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Postdoctoral Fellowship Information

This page lists a range of postdoctoral opportunities that may be of interest to graduate students in linguistics. The list focuses on regularly recurring institutional opportunities, rather than postdoctoral fellowships sponsored by individual researchers. The latter are often one-time opportunities advertised on Linguist List or other more specialized mailing lists.

Check the fellowship descriptions for specific eligibility requirements. Unfortunately, some fellowships are only open to US citizens and permanent residents. Many fellowship programs have application closing dates in the fall and almost all of them have deadlines by mid-January.

Please let the Department know of any additions, corrections, and updates, so we can continue to improve this list.

Organization of this page

Portable postdoctoral fellowship opportunities in the US

The American Association of University Women (AAUW) American Postdoctoral Research Leave Fellowships provide one year of support to women scholars seeking funds for postdoctoral research leave from accredited institutions. The award does not support revision of a doctoral dissertation. Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents and have received their PhD by the application deadline. Applications are due mid-November.

The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) Recent Doctoral Recipients Fellowships provide one year of postdoctoral funding in the humanities and related social sciences. Applicants must have received an ACLS Dissertation Completion Fellowship or other major national dissertation fellowship, such as a Whiting. Applications are due in the first part of December.

The Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowships provide one year of support for individuals engaged in postdoctoral study to US citizens committed to a career in teaching and research at the college or university level. Must have received the PhD within the last seven years in eligible research-based field from a US educational institution. Applications are due in late November.

The Korea Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowships allow 12 months of research in Korean studies; fellowships are to be used to further develop research programs, as well as to permit dissertations to be revised for publication. Fellowships must be held at accredited universities with established centers for Korean Studies and/or at Korean Studies programs overseas. Applicants must have received their PhD degree no more than five years before the start of the fellowships. Korean nationals are eligible to apply only if they have permanent residency status in another country. Applicants are due at the end of January.

National Institutes of Health Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards (NRSA) for Individual Postdoctoral Fellows foster the development of young scientists by broadening their scientific backgrounds or extending their potential for research in health-related areas. Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents who will have the PhD by the start date of the grant and must arrange for an institutional appointment and research sponsor who will supervise the training and research experience. Applications are due in late January.

National Science Foundation’s Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowships are designed to prepare minority scientists for positions of scientific leadership in academia and industry. Fellowships support training and research in areas of biology and social, behavioral, and economic sciences supported by NSF. Fellowships are for two or three years. Open to US citizens or permanent residents. Applications are due in early October or early March.

The Social Science Research Council supports several postdoctoral programs in the social sciences. See link for details, as programs and deadlines change frequently.

The National Academy of Education’s Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship Program provides funding for one academic year of full-time research, or for two contiguous years of half-time research, on the improvement of education in the US and abroad. Applicants must have received their Ph.D within the past 5 years. Applications are due in early November.

The Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research’s Richard Carley Hunt Fellowships provide post-PhD grants to those in anthropology or a related discipline to aid in the writeup of research results for publication. Applications are due in early May and early November.

Postdoctoral fellowship opportunities at particular US research centers or universities

The American Academy of Arts and Sciences Visiting Scholars Program supports research by postdoctoral scholars and junior faculty members for an academic year. Research must contribute to one of four themes: humanities and culture; science and global security; social policy and American institutions; or education. Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents and have received the PhD or equivalent degree within the previous ten years. Applications are due in October.

The Columbia Society of Fellows in the Humanities Postdoctoral Fellowships provide one year of support. Applicants must have received the Ph.D within two years of start date; there is no citizenship restriction. The fellowship is renewable for a second and third year. Applications are due in early October.

Columbia Fellowship Web Site which provides information on applying for fellowships as well as a searchable database of fellowship opportunities.

The Society for the Humanities at Cornell University sponsors postdoctoral teaching-research fellowships in the humanities, each awarded for a two-year period. Areas of specialization rotate so check whether Linguistics is a current area. Applicants must have received the PhD within 6 years of the start of the fellowship. Applications are usually due in early January.

Dartmouth College offers two-year research-teaching Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowships in the Humanities and Social Sciences. Fellows teach two courses each year. Applicants must have received their PhD within the past three years. Applicants need not be US citizens, but fellowships are awarded to individuals who are likely to make their careers in the US. Applications are due in early October.

Gettysburg College offers one-year postdoctoral scholarships. Applicants must have been awarded the PhD no later than the beginning of the fellowship year and within five years of the start of the fellowship. There is no deadline but applications submitted before November 1 will receive fullest consideration.

