Public Humanities Fellowship
Deadline 6 December 2024
The Public Humanities Fellowship at the School of Advanced Study, University of London will foster collaboration among scholars, the public, and wider arts and humanities communities, while enhancing the visibility and impact of humanities research across diverse constituencies.
Fellows will be invited to work with us to advance the public humanities agenda within the UK and around the globe, supporting the School’s mission to advance and promote the humanities. Fellows might explore such topics as the values and practices of public humanities; new approaches to ethical questions in light of rapidly transforming society; the resilience of public humanities in relation to resource challenges; cultural heritage and public memory; and other related questions.
The Fellowship will contribute to the thriving, interdisciplinary, outward-facing culture of the School by enabling us to think differently about the public value of the humanities, connecting with disciplinary communities and wider audiences in new and innovative ways.
Fellowship objectives
- Fellows will contribute to the innovation and expansion of Public Humanities in the UK and internationally, helping shape its future as a growing field.
- Fellows will develop projects that promote public discourse, raise the visibility of humanities research, and enhance its impact by engaging diverse audiences.
- Fellows will join a dynamic interdisciplinary community within the School of Advanced Study, collaborating across institutes and libraries to enrich their work and drive innovation.
- The Fellowship will emphasize the importance of building a community of fellows, promoting shared learning, interdisciplinary dialogue, and creative exchange.
- The Fellowship will act as a forum for national conversations about the value and role of the arts and humanities in contemporary society.
The Fellowship offer
- The opportunity to join a community of leading figures from a range of fields to share in the work of a new and exciting national initiative
- A three-year, non-stipendiary appointment as an associate fellow of the University of London
- Participation in thriving networks of senior scholars and practitioners across a range of disciplines and areas of work
- Space to work, library access, and other facilities in Senate House, Bloomsbury
- Small grants (up to £3,000 total) will be available in the first year of appointment to develop ideas or activities connected with the work of the fellowship, with further funding possible for additional proposals. All initiatives will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Who should apply?
We invite applications from those who have achieved significant recognition for their work with the public while engaging deeply with issues or inquiry connected to the humanities.
Such candidates might be pursuing humanities work in higher education or research organisations; as independent scholars; or in related professional sectors, including but not limited to journalism, publishing, politics, public services, secondary or further education, galleries and museums, or other interdisciplinary work with demonstrable links to the core areas of humanities research.
Successful candidates will have nationally or internationally recognised work in their professional area, in addition to a demonstrable track record of bringing this work to broader public audiences, inclusively defined.
We define the humanities as including but not limited to classics, critical arts, culture, history, languages, literature, philosophy, politics, religion, and visual arts.
Application guidelines
How to apply
Applicants will be asked to complete an online application form.*
The following documents will be required in English:
- A 2-3 page curriculum vitae outlining relevant achievements in Public Humanities to date
- A 1-2 page description of how the applicant would use the Fellowship to develop new or existing initiatives in Public Humanities. It should demonstrate:
- evidence of how their career has contributed to Public Humanities to date
- clear understanding of what they understand Public Humanities to mean or do
Applications must be received by 16:00 GMT on Friday 6 December.
*If this is the first time you have applied for a fellowship at the School of Advanced Study, you will need to register for an account in order to apply. When you click apply, you will be taken to a login screen. Click the ‘Register’ button in the top right hand corner. Once you have registered for an account, you can navigate back to the application page for this fellowship and submit your application.
Visas
Selected Fellows who do not have the right to reside and/or work in the UK may require a visa depending on the length of their stay. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ascertain whether a visa is required. Sometimes this is a visitor’s visa but for longer stays the University is able to sponsor a visit via tier 5 (Authorised exchange). If you are in this category you will need to approach the School so that your stay can be sponsored. Please note that the School is unable to pay for the application. Details of visa categories can be found on the UKVI website.
Due to our sponsorship status, we are required to keep a record of Fellow’s engagement with the School and to do so we have additional conditions that visa holders are subject to:
Additional Conditions for Visa Holders
- You must inform the School of your UK address and contact details for your stay in the UK and update us about any changes to these in a timely manner.
- Visa holders will be expected to attend the School in person on a monthly basis, to sign a register of attendance. If you are on a research trip abroad, this will not be necessary, but you must let us know that this is the case.
- You must submit scans of any flights in and out of the country to the School.
- You must inform us of any change to your resident status and inform us in advance of your intention to resign from your fellowship, before its end date.
Contact
Questions should be directed to publichumanities@sas.ac.uk.