Humanities Institute Graduate Student Fellowships

Applications for the 2026-27 fellowship year are CLOSED. Applications usually open in early September and are due in early January each year.

The Institute for the Humanities, founded in 1987, promotes interdisciplinary research and discourse in the humanities and the arts. Fellows spend an academic year in residence in the Institute pursuing their research and participating in a cross-disciplinary, weekly seminar. We seek applicants working in humanities research areas who demonstrate capacity to contribute to and gain from interdisciplinary exchange through the fellows seminar.

The Institute has a faculty director and small staff who manage its programming and facilitates research by the resident fellows. To the core community formed by the faculty and graduate student fellows, we add several distinguished visiting fellows who typically join us for anywhere from one week to a full year.

GRADUATE STUDENT FELLOWSHIP DESCRIPTION

Each year, the Institute for the Humanities (IH) selects eight graduate students from more than 50 applications for a ten-month fellowship (late August through June 30). The IH Fellowship is a residency fellowship requiring recipients to attend and actively participate in the weekly fellows seminar, attend Hear, Here! talks presented by faculty fellows, and generally participate in the life of the Institute by attending various programs and events. 

Fellowships include a monthly stipend equivalent to or slightly more than the established annual rate for a 50% GSI appointment. The stipend is paid over 10 months (September through June) but is intended to provide 12 months of support (Sept - Aug) per Rackham Graduate School guidelines for 12-month funding. IH provides candidacy tuition and required fees for fall and winter terms, as well as GradCare health and dental insurance benefits for a minimum of the 10-month fellowship and as needed through August of the fellowship year. Graduate Student Fellows are also provided with a shared office and access to a desktop computer within the Institute’s home in the Thayer Academic Building.

If a fellow defends in the spring/summer term following their fellowship year (2028 for 2027-28), the Institute will provide candidacy tuition for the defense and all required fees. If tuition is elected in order to defend in the spring/summer term and the fellow fails to successfully defend, the Institute reserves the right to rescind the tuition waiver with the financial responsibility falling to the Graduate Student Fellow themself.

Selection of the Graduate Student Fellows is determined by a select committee of U-M faculty (usually past Faculty Fellows), chaired by the Institute’s director.

Expectations

1. Graduate Student Fellows are required to be in residence at the Institute for the academic year (late August through late May).
2. Graduate Student Fellows are required to attend the weekly two-hour fellows seminar on Thursdays from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm (noon).
3. Graduate Student Fellows are expected to work full-time toward completion of degree requirements throughout the award period.
4. Graduate Student Fellows are required to attend Hear, Here! talks per the yearly schedule.

Eligibility

1. Applicants must be University of Michigan students and have attained candidacy at the time of application or provide a letter from their department vouching for the fact that they will have successfully completed all of the requirements for candidacy prior to the start of the fellowship.
2. Former or current holders of Rackham Predoctoral Fellowships are not eligible for Institute for the Humanities Graduate Student Fellowships. Current applicants may apply for both awards. A student who is awarded both fellowships must choose one or the other by the respective deadline.
3. Students may receive only one IH Graduate Student Fellowship during the course of their graduate student career.

Policies        

1. Fellowship recipients may not accept another stipend/award or hold any other fellowships during the Institute’s ten-month fellowship period (late August through June 30).
2. Graduate Student Fellows are precluded from holding a GSI or GSRA appointment at any point during the fellowship year (fall, winter, spring, summer terms).
3. Students may accept a part-time (avg 10 hours or less per week) research assistant temporary appointment to work with a faculty member on a dissertation related project.
4. IH aligns its graduate student Parental Accommodation Policy with Rackham’s recommendations. Our policy can be found here.
   

Selection Criteria

1. Promise of dissertation project and strength of academic record.
2. Evidence of progress on the dissertation project, typically one or two chapters of the dissertation drafted and accepted or near acceptance at the time of application.
3. Interest in interdisciplinary work, as shown by the dissertation project and the applicant’s breadth of academic experience.
4. Humanities content of the project.
5. One letter of support from the dissertation chair or co-chair.
6. Please note: The selection committee seeks to achieve variety and balance of disciplines in selecting each cohort of fellows.
    

APPLICATION PROCESS AND DEADLINE

All fellowship applications must be submitted through Interfolio. The application deadline is Monday, January 11, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time. Please note, late applications will not be accepted.

Overview of Application Process

• The application is composed of 2 parts: 
  • Part 1: Complete application submitted through Interfolio.
  • Part 2: A recommendation letter must be submitted through Interfolio directly by the student's dissertation chair or co-chair.
• The deadline for receipt of applications and the recommendation letter is Monday, January 11, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time. 

Required Elements of the Application:

1. Fellowship Application Cover Sheet (within Interfolio submission process)
2. Current curriculum vitae (previous education; all colleges and universities attended, including U-M, with major field, years, degrees awarded and date of degree expected; major scholarships and fellowships you have previously held, including award title, institution, and years; major academic recognition, honors, and memberships, including honor societies and professional papers and presentations)
3. Dissertation description statement (1500 word limit, excluding footnotes & bibliographies, with some attention to your methodology and to the significance of the project)
4. Personal statement describing your graduate education or career trajectory and why you think you would profit intellectually from your association with the Institute for the Humanities (250 word limit)
5. Writing sample (6000 word limit, excluding footnotes & bibliographies. The writing sample is normally a chapter of the dissertation that is substantially polished. If providing musical or visual work samples, place them on a website and then provide a URL link as a file)
6. Graduate transcripts (unofficial; upload pdf)
7. Other attachments (use only to add proof of candidacy letter from department when it is not listed on transcript)

Requirements/Instructions for Part 2: Recommendation Letter portion of application:

1. One recommendation letter from your dissertation chair/co-chair is required.
2. The recommendation letter must be uploaded by the individual recommender through Interfolio by Monday, January 11, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time.

PLEASE NOTE THAT APPLICATION MATERIALS WILL NOT BE RETURNED.