About the Fellowship

The New York Council for the Humanities is seeking applicants for a University at Buffalo Public Humanities Fellowship for the 2008-2009 academic year (September 2008-June 2009). This fellowship is designed to expose graduate students in the humanities to work in the public realm and to encourage excellence in the public humanities in New York State.

The Public Humanities Fellow will play a key role in the Council's Reading Between the Lines book discussion program, which engages members of the general public in facilitated conversations about books chosen to illuminate significant themes in American history, culture, and life. During the course of the fellowship, the Fellow will develop and facilitate a new four-session Reading Between the Lines series, which will then become part of the roster of series available to non-profit organizations around the state. The Fellow will also take part in a training session and several discussions focused on issues related to public humanities with his or her counterpart from the CUNY Graduate Center.

For more information on the Council's Reading Between the Lines program visit www.nyhumanities.org/discussion_groups/adult_audiences/rbtl.php

Fellowship Requirements

2008-2009 Fellowship applicants are asked to propose a four-session series broadly related to the rich and varied history of New York's waterways. Proposals can encompass a wide range of disciplines, from environmental history to Native American studies and draw inspiration from a range of literary and artistic sources, such as the Hudson River painters or Knickerbocker writers. Proposals which relate to topics raised by the 2009 Hudson Fulton Champlain Quadricentennial Commission, which commemorates the voyages of Henry Hudson and Samuel de Champlain in 1609, and the 200th anniversary of Robert Fulton's first steamship voyage along the Hudson River, are especially welcome. These journeys represent significant moments in American expansion, European colonialism, and the global distribution of goods and ideas. The books selected for the series should be accessible in both tenor and length to non-academic readers, and must be in print and reasonably priced. Generally, Reading Between the Lines series are devoted to non-fiction, although they may include fiction if it is discussed within an historical or cultural context.

The Fellow is required to facilitate the proposed series twice, once during the fall of 2008 and once during winter/spring 2009, at public venues in the Buffalo area selected by the Council. In addition, the Fellow is required to participate in a facilitation training session during fall 2008, and in two other meetings with his or her counterpart from the CUNY Graduate Center during the course of the fellowship. These discussions will be opportunities to reflect on the field of public humanities and may involve other guests invited by the Council. The Fellow is also required to present an on-campus talk about his or her experience working in the public realm, which will be arranged by the Humanities Institute of the University of Buffalo. In addition, the Fellow will be asked to evaluate both iterations of his or her Reading Between the Lines series, and provide the Council with a written version of the on-campus talk.

There may be additional optional opportunities for the Fellow to participate in meetings and conferences related to the public humanities during the course of the fellowship.

Who Should Apply

Any University at Buffalo doctoral candidate in the humanities who has completed at least one year of graduate-level course work is eligible to apply. Experience teaching and/or working with the public is helpful but not required. This fellowship is particularly appropriate for graduate students who are interested in gaining experience working outside of academia.

Fellowship Stipend

The fellowship carries a $5000 stipend, which will be paid in two installments ($2500 in September 2008 and $2500 in January 2009). Additional funds are available to cover travel to the required training session and meetings.

How to Apply

Eligible applicants should use the form available here. Please also include a current resume and one letter of recommendation with your application.

Applications should be mailed to:

Anna Links

Program Officer

New York Council for the Humanities

150 Broadway, Suite 1700

New York, NY 10038

or emailed to:

Applications must be recieved by April 18, 2008.

For questions or additional information contact Anna Links at alinks@nyhumanities.org or 212-233-1131 x28.

This fellowship is being offered in conjunction with the Humanities Institute of the University at Buffalo.

The Public Humanities Fellowship is supported by the "We The People" initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities.