Faculty Research Fellowships

Leslie Alexander and Melissa Graboyes having a conversation

Click here to view list of current Faculty Research Fellows

About the OHC Research Fellowship Program

Deadline for application and departmental approval for 2024-25 fellowships was Monday, October 23, 2023 at 4 p.m. PDT.

The Oregon Humanities Center’s (OHC) Faculty Research Fellowship program identifies, fosters, and promotes innovative humanities research produced by University of Oregon (UO) faculty. These fellowships are for UO tenure-track faculty only, and are awarded yearly on a competitive basis.

Research projects must be humanistic, but fellows may hold an appointment in any department, college, or school. The term humanities, as used here, includes literature; philosophy; history; religion; ethics; linguistics; the history, theory, and criticism of the arts; and historical or interpretive aspects of the social and natural sciences and the professions.

OHC Research Fellowships provide faculty with one course release so they can have a term free of teaching to pursue full-time research as part of a community of scholars. (Typically, OHC fellows will schedule their fellowship during a term when they would ordinarily teach one class, resulting in a term free of teaching.) Faculty will continue to receive their regular pay during the fellowship term. The OHC* will provide one course release at the CAS Humanities/Social Sciences rate for the fellowship term. At time of publication of OHC 2024-25 fellowship program guidelines, the course release rate is $10,000 plus OPE per course. See https://casweb.uoregon.edu/course-buyout-rates-internal for details. This rate will apply to all OHC fellows irrespective of department, school, or college. (Law School faculty teach on semesters and must negotiate conditions of course release with their dean.)  * Provost’s Senior Humanist Fellowships are awarded by the OHC, but the funds are administered by CAS and the home unit, not the OHC.

Faculty from diverse backgrounds and disciplines are encouraged to apply.

Please read all guidelines, conditions, and instructions completely before beginning to work on your application.

Overview of the application process:

  1. Review all guidelines and fill out application form, attaching your Abstract, Narrative Proposal, and CV in fillable fields at the end.
  2. Save application as a single PDF.
  3. Submit your application via email to the OHC and to your department head(s) (and dean, if not in CAS) for their approval.
  4. Department head(s) (and dean, if not in CAS) must “reply all” to approve your application by the deadline of Monday, October 23, 2023 at 4 p.m. PDT.
  5. Applications will be reviewed by a panel of UO tenured faculty members from a variety of disciplines who serve on the OHC Faculty Advisory Board. Applicants will be notified via email in winter term, 2024.

Types of OHC Research Fellowships

The OHC Faculty Research Fellowship program awards five types of Faculty Research Fellowships. All applications are evaluated competitively as part of a single applicant pool, and will be considered for all fellowship types for which they are eligible. The application form and process is the same for all research fellowships, and no additional application forms are necessary for the named fellowships. The review panel will fund as many meritorious proposals as possible using the resources available, taking into consideration the different eligibility criteria. The OHC encourages people from diverse backgrounds and disciplines to apply.

Regular OHC Faculty Research Fellowships

Open to all tenure-related UO faculty conducting humanistic research.

Provost’s Senior Humanist Fellowships

Awarded to senior humanities faculty. Recipients are Full Professors, or Associate Professors who have been in rank for five years or more at the time of application. The review panel will be notified as to which applicants are eligible to be considered for this award. As the name implies, these fellowships are sponsored by the Office of the Provost. The funds for this fellowship are administered by CAS, not the OHC. Following the selection process, the OHC will notify CAS of the recipients, and CAS will process the course release directly with the home unit(s).

Ernest G. Moll Faculty Research Fellowship in Literary Studies

Awarded to the most outstanding proposal(s) in the field of literary studies. In addition to the course release, the Moll Fellowship provides recipients with $1,000 in research support to be used during the fellowship year.

The Ernest G. Moll Research Fellowship was created in 2003 and endowed in 2006 through a generous gift to the OHC from UO English department alumna Maribeth Collins (BA 1940). Ms. Collins was a student of Ernest Gerry Moll, a UO English professor/poet who taught in the English Department from 1928 to1966. Moll played a significant role in the development of Collins’ life-long interest in poetry, and the two struck up a meaningful correspondence toward the end of his life. Ms. Collins established this fellowship to honor the memory of her favorite professor.