The Bill and Carol Fox Center for Humanistic Inquiry at Emory University provides up to three annual postdoctoral fellowships for an academic year of study, teaching, and residence in the Center. Must have the PhD before the submission of application; open to those who have received the PhD no more than three years before receiving the fellowship. Applications are due in late February.

The Educational Testing Service, ETS, offers fellowships of up to two years. The fellowship experience combines working on cutting-edge ETS research projects and conducting independent research that is relevant to ETS’s goals. Applications are due in early January.

The Humanities Center at Harvard University offers twelve month postdoctoral fellowships to support projects in the humanities and the allied social sciences that share the Center’s commitment to interdisciplinarity and internationalism. Fellows teach one course per semester in a Harvard department. Applicants must have received the PhD no more than three years before the start date of the fellowship. Applications are due in November.

Haverford College provides two-year Mellon Post-Doctoral Fellowships in the liberal arts. Applicants should have received the PhD within the past five years. Applications are due in mid-January.

The John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress offers Kluge Fellowships up to 11 months to conduct humanistic and social-science research in the Library’s large and varied collections. Applicants must have earned the PhD within seven years of the application date. Applications are due in mid-July.

The National Humanities Center at the Research Triangle Park, North Carolina provides 9 month residential fellowships for advanced study in all areas of research with a connection to the humanities. Applicants must hold the PhD or equivalent degree; there are no citizenship requirements. Applications are due in mid-October.

The Newberry Library has various postdoctoral fellowship programs for those who wish to use their resources. They offer both short-term fellowships for one week to two months and long-term fellowships for 6-11 months. Applications are due in mid-December for long-term fellowships and in early February for short-term fellowships.

The Department of Linguistics at Northwestern University has offered a two-year full-time non-renewable Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship. Applicants must have been recently awarded the PhD. Applications are usually due in January. For more information, look for the yearly announcement on Linguist List.

The Princeton University Society of Fellows in the Liberal Arts provides postdoctoral fellowships, usually for up to three years, in the humanities to scholars within three years of receipt of the PhD. Applications are due in late September.

The Smithsonian Institution provides various fellowship programs for scholars interested in working at the Smithsonian. Application dates vary, but are often mid-January.

The University of California President’s (UCOP) Postdoctoral Fellowship Program encourages outstanding women and minority PhD recipients to pursue academic careers at the University of California. Each award is for a 12-month period, generally beginning July 1. Open to US citizens and permanent residents in any field. Applications are due in early November.

The University of Chicago awards two 2-year Provost’s Career Enhancement Postdoctoral Scholarship (PCEPS) to promising junior scholars in all fields. Candidates must have completed all requirements for their doctoral degree before the start date, and must have received the PhD within three years of the start of the fellowship. Applications are due in early November.

The Beckman Institute Fellows program at the University of Illinois, Urbana, is intended for recent PhDs or students in their final year of doctoral study with research interests relevant to the Beckman Institute. Four fellows are selected yearly for terms of up to three years. Applicants must have received the PhD within three years of the start date of the fellowship. Applications are due in early December.

The Chancellor’s Post-Doctoral Fellowship Program at the African American Studies and Research Program at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, provides a one-year fellowship for those who study Africa and its Diaspora. Fellows must teach an introductory course in the program in the spring semester. Open to US citizens or permanent residents who have received the PhD within the past four years. Applications are due mid-January.

The Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Berkeley for the Humanities will award four new fellows for 2011-13, to teach and carry out research in a sponsoring department in the humanities. Applicants must have received the PhD within 3 years of the start of the fellowship. Applications are due in early March.

The University of California, Los Angeles, offers up to six two-year Social Sciences in Practice (SSIP) Postdoctoral Fellowships. Fellows teach two courses in their host department or program, participate in a weekly workshop and engage in an outreach program. Applicants must have received the PhD within 3 years of the start of the fellowship. Applications are due in mid-February. See also this site.

The University of Michigan’s National Center for Institutional Diversity (NCID) provides two postdoctoral fellowships for a duration of one year. Applications are due in early November.

The University of Michigan Society of Fellows provides three-year appointments as an Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan to support a proposed research or artistic plan. Applicants must have received the PhD no more than three years before the start date of the fellowship. Applications are due in early October.

The Carolina Postdoctoral Program for Faculty Diversity at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill provides full-time research appointments for scholars from underrepresented groups who have received the PhD within the last five years. Preference is given to US citizens and permanent residents. Applications are due in early January.

