Newberry Library Short-Term Fellowships 2027-28

The Newberry Library in Chicago offers Short-Term Fellowships for scholars who need to study specific items in its collection. Fellows spend one to two months in residence and take part in the library's scholarly community. Applications for the 2027-28 programme are now open.

Who can apply

Fellowships are open to PhD-holding scholars at any stage of their career and to PhD candidates with all-but-dissertation status or the equivalent. Holders of a PhD do not need to be faculty members, so curators, librarians and independent scholars can apply too. You can work in any field, as long as your project shows a need for particular Newberry items. The page states no nationality restriction. A few named fellowships add extra conditions, such as membership of a society or citizenship of a tribal nation, and you indicate your interest in those on the form.

What the fellowship offers

Short-Term Fellows receive USD 3,000 per month. The stipend covers housing, travel and other costs of living in Chicago, and the library does not provide housing. Most awards give one month of support, while a few last up to two months. Awards can be taken up at any point in a fifteen-month window that starts in June of the awarding year.

Deadline

The application deadline is 4 December 2026. Read the fellowships FAQ and the how-to-apply page before you start.