HI Faculty Fellowships

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Humanities Institute Faculty Research Fellowships

Deadline: January 17, 2024 (11:59 pm EST)

The Humanities Institute (HI) offers fellowships for University at Buffalo tenured and tenure-track faculty engaged in humanistic research. HI defines the humanities broadly, accepting proposals from a wide range of disciplines, including literature, history, classics, anthropology, sociology, geography, art, music, architecture, law, and more.

These residential fellowships provide the Fellow’s department with course replacement funds at the standard CAS adjunct rate ($4,500 per course effective July 1, 2024) to support a semester of course release, which will allow the Fellow to focus primarily on a major research project and to participate actively in HI programs. HI fellowship leaves are classified as research leaves and do not affect semester accumulations towards sabbatical eligibility (“the sabbatical clock”).

The fellowships are generously supported by the Office of the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

All fellows are expected to participate in the following programs and events over the course of their fellowship:

• Faculty Fellow Presentation: Fellows are expected to share the fruits of their research through a presentation open to the UB community and the general public. This is usually a Scholars@Hallwalls talk, which traditionally take place monthly on Fridays from 4pm to 6pm, but it can also be an exhibition or performance.
• Humanities Institute Events: Fellows will attend Scholars@Hallwalls talks and monthly lunches with other Faculty Fellows. In addition, Fellows are encouraged to participate in HI Research Workshops and other interdisciplinary activities.
• Faculty Research and Follow-Up: Fellows will pursue their research topics as outlined in their proposals. The semester following the leave, Fellows must submit a one-page summary of their research that outlines project goals, how the fellowship helped the recipient towards those goals, how close the project is to completion, and how it will be made available to the public (e.g. the publication of a book, a series of articles, an exhibition, a documentary film, a performance). The UB Humanities Institute should be acknowledged in any publicly distributed works resulting from the research completed during the fellowship period. Recent publications, including edited volumes, resulting from the fellowship are celebrated annually at the HI Spring Book Celebration.

As with all faculty research leaves, the faculty member will be required to provide a research leave report to their department Chair for submission to the Office of the Dean of their college/school within the University at Buffalo.

Selection Criteria

Institute fellows will be selected based on the following criteria:

• The quality and potential of the proposed research project as outlined in a brief proposal (four to six double-spaced pages);
• The quality and completion record of previous research projects and scholarly publications;
• The proposal’s ability to communicate the importance of the project beyond the applicant’s home discipline;
• The demonstrated ability and desire of the applicant to participate in Institute programs.

Selection Procedure

Applications will be evaluated by an ad hoc committee comprised of faculty members selected to represent a wide cross-section of the humanities.

Application Restrictions

• No current member of the Humanities Institute’s Executive Committee can apply for a fellowship;
• Fellows must be in residence in the Buffalo area during the term of their fellowship;
• Past recipients of a Humanities Institute Fellowship may reapply seven years after the previous fellowship year (for 2024-25 applicants, previous fellowship year of 2016-17 and earlier are eligible);
• Fellows may not accept any other internal or external research support designed for salary replacement during the tenure of their award;
• University policies for research leaves are applicable*, including:
  • Requests for leaves will not be considered from faculty members who have not submitted outstanding leave reports from previous sabbaticals, research leaves or Title F leaves;
  • Research leaves may not involve more than two successive semesters without teaching duties.
    *Please contact your Department Administrator if you have questions regarding research leaves.

Application Checklist

• Notify your department’s Assistant to the Chair of your intent to apply for an HI Faculty Fellowship for academic year 2023-24 and check your eligibility for a research leave;
• Submit the following application materials via the web form:
  • Research proposal abstract (200 word maximum);
  • Four- to six-page, double-spaced research proposal;
  • Current CV of no more than three pages, which should indicate in detail previous and upcoming research support (grants, fellowships, leaves);
  • Signed form (click here to download PDF) from the applicant’s department chair that indicates the chair’s agreement to free the applicant from two courses in return for course replacement funds at the $4,500 per course adjunct rate.

Applications must be submitted via the web form by Wednesday, January 17, 2024.
Questions or concerns should be emailed to Maki Tanigaki (huminst@buffalo.edu)