"CMU Libraries Special Collections Short-Term Research Fellowships"

Job Details

Description

The Posner and Hunt Institute Research Fellowships support original research and creative work in Carnegie Mellon University’s rare and distinctive collections. Open to graduate students, scholars, artists, digital humanists, designers, and makers, the fellowships are hosted jointly by the Posner Center for Special Collections and the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation.

All fellows receive a stipend and access to materials held by both collections—including rare books, archival materials, early technologies, and botanical art. Projects may be historical or contemporary in focus, research-based or practice-based, traditional or experimental. We especially welcome work that brings new perspectives to the collections or that places rare materials in dialogue with broader cultural, bibliographical, scientific, and ecological questions.

The application opens on 1 December 2025 and closes on 11 January 2026.

Applicants will be notified of decisions by 13 March 2026.

For more information, visit: https://library.cmu.edu/distinctive-collections/fellowships

Applicants with questions about the fellowship are encouraged to contact the program team at libraryfellowships@cmu.edu.

Posner Fellowships for Research & Creative Practice

Two fellowships offered in 2025–2026
Funded by Carnegie Mellon University Libraries and hosted by the Posner Center for Special Collections.

These fellowships support original, collection-based projects in any discipline, including research, creative practice, or hybrid forms of inquiry. Fellows are invited to draw on materials held in the newly renovated Posner Center for Special Collections. We welcome scholars, artists, writers, and practitioners whose work engages meaningfully with rare and distinctive materials.

Applicants should describe a well-defined project that makes substantive use of one or more areas of the collection. Posner Fellows are also welcome to consult materials in the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation.

Fellows receive:

• $3,500 stipend
• 2–4 week on-site residency (Fellows may take up residence anytime between June 2026 and January 2027; award cannot be deferred)
• On-campus housing is available from the last week of May through the first Saturday in August. Fellows are responsible for making their own travel arrangements and securing accommodations (see below for housing details).
• Opportunity to share work through a public talk, workshop, exhibition, or publication

Hunt Institute Fellowships for Research & Creative Practice

Two fellowships offered in 2025–2026
Funded and hosted by the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation

These fellowships support original research or creative projects in the collections of the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation. One fellowship will be awarded for research, and one for creative practice. Projects may explore themes such as the history of botany and plant science, botanical illustration, bibliography, horticulture, or the environmental humanities. Hunt Institute Fellows are also welcome to consult materials in the Posner Center.

Fellows receive:

• $3,500 stipend
• 2–4 week on-site residency (Fellows may take up residence anytime between June 2026 and January 2027; award cannot be deferred)
• On-campus housing is available from the last week of May through the first Saturday in August. Fellows are responsible for making their own travel arrangements and securing accommodations (see below for housing details)
• Opportunity to present or publish work through a talk, exhibition, or other format

Qualifications Themes & Areas of Inquiry

Applicants may define their own topics or draw on collection strengths, including:

• History of science and technology
• Cryptography, computation, and artificial intelligence
• Taxonomy and classification
• Ecology and environmental studies
• Botanical art and illustration
• Book history and bibliography
• Early technologies and media archaeology
• Scientific visualization and visual knowledge
• Women in science, art, and literature
• Incunabula and early modern herbals
• Horticultural documentation and plant history

This list is illustrative, not exhaustive.

Expected Outcomes

Fellows are expected to acknowledge their fellowship in any resulting publications or media. Fellows are also expected to share work in a public-facing format, such as:

• A small exhibition, digital project, video, or creative work
• An informal lunchtime or evening talk or workshop, class visit, or reflective essay

Application Instructions

The application opens on 1 December 2025 and closes on 11 January 2026.

Applicants will be notified of decisions by 13 March 2026.

To apply, submit the following via Interfolio:

• A statement of interest (~1,000 words) specifying which program you are applying to (research fellowship or residency for creative practice), outlining your proposed project, its goals, and its relationship to the collections
• A CV or résumé (2 pages max)
• Work samples
  • (for fellowships in creative practice, online portfolios are acceptable)
  • In lieu of an online portfolio or website, applicants can submit up to 10 images, videos or pdfs, with an accompanying list of image/file captions containing titles, media, dimensions, dates and relevant information in a separate document.
• a writing sample (for research fellowship applicants)
• Optional: a letter of support or recommendation