Funding Opportunities

The Medieval Institute offers annually a Mellon postdoctoral fellowship in Medieval Studies. In addition there are short-term stipends that permit scholars to conduct research in the Institute's library of more than 100,000 volumes devoted to the Middle Ages or to consult the Institute's Ambrosiana microfilm collection. In addition, the Institute partners with SIEPM to offer a fellowship in medieval philosophy.

A. W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship in Medieval Studies

The Medieval Institute offers a Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship for a junior scholar in Medieval Studies, made possible through the generous response of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to a challenge grant awarded to Notre Dame by the National Endowment for the Humanities. The fellowship will permit an outstanding young scholar in any field of medieval studies to continue his or her research while in residence at Notre Dame's Medieval Institute during the academic year 2009-2010.

The Mellon Fellow's principal obligation will be to pursue his or her research. Though the Fellowship carries no teaching responsibilities, it is expected that the Fellow will take advantage of the opportunity to participate in the intellectual life of the Institute and the multidisiciplinary activities that it sponsors for the medievalist community at Notre Dame. The Fellow will be provided with an office in the Medieval Institute, full library and computer privileges, and access to the Institute's research tools. The Fellow will be expected to reside in South Bend.

Eligibility: Mellon scholars must hold a regular appointment at a U.S. institution and plan to return to their institution following their fellowship year. Applicants must have the Ph.D. in hand as of the application date and must not be more than five years beyond the Ph.D.
Stipend: $40,000
Application deadline: January 15, 2009
Application procedure: There is no special application form. Rather, applicants should submit a narrative of no more than five pages describing their proposed research, indicating how it builds on existing scholarship, and suggesting how it will benefit from broader interdisciplinary studies. Applicants should also submit a current curriculum vitae and arrange for three letters of reference to be sent to the Medieval Institute by the January 15 deadline. All envelopes bearing applications and letters of recommendation should be directed to the attention of the Fellowship Coordinator, though cover letters and letters of recommendation enclosed within may be addressed to the Director of the Medieval Institute. Announcement of the selection will be made in mid-February. Please send applications to the address below:

Mellon Fellowship Coordinator
Medieval Institute
715 Hesburgh Library
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN 46556
FAX (574) 631-8644

For further information, contact: Roberta Baranowski, (574) 631-8304, Roberta.Baranowski.7@nd.edu

Stipends for Short-term Postdoctoral Research

Occasionally, stipends in the amount of $1,500 per month are available for three- to six-month periods for postdoctoral scholars who wish to conduct research in the Medieval Institute Library. Such temporary, residential visitors to the Institute form a lively complement to the permanent faculty and student community and benefit greatly from the opportunities for professional interaction. The Institute has welcomed postdoctoral scholars from the Netherlands, Canada, Italy, Ukraine, Hungary, and elsewhere.

The number of stipends available (up to three in a given year) varies and applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Awards are made at the discretion of the director of the Medieval Institute. Visitors are encouraged to seek additional financial support from their home institutions or other sources to supplement the stipend awards. Applicants should send letters of inquiry describing the nature of the research they wish to conduct at Notre Dame, how the particular resources of the Medieval Institute will assist them, a curriculum vitae, and contact information for three references to the address below.

Applicants should inquire between six months and one year prior to the time they wish to be in residence, in order to allow sufficient time for the necessary preparations. Send inquiries to:

Acting Director
Medieval Institute
715 Hesburgh Library
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN 46556

Stipends for Ambrosiana Microfilms Collection Research

The Medieval Institute makes stipends in the amount of $500 each available to scholars who wish to visit Notre Dame and consult its extensive collection of microfilms and other materials that reproduce the holdings of the Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan. Through the generosity of the Ambrosiana Foundation (http://ambrosianafoundation.org/), scholars also may apply for additional funding. All grants are made at the discretion of the acting director of the Medieval Institute and awarded on the basis of the research project description and how consultation of the Ambrosiana Archive will advance the work of the applicant. Stipends may be used to help defray the cost of travel, accommodations, microfilm reproduction, photoduplication, or other expenses associated with research at the Institute. Advanced graduate students as well as postdoctoral and established scholars are eligible. Researchers should send a current curriculum vitae, along with a letter of application explaining both the nature of their research project and how use of the Ambrosiana Collection will advance their work, to:

Dr. Marina Smyth, Librarian
Medieval Institute
715 Hesburgh Library
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN 46556

SIEPM Fellowship in Medieval Philosophy

In co-operation, the Société pour L'Étude de la Philosophie Médiévale (SIEPM) and the Medieval Institute announce a yearly competition for a stipend to conduct research at the Medieval Institute for a period of no less than one month and up to four months during either the Fall term (late August to December) or the Spring term (mid-January to May). The competition is open to young scholars, age 35 or under, who are members of the SIEPM and who have completed their doctorate or are in the final stages of research for their doctoral dissertations. The Société will provide the winning candidate with up to 700 euros; the Medieval Institute will provide $1,500 per month (for living expenses, etc.) during the period of the scholar's visit to Notre Dame.

Applications must include (1) a description of the proposed research (1-2 pages): applicants should indicate the dates they intend to visit Notre Dame, and should show how their research will benefit from use of the resources of the Medieval Institute; (2) a curriculum vitae; and (3) letters of recommendation by two members of the SIEPM. The deadline for applications is February 15, 2009; the applications will be evaluated by a committee of faculty at the Medieval Institute and officers of the Société.

Applications for the 2008-09 academic year are closed; the next award will be made for a visit during the 2009-10 academic year.

All application materials should be sent simultaneously to both:

Articles by the candidate based on research conducted at the Medieval Institute will be considered favorably for publication in the Bulletin de philosophie médiévale.