Community News

2023-2024 Fellowship Opportunities

in Native American and Indigenous Studies, Library & Museum of the American Philosophical Society

The Library & Museum of the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia invites applications for sabbatical, postdoctoral, predoctoral, and short-term research fellowships to support research projects utilizing its collections.

The APS’s Library & Museum houses one of North America’s oldest and largest collections of archival, audio-visual, digital, and printed materials relating to the languages, cultures, and histories of Indigenous people of the continent and neighboring regions. The collections date from 1553 to 2022 and include materials relating to early colonial periods, extensive documentation of hundreds of Indigenous languages, anthropological and ethnographic fieldwork, and materials produced by past and present Indigenous individuals documenting a broad range of lived experience.

The APS’s Library & Museum is home to three research centers: the Center for Native American and Indigenous Research (CNAIR), which has worked with over 80 Native American and Indigenous communities since 2014; the Center for Digital Scholarship, which interprets and expands access to APS collections through digital projects and open source data; and the David Center for the American Revolution, a partnership with the David Library of the American Revolution that formed a new research center for the American Revolution at the APS.

The Indigenous Subject Guide provides extensive information to begin exploring the archival collections at the APS relating to Indigenous peoples and languages at https://indigenousguide.amphilsoc.org

Additional searchable guides and finding aids to our collections are available online at
https://www.amphilsoc.org/library/search-collections and http://amphilsoc.pastperfectonline.com/.

See individual fellowship descriptions below for more information and instructions on how to apply. For a complete listing of all APS grant and fellowship opportunities, visit www.amphilsoc.org/grants/fellowships.

Short-Term Fellowships

  • Mellon Foundation Native American Scholars Initiative (NASI) Summer Undergraduate Internship
    Deadline: March 17, 2023
    This 8-week paid summer internship provides opportunities for undergraduates to conduct research, to explore career possibilities in archives and special collections, and to learn about advanced training in Native American and Indigenous Studies and related fields. To apply, please submit materials to https://apply.interfolio.com/118771
  • Mellon Foundation Native American Scholars Initiative (NASI) Digital Knowledge Sharing Fellowship
    Deadline: March 17, 2023
    These short-term fellowships support university- and community-based scholars working on digital projects that connect archives and Indigenous communities. To apply, please submit materials to https://apply.interfolio.com/118767
  • Indigenous Community Research Fellowships
    Deadline: March 17, 2023
    These fellowships support research by Indigenous community members, elders, teachers, knowledge keepers, tribal officials, traditional leaders, museum and archive professionals, scholars, and others, regardless of academic background, seeking to examine materials at the APS’s Library & Museum in support of Indigenous community-based priorities. To apply, please submit materials to https://apply.interfolio.com/118784
  • Short-Term Resident Research Fellowships
    Deadline: March 3, 2023
    One- to three-month fellowships are available for Ph.D. candidates, holders of the Ph.D., and degreed independent scholars, within any field of study that requires using the collections of the APS’s Library & Museum. To apply, please submit materials to https://apply.interfolio.com/116937
  • Digital Humanities Fellowships
    Deadline: March 3, 2023
    The American Philosophical Society offers fellowships to scholars working to interpret archival materials through emerging technologies for up to 2 months to advance a digital research project. To apply, please submit materials to https://apply.interfolio.com/116950

Long-Term Fellowships

  • Mellon Foundation Native American Scholars Initiative (NASI) Postdoctoral Career Pathways Fellowship
    Deadline: March 3, 2023
    This 24-month fellowship offers $45-60k for postdoctoral scholars with expertise related to Native American and Indigenous Studies looking to pursue professional opportunities at libraries, museums, and cultural organizations. Applications are open to scholars in any field and all periods of time. Preference will be given to those who have sustained personal engagement or experience with Indigenous communities. To apply, please submit materials to https://apply.interfolio.com/119143

Contact regarding the residential fellowship program at the Library & Museum of the American Philosophical Society may be directed to Adrianna Link, Head of Scholarly Programs, at alink@amphilsoc.org or by phone at 215-440-3415. Questions about the Native American Scholars Initiative may be directed to Ruth Rouvier, NASI Engagement Coordinator, at rrouvier@amphilsoc.org or by phone at 215-440-3445. Questions about relevant collections may be directed to CNAIR@amphilsoc.org.

The American Philosophical Society is committed to maintaining the highest standards of scholarly excellence while supporting a working and intellectual environment that fosters an inclusive atmosphere for learning, prizes diverse origins and points of view, advances equal opportunities to learn and communicate, and encourages the widest possible access to its collections. The APS has titled these goals the APS IDEA (Inclusivity, Diversity, Equality, and Access) for its enduring institutional commitment to these values.


Some brief points to highlight in light of frequently asked questions:  

  • People residing in any country can apply to these fellowships. They are not U.S.-specific.
  • There’s also a paid Undergraduate Internship among these.
  • The Indigenous Community Research Fellowship and NASI Digital Knowledge Sharing Fellowship do require any academic degrees to apply.
  • The Indigenous Community Research Fellowship is particularly suited for supporting visits by multiple people working together.
  • These fellowships support research at the APS Library & Museum, but the NASI Digital Knowledge Sharing Fellowship also supports project involving research to be done at other archives.