We are now accepting applications for the 2020-2021 Digital Humanities Fellowship Cohort.

The application deadline for fellowships to be held during the 2020-2021 academic year is Monday, November 25th, 2019 at 11:59 PM. We will do our best to render decisions by late December.

The Digital Humanities Fellowship supports advanced doctoral students doing innovative work in the digital humanities at the University of Virginia. The Scholars’ Lab offers Grad Fellows advice and assistance with the creation and analysis of digital content, as well as consultation on intellectual property issues and best practices in digital scholarship and DH software development. The highly competitive Graduate Fellowship in Digital Humanities is designed to advance the humanities and provide emerging digital scholars with an opportunity for growth.

Fellows join our vibrant community, have a voice in intellectual programming for the Scholars’ Lab, make use of our dedicated grad office, and participate in one formal colloquium at the Library per fellowship year. As such, students are expected to be in residence on Grounds for the duration of the fellowship.

The award provides living support in the amount of $20,000 for the academic year, as well as full remission of tuition and University fees and the student health insurance premium for single-person coverage. Living support includes wages for a half-time graduate teaching assistantship in each semester. A graduate instructorship, particularly one with a digital humanities inflection, may be substituted for the GTA appointment based on availability within the fellow’s department. Applicants interested in such an option should indicate as such in their application and discuss the possibility in advance with Brandon Walsh. The call for applicants is issued annually in August.

History

Since its beginnings in 2007, the Graduate Fellowship in Digital Humanities has supported a number of students. Past fellowship winners can be found on our People page. In the past, the program itself has been supported by a challenge grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The fellowship is currently sustained by the Jeffrey C. Walker Library Fund for Technology in the Humanities, and the Matthew & Nancy Walker Library Fund.

Eligibility, Conditions, and Requirements

• Applicants must be ABD, having completed all course requirements and been admitted to candidacy for the doctorate in the humanities, social sciences or the arts at the University of Virginia.
• The fellowship is provided to students who have exhausted the financial support offered to them upon admission. As such, students will typically apply during their fifth year of study or beyond for a sixth year of support.¹
• Applicants are expected to have digital humanities experience, though this background could take a variety of forms. Experience can include formal fellowships like the Praxis Program, but it could also include work on a collaborative digital project, comfort with programing and code management, public scholarship, or critical engagement with digital tools.
• Applicants must be enrolled full time in the year for which they are applying.
• A faculty advisor must review and approve the scholarly content of the proposal.

How to Apply

A complete application package will include the following materials, all of which should be emailed directly to Brandon Walsh:

• a cover letter (roughly 2 pages single-spaced), addressed to the selection committee, containing:
  • a summary of the applicant’s plan for use of digital technologies in his or her dissertation research;
  • a summary of the applicant’s experience with digital projects;
  • a description of Scholars’ Lab and UVa library digital resources (content or expertise) that are relevant to the proposed project;
  • and a description of how the fellowship would be transformative for your work and your career.
• a Graduate Fellowship Application Form;
• a dissertation abstract;
• 2-3 letters of nomination and support, at least one being from the applicant’s dissertation director who can attest to the project’s scholarly rigor and integration within the dissertation (these letters can be sent in by email to Brandon Walsh);
• and your availability for a 30-minute interview slot sometime on Monday, December 9th from 9:00AM-10:00AM, 11:00AM-12:00PM, or 1:30PM-4:00PM. This can be communicated by email or in the cover letter. These time slots will be used for finalist interviews. We’re aiming for a quicker process this year by announcing those interview times in advance, though we can work out alternatives if scheduling difficulties arise. If you are unavailable then, please suggest other times on or around the 9th or 10th of December.

Questions about Grad Fellowships and the application process should be directed to Brandon Walsh. Applicants concerned about their eligibility, for whatever reason, are strongly encouraged to write as well.