VP for Research and Innovation (VPRI) Completion Awards

For faculty who will use the fellowship term to finish a project (article, book, book chapter, or edited volume) to be submitted for publication at the end of or immediately following the fellowship term. Applicants must indicate on their application form that they wish to be considered for this award, and should explicitly address their timeline and expected results in their Narrative Proposal.

OHC Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Fellowship

Awarded to a project that advances issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.

Please read all guidelines, conditions, and instructions completely before beginning to work on your application.

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Eligibility Guidelines

  1. Research projects must be humanistic, but fellows may hold an appointment in any department, college, or school. The term humanities, as used here, includes literature; philosophy; history; religion; ethics; linguistics; the history, theory, and criticism of the arts; and historical or interpretive aspects of the social and natural sciences and the professions.
  2. Only tenure-related UO faculty are eligible to apply. The applicant must hold a UO appointment during the academic year of the research fellowship. Visiting faculty are not eligible.
  3. Faculty may not hold other substantial internal UO research award/fellowship (of more than $7,000) during the same fiscal year (July 1, 2024–June 30, 2025). Faculty may, however, accept an external award for the same fiscal year as the OHC fellowship. The OHC fellowship must not be taken during the same term as the external award.
  4. If an applicant has received funding from any other source(s) for the same or a closely related research project, the applicant must indicate when, from whom, and how much support they have previously received, and how the current proposal differs from the project previously funded. Previous funding for a closely related project will be taken into consideration when the application is reviewed.
  5. If for any reason a research fellow’s circumstances change (e.g., due to sabbatical leave, leave without pay, or the receipt of any grant or award that conflicts with the conditions of this fellowship) and the fellow is unable to use the award during the fiscal year for which it was granted, the fellowship must be forfeited. OHC fellowships cannot be deferred.
  6. If a fellowship recipient is denied tenure or issued a terminal contract before the fellowship year begins, the fellowship must be forfeited.
  7. Faculty who have received an OHC Research Fellowship within the previous three academic years (2021-22, 2022-23, or 2023-24) are not eligible to apply for a Research Fellowship for 2024-25.
  8. An applicant with a dual appointment must list both departments and department heads on the application form. Applicant should make clear (in narrative proposal and in submission email) which unit is releasing applicant from teaching a course, and how course release should be applied (to one unit, percentage split between units, etc.). Approval of both department heads is required.

Conditions*

Upon notification of receipt of an OHC Research Fellowship, faculty members must sign an agreement outlining their commitment to the following conditions. Fellows who do not fulfill these requirements will be ineligible to apply for future OHC fellowships. NOTE: Conditions may be updated to reflect public health concerns during the 2024-25 fellowship year. For example, residency and presentation options are subject to change.

  1. Conduct full-time research, preferably in residence at the OHC when space permits, during the academic term specified on the application;
  2. Give one OHC Work-in-Progress presentation during the fellowship year (fall, winter, or spring 2024-25);
  3. Attend the Work-in-Progress presentations of other fellows during the fellowship term and as often as possible during the remainder of the fellowship year;
  4. Attend one gathering with the VPRI, OHC staff, and OHC donors during the fellowship term;
  5. Give one public, off-campus presentation somewhere in Oregon for a non-academic audience on some aspect of their research within one calendar year of the end of the fellowship term;
  6. Submit a fellowship report within two weeks of the conclusion of the fellowship term;
  7. Acknowledge the OHC in all work resulting from research during the fellowship period;
  8. Donate a copy of any resulting publications to the OHC Library unless this imposes a financial hardship on the author; and
  9. Immediately notify the OHC of other support or any conflicts with the restrictions and conditions of this research fellowship program.

Instructions: Completing the fillable application form

  1. Scroll to the bottom of this page and download the application form (a fillable Word file). Save it to your computer.
  2. Complete the first page.
  3. Prepare your Abstract, Narrative Proposal, and CV according to the instructions below.
  4. Copy and paste them into the grey fillable fields in the subsequent pages of the application document.  (Note: there is a page break after each section, to preserve the formatting for our reviewers.

Abstract

250 words or less, in language clear to a non-specialist. Insert into first fillable field at end of application. Abstract should address:

      1. The problem or question you are addressing in your research project;
      2. The significance of the project; and
      3. What you expect to accomplish during the research term.

