Application for 2018 East Asia Fellowship Program is Now Open

The Association of Research Institutes in Art History (ARIAH) is a consortium of 27 museums and research centers based in North America. ARIAH’s goal is to promote scholarship in art history and to foster intellectual exchange among art historians from different parts of the world. In pursuit of that goal, ARIAH has established a fellowship program that will enable scholars from countries in East Asia to conduct research at an ARIAH member institute on any topic in the visual arts. Funding for the ARIAH East Asia Fellowship Program comes from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The Getty Foundation, and the Terra Foundation for American Art.

Structure

The ARIAH East Asia Fellowship Program offers four fellowships per year over a three-year period beginning in 2016. Each fellowship brings a scholar to one ARIAH institute (the “host institute”) for a two-month residence. During a subsequent one to two months, scholars can visit and conduct research at other ARIAH institutions and nonmember institutions. The host institute assists in planning the scholar’s research travel, which is supported by the fellowship up to a determined limit.

One fellowship per year (supported specifically by the Terra Foundation for American Art) is offered for research on topics related to the art of the United States before 1980. Topics for all other fellowships is open, as long as they can be supported by research on the collections of the host institute.

Award

Fellowships cover the cost of international travel, lodging, other living expenses, health insurance, and research travel within North America (or between North America and Europe). Specific details of the award, including the overall sum, vary according to the policies of the host institutions.

Eligibility

The fellowship is open to scholars from East Asia, as defined by the United Nations to include Japan, Mongolia, People’s Republic of China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Republic of China (Taiwan), and South Korea, working in any area related to ARIAH member institutes’ collections and libraries. Applicants should hold an advanced degree and/or demonstrate a record of scholarly achievement. Candidates may be affiliated with research institutes, universities, or museums, or be working independently. Competence in English language, especially spoken, is an essential requirement, as fellows must be prepared to travel alone without translators or escorts. Preference will be given to early and mid-career professionals and to those who have not previously had significant opportunity to study in North America or Europe. Specialists in all fields related to the visual arts are encouraged to apply and will be asked to identify their preferred host institute.

Application and selection process

Fellowships are awarded through a competitive application process. Candidates must apply online at https://ariah.slideroom.com/#/permalink/program/37481. As part of the application, candidates are to indicate their preference for a host institutions from among ARIAH’s 27 members and identify how the collections of that institution will support their research. Applications are evaluated by representatives of ARIAH member institutions and by academic specialists. A small number of finalists are invited to participate in telephone interviews. Host institutes have the opportunity to approve each appointment.

Deadline for applications is January 31, 2018. ARIAH will notify awardees by April 1, 2018. Fellowships may begin no earlier than September 1, 2018, and must be completed by August 31, 2019.

For more information, contact ea-fellowship@ariah.info.