The Center: Beinecke Postdoctoral Fellowship Grant

The Beinecke Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts supports research in the history and theory of visual arts across various cultures and periods. This prestigious fellowship offers a two-year residency in Washington, D.C., providing access to valuable resources and opportunities for collaboration. Applicants must hold a PhD obtained within the last five years and demonstrate proficiency in two languages, with a focus on historically marginalized fields. The fellowship includes a stipend of $55,000 per year.

The Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts is the National Gallery’s research institute.
Postdoctoral Fellowship Program
The Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts currently offers, in alternating years, two postdoctoral fellowships for two consecutive academic years each. The A. W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow and the Beinecke Postdoctoral Fellow will reside in Washington. During both years of a two year residency, the A. W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow and the Beinecke Postdoctoral Fellow carry out research and writing for publication. In the first year of the fellowship, the fellow will design and direct an intensive weeklong seminar for the Center’s predoctoral fellows in residence, focusing on a topic related to the applicant’s field of interest and with a special emphasis on methodological issues. In the second academic year, while continuing research and writing in residence, the fellow is expected to teach one course by arrangement at a neighboring university.
Beinecke Postdoctoral Fellowships support research in the history, theory, and criticism of the visual arts of any period or culture. The Center encourages applications in historically marginalized fields.
Residency
The Beinecke Postdoctoral Fellow will be in residence at the Center for two years and will participate fully in the activities of the Center throughout the fellowship period. The fellow will be provided with housing in an apartment near the National Gallery, subject to availability, and with a shared study. The fellow has access to the notable resources represented by the art collections, the library, and the image collections of the National Gallery of Art, as well as to the Library of Congress and other specialized research libraries and collections in the Washington area.
Stipend
The award for the Beinecke Postdoctoral Fellowships is $55,000 per year. The fellows also receive allowances for travel, in addition to housing, as available.

Eligibility

Applicants for the Beinecke Postdoctoral Fellowships must have received the PhD degree within the five years preceding the next application deadline. The fellowships are awarded without regard to the age or nationality of applicants. Holders of the Postdoctoral Fellowships may reapply for a senior or visiting senior fellowship five years after the completion of the fellowship. All fellowship applicants must have a demonstrated proficiency in two languages other than English. If someone is a native speaker of another language, or if the department does not require language exams, the department chair should indicate that in the nominating letter.

Ineligibility

Individuals currently affiliated with the National Gallery of Art are not eligible for the postdoctoral fellowship program.Individuals may not apply for other Center fellowships while an application is pending or once a fellowship has been awarded. Fellowships cannot be deferred or renewed.