The University of Pennsylvania Humanities Forum awards five one-year Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowships each academic year to junior scholars in the humanities who are not yet tenured. Applicants must be carrying out research on the theme of the year and must teach one course. Open to those who are no more than eight years beyond their PhD; applicants need not be US citizens. Applications are due in mid-October.

The University of Pittsburgh School of Arts and Sciences offers postdoctoral fellowships in the humanities and social sciences. The fellowships are for one year and are renewable for an additional year. Fellows teach two courses per year. Applications are due in early June.

The Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowships at the Wesleyan University Center for the Humanities are open to scholars in any field of the humanities or humanistic social sciences; recipients also must teach a one-semester undergraduate course. Open to those who have received their PhD in the past four years. Applications are due in early January.

Postdoctoral fellowship opportunities outside the US

 

The American Councils for International Education’s Southeastern Europe Research Program supports 6-12 months of research in Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Macedonia, and Serbia and Montenegro (including Kosovo). Open to US citizens or permanent residents. Applications are due in mid-January and early October.

The American Councils for International Education’s Combined Research and Language Training Program funds research and supplemental language instruction in the former Soviet Union. Applications are due in mid-January and early October.

The American Institute for Sri Lankan Studies Fellowship programs support two to nine months of research in Sri Lanka by US citizens who hold a PhD or the equivalent at the time they begin their fellowship tenure. Both scholars with little or no experience in Sri Lanka as well as specialists are encouraged to apply. Applications are due in early December.

American Institute of Indian Studies Senior Research Fellowships allow scholars in all disciplines who specialize in South Asia to pursue further research in India. Short-term awards are available for up to four months; long-term awards are available for six to nine months. Fellows are required to establish a formal affiliation with an Indian institution. Applications are due in early July.

The American Institute of Pakistan Studies provides postdoctoral research fellowships for projects lasting 2-9 months. Funds may be used for research on materials relating to the history and culture of Pakistan in any country EXCEPT Pakistan and the US. Awards include international travel expenses and stipends (subject to availability of funds). Applicants must be US citizens. Applications are due in early February.

The American-Scandinavian Foundation offers fellowships and grants to individuals to pursue up to one year of research in one or more Scandinavian country. Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents. Applications are due in early November.

The American Research Institute in Turkey (ARIT) offers ARIT Fellowships of up to one year for research in Turkey. Non-US applicants must maintain an affiliation with an educational institution in the US or Canada. Applications are due in early November.

The British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowships offer up to three years of support to early career scholars who have not held a permanent academic position. The fellowship provides some research funds. Preliminary “outline” applications are due in early October.

The Chiang Ching-Kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange provides one-year Junior Scholar Grants to postdoctoral scholars to fund research and writing. Applicants must have taught no more than 6 years since receiving the PhD. Applications are due in mid-October.

The Endangered Languages Documentation Programme (ELDP) offers Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship (IPF) to support for researchers at an early stage in their academic career with qualifications in linguistics and experience in linguistic fieldwork. IPFs are available for between 12 and 24 months. Check website for application deadline. Apply here.

The Foundation Fyssen provides postdoctoral study grants to support researchers under 35 years of age conducting research at a French research institution on the cognitive processes of animal and human behavior. They are allocated for one year or for two years subject to renewal. Applications are due in late March.

The Government of Canada offers two-year Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships to both Canadian and International researchers who have recently completed the PhD. Applications are due in early November.

The Humboldt Research Fellowships for Postdoctoral Researchers from abroad provide for a 6-24 month research stay at a research institution in Germany. Applicants must have completed their doctorate in the last four years. Open to scientists and scholars of all nationalities and disciplines. Applications may be submitted at any time.

The Humboldt Foundation Sofja Kovalevskaja Award provides top-ranked junior researchers with five years of support to carry out a research program of their own choice at a research institution in Germany and to build up their own working groups. Applicants must have completed their doctorate within the last six years. Applications are due in early September.

The International Federation of University Women (IFUW) offers a limited number of fellowships and grants to women who are members of IFUW’s national federations and associations and to IFUW Independent Members. Fellowships and grants are offered for postdoctoral studies. The awards may be used in any country other than the one in which the applicant was educated or habitually resides. The application deadline varies by country, but normally falls between September and mid-October; the next competition will open in 2012.

The International Research Fellowship Program (IRFP) provides nine to 24 months of support in any field of science and engineering research and education supported by NSF. Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents and must have earned a doctoral degree within two years of the application date, or expect to receive the doctoral degree by the start of the project. Applications are due the Second Tuesday in September.

