center reserves the right to offer fewer months than originally requested.
• Fellows may be given residence at any time during the fourteen-month window between June 1 of the year in which the Fellowship is awarded and August 1 of the year following.
• Stipends will be paid monthly by the Library of Congress, by means of electronic transfer to a U.S. bank account.
• Up to twelve Kluge Residential Fellowships will be awarded annually by the Library of Congress. Awards will be announced in the spring of the year following that in which the application is due.
• For overseas Fellows, award letters will address visa questions and include a form which must be filled out and submitted to the Library of Congress to determine tax residency status and the potential for U.S. Federal income tax withholding.
• Scholars who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents and who do not already have a U.S. Social Security number will be required to obtain either a Social Security or tax identification number, as appropriate, at the start of their fellowship at the Library, regardless of the taxability of their income under this program or exemption under a treaty with the United States.
• Transportation arrangements are the responsibility of each Fellow. Housing is not provided by the Library of Congress. The Library of Congress does not supply health insurance coverage but can provide contacts with commercial providers. Because the United States does not have a national health plan, if a selectee becomes ill or injured during the term of appointment, there is no provision for care.

 How to apply?

Applicants must submit:

• A completed application form, in English;
• A curriculum vitae (maximum 2 pages; additional pages will be discarded);
• A single paragraph abstract;
• A statement of proposed research (maximum 3 pages);
• An explanation of why the Library of Congress is the required venue for your research (maximum 1 paragraph);
• A bibliography of works you have consulted for your proposal (maximum 3 pages);
• 3 references with completed reference forms from people who have read the research proposal.