ISM Fellows

Each year, the Institute brings a group of long-term and short-term fellows from around the world to join its community of scholars and artists. In our flagship program, long-term fellows are in residence at the Institute for one year to pursue interdisciplinary projects and teach at Yale. Short-term fellows are in residence at Yale for a period of one to three months to pursue research in relevant Yale collections.

APPLY NOW. The deadline for applications is October 15th, 2023 | download the flyer

Fellowship Videos

Long-term fellowships

A diverse cohort of long-term fellows are in residence at the Yale ISM each year to pursue scholarly and creative projects that connect with the mission of the Institute and are informed by various interdisciplinary perspectives. ISM Fellows are exceptional scholars, artists, and practitioners at all career stages whose projects range from studies of Buddhist chant to African American sacred music, and analyses of Medieval ritual to Jewish art. With access to Yale’s unparalleled resources, ISM long-term fellows join a vibrant interdisciplinary community for the academic year where they convene regularly with their cohort to share their work in progress. Fellows also have the option to teach interdisciplinary courses based on their area of research at Yale. Read more about our ISM fellows and their projects.

Short-term collections-based fellowships

Short-term fellows are in residence at Yale for a period of one to three months throughout the course of the academic year and summer months to research the aural, material, visual, ritual, and textual features of religious thought and practice. These fellowships are restricted to projects that intend to work in Yale’s non-circulating collections, and a list of the collections where short-term fellows work can be found here. Read more about our short-term fellows.

Apply for an ISM fellowship

The application deadline for long-term and short-term fellowships is October 15th, 2023. The online application will open on August 1st, 2023.

Long-term fellowships: Long-term fellowship applicants fall under one of two categories: fellows or Postdoctoral Associates. Fellows are employed as regular full-time faculty or have more than six years of related experience following the terminal degree. Postdoctoral associates have fewer than six years of related experience following the terminal degree and are not yet employed as full-time regular faculty. Each category of applicant uses the same basic application. After reading the application instructions, you can apply here.

The Institute also welcomes applications from a cluster of qualified individuals who wish to work on a common project as Long-term Fellows. Each person must complete a separate application and note that the application is part of a cluster. The same guidelines apply in every other way.

Short-term fellowships: Applications are accepted from doctoral students who are at the stage of dissertation research and for scholars who hold the Ph.D. or equivalent terminal degree. Awards are granted for a consecutive one- to three-month period during the academic year or when the relevant collections are open for research. After reading the application instructions, you can apply here.

The Interdisciplinary research projects that long- and short-term fellows pursue touch a broad array of disciplines, including

Anthropology ~ African American Studies ~ Area Studies ~ Art ~ Architecture ~ Composition ~ Creative Writing ~ Ethnomusicology ~ Film Studies ~ History of Art or Architecture ~ Latinx Studies ~ Literature ~ Liturgical Studies ~ Musicology ~ Native American and Indigenous Studies ~ Religious Studies ~ Ritual Studies ~ Sociology ~ Theatre Studies ~ Theology

If you have questions about the fellowship or application process, email the Fellows Coordinator.