The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Fellowship Program provides recent PhD recipients with opportunities to conduct up to two years of research in Japan under a host researcher. Applicants must generally be US citizens or permanent residents. Applications are currently not being accepted.

The Korea Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowships allow 12 months of research in Korean studies; fellowships are to be used to further develop research programs, as well as to permit dissertations to be revised for publication. Fellowships must be held at accredited universities with established centers for Korean Studies and/or at Korean Studies programs overseas. Applicants must have received their PhD degree no more than five years before the start of the fellowships. Korean nationals are eligible to apply only if they have permanent residency status in another country. Applicants are due in early January.

Research in Paris provides postdoctoral fellowships at Parisian public laboratories to those currently residing and working outside of France. Applicants may be from any disciplines and multidisciplinary research is encouraged.  Applicants must have received the PhD within five years of the start of the fellowship. Applications are due in mid-April.

The Scientific Chateaubriand Fellowship is a grant offered by the Office for Science and Technology of the Embassy of France in the United States which thow who have received the PhD from a US university within the past three years to conduct research in a French public or private laboratory for 6-10 months. Applications are due in mid-December.

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada provides 12-24 month postdoctoral fellowships to Canadian citizens and permanent residents. Applicants must usually have received the PhD no more than four years before the start of the fellowship. Applicants who have received the PhD in the US must have a postdoctoral affiliation with a Canadian institution. Applications are due in mid-October.

The Swedish Institute Fellowships provide for 6-18 months of postdoctoral research in Sweden for those who have been granted the PhD within the last five years. Check website for application deadline.

The UK Newton International Fellowships scheme covers the broad range of natural and social sciences, engineering and the humanities and aims to build a global pool of research leaders and to encourage long-term international collaboration with the UK. Fellowships are for two years and require a UK sponsor. Open to those within six years of the PhD who are not UK citizens. Applications are due in early April.

Grants for research support

The American Research Institute of the Southern Caucasus (ARISC) offers US graduate fellowships up to $1,500 for research support in the South Caucasus (Armenia, Georgia, and/or Azerbaijan). Projects in all fields in the social sciences and humanities are eligible. Applications are due in mid-January.

The Endangered Language Fund provides small grants for language maintenance and linguistic field work, with a preference for projects which serve both the native community and the field of linguistics. Applications are due in late April.

The Foundation for Endangered Languages awards grants for projects that document, preserve, and raise awareness of endangered languages. No application deadline available.

The Jacobs Research Fund supports anthropological research on the indigenous peoples of Canada, Mexico, mainland United States, including Alaska, with a focus on the Pacific Northwest. Applications are due in mid-February.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) provide funding that supports fieldwork and other activities relevant to the digital recording, documenting, and archiving of endangered languages. Funding will be available in the form of one- to three-year project grants as well as fellowships for up to twelve months and doctoral dissertation research improvement grants for up to 24 months. Applications are due in September.

The Phillips Fund of the American Philosophical Society provides grants for research in Native American linguistics, ethnohistory, and the history of studies of Native Americans, in the continental United States and Canada. Grants may be used for extra costs such as travel, tapes, films, and consultants’ fees, but not for general maintenance or the purchase of books or permanent equipment. Applications are due in early March.

The Sociological Initiatives Foundation provides grants to support research and social action projects. Areas of interests include but are not limited to social justice, social welfare, human rights, literacy, language learning and use, dialect use and curricular issues in teaching second languages and non-native languages. Applications are due in mid-August.

Sites listing postdoctoral fellowship opportunities

A list of postdoctoral fellowships in the humanities from Berkeley’s Sponsored Projects Office. Some of these fellowships have rotating topics and the relevant sites should be consulted yearly.

Berkeley’s Townsend Center for the Humanities list of fellowship opportunities for dissertation-stage graduate students, recent PhD recipients, and faculty in the arts, humanities and social sciences.

Duke University lists fellowship opportunities for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty in the arts, humanities and social sciences.

The Linguist List grants page
The Linguistic Society of America (LSA) provides a grants calendar and list of grant agency addresses to LSA members from the “Guides to Grants, Fellowships and Awards” link on the LSA resources page.

Information on writing fellowship proposals

Download Scholarly Arguments, Berkeley’s Townsend Center in the Humanities’ guide for writing effective proposals.

Take a look at The Art of Writing Proposals: Some Candid Suggestions for Applicants to Social Science Research Council Competitions