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CAORC-NEH Research Fellowship

Council of American Overseas Research Centers

The CAORC - National Endowment for the Humanities Research Fellowship provides the opportunity for scholars to carry out advanced research in the humanities and to spend significant time in one country with an Overseas Research Centers as a base. The fellowship supports advanced research in the humanities. Fellowship awards are for four to six consecutive months (i.e. you can hold the fellowship for four, five, or six consecutive months). Selected fellows are awarded $5,000 per month of the award. This program is funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) under the Fellowship Programs at Independent Research Institutions (FPIRI).

Important information about the fellowship competition:

Fields of study include, but are not limited to, anthropology, history, philosophy, archaeology, linguistics, religious studies, languages, literature, literary criticism, ethnomusicology, and art history. In addition, research that embraces a humanistic approach and methods will be considered.

Applicants must propose four to six consecutive months of research in an Overseas Research Center in one of the following countries: Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Cyprus, Georgia, Indonesia, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal, Pakistan (senior scholars may be permitted to travel to Lahore and Islamabad subject to approval), Senegal, Sri Lanka or Tunisia.

Travel advisories may fluctuate in some countries, which CAORC continually monitors. CAORC abides by all US Department of State travel restrictions. Please contact CAORC if you have questions.

Fellows may travel and carry out research for four to six consecutive months between the period of May 2025 to end of December 2026.

Please list a tentative travel plan and dates in your application.

Selected fellows must work on their research full-time during the entire tenure of their fellowship.

Fellowship awards will not exceed $5,000 per month.

All materials publicizing or resulting from NEH-funded activities must contain an acknowledgment of NEH support as well as CAORC support.

CAORC-NEH Fellows may hold non-federal fellowships or grants during their fellowship tenure, including sabbaticals
and grants from their own institutions. Fellows cannot hold another concurrent NEH or other federally funded grant.

Notification of fellowship status will be made available to each applicant via email in late March 2025. Fellows are advised that it can take up to six months to obtain necessary research clearances and should plan accordingly.

Application Information:

Applications can be accessed via https://orcfellowships.smapply.org/. You must sign up for an account to access the application. This will allow you to save and return to your application before submitting. Please save your login/password information for future applications.

Project Description: In 1500 words or less (footnotes do not count as part of the word count), please describe the nature of your proposed project and your competence to carry out the required research. State your research question and the methods and procedures you will use to conduct your research. Describe the broad value and scholarly significance of the research you plan to do and the expected publication, outputs, or dissemination that will result from your research. How will your project contribute to or interact with the humanities? Give the reasons why your project requires your presence in the country indicated, and note the facilities (e.g. libraries, museums, archives, field sites) that you plan to use while conducting your research. What relationship will you have with the host-country overseas research center? Why is it important that you affiliate with an overseas research center?

Project Bibliography/Literature Review: You must submit a one-page bibliography or literature review outlining your project resources. CAORC does not have a preference for one format over another. Please clarify primary and secondary sources, and – where applicable – locations of listed material. Please note that additional pages will not be submitted to the review committee.

Curriculum Vitae: Three (3) pages maximum. Additional pages will not be submitted to the review committee. Please ensure that prior awards and language capacity are clearly noted.

Note that recommendation letters are no longer required for this fellowship.

Evaluation criteria:

The review committee will evaluate applications based on the following criteria below.

Contribution to the applicant's field of research

Contribution to the humanities

Feasibility of the research design

Applicant’s qualifications in terms of having the requisite experience and skills to complete the project

Rationale for carrying out the project in the proposed host country and affiliating with the Overseas Research Center / Contribution to the intellectual scope of the Overseas Research Center

Additional resources:

Click here to view a list of frequently asked questions from applicants. If you have other questions, please email fellowships@caorc.org.

If you are planning to apply this year and would like to see examples of successful proposal narratives from former fellows, please email fellowships@caorc.org with the request and a very brief description of your proposed project.

Link to the Application Form: https://orcfellowships.smapply.org/prog/2025_caorc-neh_research_fellowship

Application Deadline: January 15, 2025 at 5:00pm ET (applicants are advised to submit applications well before the deadline in case applicants have questions).

Notification of Award Decisions: Late March 2025

Specialties

Health Policy & Ethics

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must already hold their PhD or terminal degree, or have completed all requirements, except for the actual conferral of the degree, by the application deadline.

Applicants must be US citizens or foreign nationals who have resided in the US for at least three years immediately preceding the application deadline.

