The deadline for the Barra Postdoctoral Fellowships passed on November 1, 2024.
The deadline for the Sabbatical Fellowship is December 9, 2024.
Barra Postdoctoral Fellowship
(24 months, 2025–2027)
The McNeil Center for Early American Studies will appoint a Barra Postdoctoral Fellow for a two-year term, beginning 1 July 2025. Applications are welcome from junior scholars whose work focuses on any aspect of the histories and cultures of North America in the Atlantic world before 1850. Applicants must have earned the PhD no earlier than 2021 and must have completed all requirements for the degree when the appointment commences. Candidates who have received McNeil Center funding for a related project at the pre-doctoral stage are not eligible. Proposals reliant on research in Philadelphia-area archives, libraries, and museums are especially welcome.
The Barra Postdoctoral Fellow will receive a starting stipend of at least $65,000, health insurance, and modest funds for travel and research. The fellow will enjoy private office space in the Center’s facility at the University of Pennsylvania, as well as full library privileges at the university. During the term of appointment, the fellow will teach two courses in an appropriate department at the University of Pennsylvania. The remainder of the fellow’s time will be devoted to research, writing, and participating in the Center’s academic programming.
The following items must be prepared as PDFs: a curriculum vitae; a proposal not to exceed 1,500 words, describing the general scope of the project and the specific work proposed during the fellowship term; and an unpublished writing sample related to the project, limited to 7,500 words exclusive of notes.
Two confidential letters of support should be uploaded separately by the applicant’s letter writers. Please ask recommenders to address the specifics of this application.
Applications must be submitted through Interfolio by 1 November 2024.
Questions may be directed to:
The McNeil Center for Early American Studies
University of Pennsylvania
3355 Woodland Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19104-4531
215-898-9251
mceas@sas.upenn.edu
The McNeil Center for Early American Studies is strongly committed to Penn’s Action Plan for Faculty Diversity and Excellence.
Barra Sabbatical Fellowship
(9 months, 2025–2026)
The McNeil Center for Early American Studies will appoint a Barra Sabbatical Fellow for a nine-month term, beginning 1 September 2025. This fellowship is designed for a scholar on leave from a faculty position for the 2025–2026 academic year and at work on a book-length research project. Applications are welcome from scholars whose project focuses on any aspect of the histories and cultures of North America in the Atlantic before 1850. Candidates who have received McNeil Center funding for a closely related project are not eligible. Proposals reliant on research in Philadelphia-area archives, libraries, and museums are especially welcome.
This award takes the form of a cash grant, paid directly to the fellow's home institution. The amount is negotiable, based on the assumption that the fellow will be receiving benefits and partial salary from the home institution.
The fellow will enjoy private office space in the Center’s facility at the University of Pennsylvania, as well as full library privileges at the university. The fellow will have no teaching responsibilities. They will be expected to provide mentoring to junior scholars in the Center’s community and to participate fully in the Center’s academic programming.
The following items must be prepared for uploading as PDFs: a curriculum vitae; a proposal not to exceed 1,500 words, describing the general scope of the project and the specific work proposed during the fellowship term; and an unpublished writing sample related to the project, limited to 7,500 words exclusive of notes.
Two confidential letters of support should be uploaded separately by the applicant’s letter writers. Please ask recommenders to address the specifics of this application.
Applications must be submitted through Interfolio by 9 December 2024.
Questions may be directed to:
The McNeil Center for Early American Studies
University of Pennsylvania
3355 Woodland Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19104-4531
215-898-9251
mceas@sas.upenn.edu
The McNeil Center for Early American Studies is strongly committed to Penn’s Action Plan for Faculty Diversity and Excellence.