Institute of Sacred Music (ISM) Fellowship: Long-term Fellows Grant

Institute of Sacred Music (ISM) Fellowship: Long-term Fellows Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Yale University
Last Updated: December 09, 2025

Summary

The Institute of Sacred Music (ISM) Fellowship at Yale University offers long-term fellowships for scholars and artists whose work aligns with the Institute's mission. Each year, a diverse group of fellows engages in interdisciplinary projects, exploring areas from Buddhist chant to African American sacred music. This fellowship provides access to Yale's rich resources, allowing fellows to teach courses and participate actively in a vibrant academic community, fostering the integration of arts and theology.

Overview

Yale Institute of Sacred Music The Yale Institute of Sacred Music was founded in 1973 by a grant from the Irwin-Sweeney-Miller Foundation of Columbus, Indiana. As the successor to the School of Sacred Music at Union Theological Seminary in New York City  resituated in one of the world’s great research universities, the ISM has grown from a faculty of three and student body of ten to a vibrant community of well over 100 students, faculty, fellows, and staff. In partnership with the Yale School of Music, Yale Divinity School, and other academic units at Yale, the Institute and its renowned faculty offer students unparalleled opportunities for in-depth study and interdisciplinary engagement. Students pursuing music degrees receive rigorous conservatory training in choral conducting, organ, or voice. Students in divinity programs study worship, music, literature, and the visual arts in the context of a broad-based, robust theological education. All students create connections between their chosen fields and explore the role of the arts in human flourishing. As skilled artists and thinkers, our graduates become leaders in the Church, the academy, and major arts related institutions. ISM fellowships are granted to scholars and artists whose work relates to the mission of the Institute. Relocating to New Haven for one or two academic terms, they are integrated into Institute and university life through teaching and sharing their work. Long-Term Fellows A diverse cohort of long-term fellows are in residence at the Yale ISM each year to pursue scholarly and creative projects that connect with the mission of the Institute and are informed by various interdisciplinary perspectives. ISM Fellows are exceptional scholars, artists, and practitioners at all career stages whose projects range from studies of Buddhist chant to African American sacred music, and analyses of Medieval ritual to Jewish art. With access to Yale’s unparalleled resources, ISM long term fellows join a vibrant interdisciplinary community for the academic year where they convene regularly with their cohort to share their work in progress. Fellows also have the option to teach interdisciplinary courses based on their area of research at Yale. Research Areas The Interdisciplinary research projects that long- and short-term fellows pursue touch a broad array of disciplines, including: AnthropologyAfrican American Studies Area Studies Art Architecture Composition Creative Writing Ethnomusicology Film Studies History of Art or Architecture Latinx Studies Literature Liturgical StudiesMusicology Native American and Indigenous Studies Religious Studies Ritual Studies Sociology Theatre StudiesTheology

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Fellows are employed as regular full-time faculty or have more than six years of related experience following the terminal degree.