Getty: Postdoctoral Fellowship Grant

Getty: Postdoctoral Fellowship Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: J Paul Getty Trust
Amount: US $35,000
Last Updated: August 15, 2025

Summary

The Getty Postdoctoral Fellowship supports emerging scholars in art history, offering them the opportunity to engage in research projects linked to annual themes or the African American Art History Initiative. Fellows can reside at either the Getty Center or Getty Villa for nine months, receiving a stipend of $35,000. This prestigious program encourages diverse international applicants and fosters intellectual exchange through access to the Getty Research Institute's collections and participation in scholarly activities.

Overview

Postdoctoral Fellowship Supporting early-career scholars from around the world to make substantial and original contributions to the field of art history Goal Getty Pre- and Postdoctoral Fellowships are intended for emerging researchers to complete work on projects related to the Scholars Program’s annual theme or African American Art History Initiative (AAAHI). While in residence, fellows may pursue research projects, complete dissertations, or expand dissertations for publication. Recipients also make use of Getty Research Institute (GRI) collections, join in weekly lectures, and participate in intellectual life at Getty. Predoctoral fellows may be in residence at the Getty Center, while Postdoctoral fellows may be in residence at the Getty Center or Getty Villa. Background Getty Pre- and Postdoctoral Fellowships are part of the Getty Scholars Program so that a mix of senior scholars and junior fellows compose the cohort. The cohort's research projects are focused on an annual theme. Since 1985, the program has hosted nearly 1,500 scholars from over fifty countries to conduct research on art history and visual studies while residing in Los Angeles. Selected projects have spanned geographical regions and time periods, from ancient to contemporary eras. The three main categories of grants are: Scholar Grants for established researchers and professionals who have held PhDs for at least 5 years and/or possess strong records of publication and professional activity, at the Getty Center or Getty Villa. Postdoctoral Fellowships for recently granted PhDs at the Getty Center or Getty Villa Predoctoral Fellowships for PhD candidates at the Getty Center Annual Themes Extinction (Getter Center)Anatolia: The Classical World in Context (Getty Villa)African American Art History Initiative (AAAHI) FellowshipIn addition to the annual theme, grants are available under the AAAHI Fellowship. This residential program provides financial support and housing to scholars who are expanding critical inquiry of African American art and its frameworks. As part of the larger scholar year cohort, AAAHI Fellows have opportunities to present their research and receive feedback from an interdisciplinary group of peers. While proposals do not have to address the concurrent annual theme, they may highlight any salient intersections with it.AAAHI will support two fellows to generate new knowledge in the expanding field of African American art history. Projects that propose engagement with Getty’s growing collections of archival and primary source material related to African American art history—particularly post-World War II—are welcome. However, relevance to Getty holdings is not a project requirement. We invite applications from scholars who focus on African American art and visual culture in all time periods and media and in a broad range of theoretical and methodological traditions. Applicants should indicate how their project would align with AAAHI's aim to make African American art history more visible to the public and accessible to the scholarly community worldwide. Terms Postdoctoral Fellows are in residence for nine months from late September to late June. Postdoctoral fellows may be in residence at the Getty Center or Getty Villa. Amount Getty Postdoctoral Fellowship recipients receive a stipend of $35,000.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Applications for Postdoctoral Fellowships are welcome from researchers of all nationalities who work in the arts, humanities, or social sciences. For the Getty Scholars Program, eligible applicants must hold degrees that were conferred no more than five years before the start of the fellowship appointment.Degree conferral should be calculated based on the applicant’s status at the start of the fellowship period, or September 1, rather than the application date.For the Getty Scholars Program at the Villa, eligible applicants must have successfully completed all requirements for the degree, including the dissertation defense, by July 1, before the start of the fellowship appointment.Applicants who received their doctoral degree before the specified date should apply for a Scholar Grant at the Getty Center or Getty Villa.After a waiting period of six years, previous Getty Residential Grant recipients in any category are eligible to reapply for another grant in whichever category they are eligible for and interested in.

Ineligibility

Current Getty staff and members of their immediate family are not eligible for Postdoctoral Fellowships