Narrative Proposal

Limited to 4 single-spaced pages, including any (optional) bibliographic information you wish to include. Insert into second fillable field at end of application. Narrative proposals should address (preferably in this order):

      1. Conception and Definition of the Project: Describe the specific research planned for the fellowship period, explaining the basic humanistic ideas, problems, or questions to be explored. In cases where the humanistic content of the project may not be readily apparent, address this issue thoroughly. Make clear the relationship of the project to your own past and future research objectives.
      2. Significance: Explain the significance of the proposed project and the anticipated contribution of your project to the existing body of research and writing on the topic or question. If applicable, describe how your project advances issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and/or accessibility.
      3. Plan of Work and Methodology: Specifically outline the plan of work, methodology, and schedule for the proposed research project. Make clear any preliminary work already completed, the present state of the proposed research, and any stages to be completed after the fellowship period. Be as precise as possible about activities during the fellowship period and include a timeline of goals.
      4. Expected Results: Detail the expected results of research done during the fellowship period, as well as your plans for further research on the same project. If publication or some other form of acceptance of the results of the proposed research has already been arranged, please provide this information in your proposal.
      5. Off-Campus Presentation: Propose a location for an off-campus, non-academic public presentation of your work, to be given within one year of the fellowship term. List of suggested off-campus lecture venues.

Curriculum Vitae

Abbreviated CV, not to exceed 2 pages. Insert into third fillable field at end of application. CV should include:

      1. education;
      2. employment history;
      3. academic honors or awards received;
      4. scholarly work (e.g.: publications and papers).

All applications must:

    • use language that is jargon-free and clear to readers outside of your discipline
    • have one-inch margins
    • be set in 12-point Times font
    • strictly adhere to specified page limits

Instructions: Submitting your application

Save the complete application document as a single PDF, using the file naming convention “Last_First_2024-25_OHC_Research_Fellowship” (for example, “Doe_Jane_2024-25_OHC_Research_Fellowship”. A complete application includes:

  • completed application form, with the following items inserted in the fillable fields:
  • abstract (250 words or less, pasted into first grey field of the application form)
  • narrative proposal (4 pages or less, including optional bibliography; pasted into second grey field of the application form)
  • curriculum vitae (2 pages or less, pasted into the third grey field of the application form)

Email the PDF to ohcapplication@uoregon.edu and to your department head(s) (and dean, if not in CAS) for approval. The email subject line must read:

“Last, First: 2024-25 OHC Faculty Research Fellowship.” Example: “Doe, Jane: 2024-25 OHC Research Fellowship”

Paste this statement into your application email, addressing your department head(s) (and your dean, if you are outside of CAS):

“This email constitutes my Oregon Humanities Center (OHC) Faculty Research Fellowship application, which will not be complete without your approval. Please review the attached application and contact me directly with any questions or concerns. To approve my application, “reply all” to include: ohcapplication@uoregon.edu and me (the applicant). Approval email must be received by the OHC no later than 4 p.m. PDT on Monday, October 23, 2023 or my application will not be accepted. Your approval confirms that: If my application is successful, I will be awarded one of five types of OHC Faculty Research Fellowships. I may engage in full-time research for the academic quarter specified, and the OHC* will provide one course release at the CAS Humanities/Social Sciences rate towards my salary. (Rate applies to all OHC fellows irrespective of department, school, or college.) For more information, see https://casweb.uoregon.edu/course-buyout-rates-internal. *Provost’s Senior Humanist Fellowships are awarded by the OHC, but the funds are administered by CAS and the home unit, not the OHC.”

Law School faculty:
Ask your dean to submit a brief addendum detailing conditions of course release and service agreement, also due by Monday, October 23, 2023 at 4 p.m.

Faculty with a dual appointment:
Include both department heads on your email. Include in your submission email a brief statement indicating which unit you are asking to release you from a term of teaching. Both units’ department heads must reply with their approval of your application and its terms, and indicate if course release should be applied to one unit or split between the two units (including percentage of split). Both approvals are due by the Monday, October 23, 2023 at 4 p.m. deadline.

Questions and FAQs

Answers to frequently asked questions may be viewed here: Faculty Research Fellowship FAQs

For additional information, contact Jena Turner, Associate Director, at jenap@uoregon.edu or (541) 346-1001.

Fillable Application Form 2024–25