Paul Mellon Centre invites applications for the Senior Fellowships Program for the year 2020/21. Senior Fellowships are offered annually to academics, established scholars, or senior museum professionals in the field of British art and architectural history either to complete a manuscript or book for publication or to undertake a sustained period of research towards a major project. They are designed to release Fellows from teaching and/or other employment responsibilities and provide them with a defined period to devote to writing or research.

Aim

Nine-month full-time Senior Fellowships are specifically designed for:

• The completion of a book or other such major study for immediate publication (printed or online).
• A period of sustained research for a clearly defined major project which will lead to a publication (printed or online), a catalog, or an exhibition.

Stipend 

Senior Fellowships are awards of £40,000, this can be taken as either:

• Replacement teaching or staff costs and paid directly to either the Fellow’s University or Institution
• A lump-sum grant if the Fellow is an independent or freelance scholar

The Centre does not pay full economic costs. If an independent Fellow accepts full-time employment during the period of the Senior Fellowship, the Centre will request an appropriate reimbursement of the award.

Criteria 

• The funding program supports scholarship, academic research and the dissemination of knowledge in the fields of British art and architectural history, and of British visual culture understood more broadly, from the medieval period to the present day.
• All supported topics must have a clear art-historical perspective, including those that focus on recent or contemporary artistic practice.
• Also, all applications must demonstrate that British art, architecture or visual culture provides a substantial focus for their project.
• Applications will be assessed according to their academic rigor, originality, and contribution to scholarship. It does not fund research projects focusing on archaeology, current architecture practice, or the performing arts.
• To apply for a Senior Fellowship you must be a prominent and established scholar in the field of British art or architectural history, ideally with a significant publishing record.
• Senior Fellowships are for the academic year 2020/2021 and may be taken between September 2020 and September 2021. Fellowships cannot be deferred to later academic years nor can they run concurrently with a Fellowship awarded by another institution.
  Applications for shorter periods than nine months will not be accepted.

For further questions on eligibility please contact the Fellowships & Grants Manager.