Knight Library seen from the Memorial Quad

Faculty Research Fellowships

Click here to view list of current Faculty Research Fellows

About the OHC Research Fellowship Program

Application deadline for 2025–26 fellowships is Monday, October 21, 2024 at 4 p.m.

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 annually 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 the home unit with one course release at the CAS Humanities/Social Sciences rate for the fellowship term. At time of publication of OHC 2025-26 fellowship program guidelines, the course release rate will be 1/9 of the faculty member’s base salary plus OPE (the posted rate can be found here: https://casweb.uoregon.edu/course-buyout-rates-internal). 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:

  • Review all guidelines.
  • Complete the online application form, which includes agreeing to all guidelines, providing requested information, and uploading PDFs of your Abstract, Narrative Proposal, and CV.
  • In the online application you will be asked to provide your department head(s) (and dean, if not in CAS) for their approval.
  • Once your application is submitted, you will receive a confirmation email that your application has been received. Your department head(s) (and dean, if not in CAS) will also receive an email that they must “click here” to approve application by the deadline of Monday, October 21, 2024 at 4 p.m. PDT. Applicants should submit their materials in advance so department heads (and deans, if outside of CAS) have time to send their approval message(s) before the deadline. Your application is not considered complete until it is approved by your department head(s) (and dean, if not CAS). You will be notified by email when your application has been approved.
  • 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, 2025.

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 online application 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, 2025–June 30, 2026). 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 (2022-23, 2023-24, or 2024-25 are not eligible to apply for a Research Fellowship for 2025-26.
  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 2025-26 fellowship year. For example, residency and presentation options are subject to change.

  1. Conduct full-time research during the academic term specified on the application;
  2. Give one OHC Work-in-Progress presentation during the fellowship year (fall, winter, or spring 2025-26);
  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 online application form

Apply here

Abstract

250 words or less, using language that is clear to a non-specialist. This will need to be pasted into the online application form. 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

A PDF that is limited to 4 single-spaced pages, including any (optional) bibliographic information, images, etc. you wish to include. This will need to be uploaded into the online 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

A PDF of an abbreviated CV, not to exceed 2 pages. This will need to be uploaded into the online application. CV should include:

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

All PDF materials must:

  • be named using the convention: “Last_First_Narrative” and “Last_First_CV”
  • use language that is jargon-free and clear to readers outside of your discipline
  • have one-inch margins
  • be set in 12-point Aptos font
  • strictly adhere to specified page limits and word counts.

Law School faculty:
The online application form will automatically email your dean upon submission, prompting them to review your application. There is a field in their approval form where they can detail conditions of course release and service agreement, also due by Monday, October 21, 2024 at 4 p.m.

Faculty with a dual appointment:
The online application form will automatically email your department heads upon submission, prompting them to review your application, including your statement indicating which unit you are asking to release you from a term of teaching. Both units’ department heads must approve your application and its terms by Monday, October 21, 2024 at 4 p.m.

Faculty Research Fellowship FAQs

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