US citizens living outside of the US are eligible.

Independent scholars are eligible if they meet the above criteria. It is not a requirement that applicants be affiliated with a US academic institution.

Funding is not available for research conducted in the US.

Minority scholars and scholars from Minority-Serving Institutions are especially encouraged to apply.

Eligible Countries:

United States

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: Council of American Overseas Research Centers

Address: Council of American Overseas Research Centers PO Box 37012, MRC 178 Washington, DC 20013-7012 202.633.1599 main 202.633.3141 fax info@caorc.org

View Funding Opportunity

Grant

Final Deadline:

Jan 15, 2025

Funding Amount:

$5,000

Questions and Answers

Commonly asked questions about this funding opportunity from the host and other attendees.

I am a US citizen living abroad, and I am an independent scholar. Am I eligible to apply?

Yes, if you meet the other eligibility criteria such as holding a PhD or terminal degree and having a project that falls under the humanities or uses humanistic methods.

Some of the Overseas Research Centers (ORCs) have a regional focus, such as the West African Research Association (WARA) and the Americas Research Network (ARENET). Which country do I need to carry out research in to comply with the requirement that applicants must be affiliated with an Overseas Research Center?

For the Americas Research Network, you will need to carry out your research in Mexico and for the West African Research Association, you will need to carry out your research in Senegal.

I recently participated in an Overseas Faculty Development Seminar (through CAORC); do I need to wait three years to apply for the CAORC-NEH Research Fellowship?

No, the three-year waiting requirement only applies to applicants who have previously held a CAORC-NEH Research Fellowship or a CAORC Multi-Country Research Fellowship.

My project involves the creation of art. Is this eligible for funding?

Funding is not available for the creation or performance of art, creative writing, autobiographies, memoirs, or creative nonfiction under this fellowship.

How do I affiliate with an Overseas Research Center?

The affiliation process can differ depending on the center, so it is advisable to check the center’s website or get in touch with them directly for more information. Note that you do not need to be affiliated with a center during the application process. You will only need to obtain affiliation if you are awarded the fellowship.

Do the fellowship funds go through my institution?

No, the fellowship funds are paid directly to the individual in the form of stipend payments.

Do I need to submit a budget with my application?

No, a budget is not necessary, but CAORC encourages applicants to keep costs in mind when developing the proposed travel plan.

How can I contribute to an Overseas Research Center while on the fellowship?

This varies by center in terms of what sort of engagement is possible and by your individual interests, but examples from former fellows include hosting a workshop for local scholars, giving a lecture at the center, joining a reading group, creating open access digital resources, mentoring junior scholars, and collaborating on projects of mutual interest to name a few.

Can I include photos or graphs in my application and if so, where should I include them?

Yes, images are permissible, and they can be inserted into the proposal narrative document.

Can you advise how to approach the literature review/bibliography?

The literature review/bibliography is a place to list publications and sources that you intend to draw on during your fellowship project. It's mostly aiming at resources you will access while on the fellowship. The style and format are flexible.

If awarded, can I split up the fellowship travel and take multiple trips?

No, you need to complete the entire fellowship in one trip so the research must be continuous for the duration of the fellowship and take place in one country with a participating Overseas Research Center. Note that this differs from the CAORC Multi-Country Research Fellowship in which a fellow can take multiple trips and to different countries.

What happens if I am awarded another federally funded grant?

You will need to carry out the CAORC-NEH Research Fellowship in its entirety either before or after the other grant since the CAORC-NEH Research Fellowship is federally funded. The grants can be carried out consecutively but not simultaneously.

What happens if I am awarded another grant that is not federally funded?

In this case you can potentially carry out both grants simultaneously and use the funds to supplement your CAORC-NEH Research Fellowship (if this is also permissible in terms of the other funding organization)

I applied to the CAORC-NEH Research Fellowship last year and my application was unsuccessful. Will I be at a disadvantage if I reapply?

No, CAORC encourages previous applicants to continue revising and developing their proposal and to reapply.

How are applications reviewed?

The CAORC-NEH Research Fellowship has a multi-stage peer review process, which involves numerous academics around the country and abroad and of different disciplinary backgrounds within the humanities. The reviewers assess the application based on the following criteria: • Contribution to the applicant's field of research • Contribution to the humanities • Feasibility of the research design • Applicant’s qualifications in terms of having the requisite experience and skills to complete the project • Rationale for carrying out the project in the proposed host country and affiliating with the ORC / Contribution to the intellectual scope of the ORC