Hench Post-Dissertation Fellowship Grant

Hench Post-Dissertation Fellowship Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: American Antiquarian Society
Amount: Up to US $44,000
Last Updated: August 28, 2025

Summary

The Hench Post-Dissertation Fellowship, offered by the American Antiquarian Society, provides a unique opportunity for scholars to refine their dissertations for publication. This prestigious fellowship includes a $40,000 stipend and up to $4,000 for health insurance. Applicants must be within three years of earning their doctorate and focus on topics relevant to American history and culture through 1900. The program fosters collaboration and feedback from leading scholars, enhancing the academic community in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Overview

Mission The American Antiquarian Society (AAS) cultivates a deeper understanding of the American past, grounded in its ever-growing collection of printed and manuscript sources. The Society fosters a broad community of inquiry through inclusive programs and generous support of scholarship. Hench Post-Dissertation Fellowship The Hench Post-Dissertation Fellowship includes a manuscript review of the fellow’s work in progress. On behalf of the Hench fellow, the Society convenes a group of leading scholars to read the manuscript and provide feedback on areas where additional research is needed, as well as advice on how to reshape the dissertation for publication. This colloquium takes place during the fellow’s tenure at AAS. The twelve-month stipend for this fellowship is $40,000. The Society also offers up to $4,000 in health insurance reimbursement.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Scholars who are no more than three years beyond receipt of the doctorate are eligible to apply for a special year-long residential fellowship at the American Antiquarian Society to revise their dissertation for publication. Any topic relevant to the Society's library collections and programmatic scope--that is, American history and culture through 1900--is eligible. Applicants may come from such fields as history, literature, American studies, political science, art history, music history, and others relating to America in the period of the Society's coverage. The Society welcomes applications from those who have advance book contracts, as well as those who have not yet made contact with a publisher. CriteriaThe Hench Post-Dissertation Fellow will be selected on the basis of: the applicant's scholarly qualifications, the appropriateness of the project to the Society's collections and interests, and, above all, the likelihood that the revised dissertation will make a highly significant book.Foreign nationals who have been residents in the United States for at least three years immediately preceding the application deadline for the fellowship are eligible.

Ineligibility

Degree candidates are not eligible.