About the opportunity
For over 50 years, the School for Advanced Research (SAR) has offered fellowships to a selection of scholars who have completed their research and require time, space, and collaborative support to prepare manuscripts or dissertations on topics important to the understanding of humankind. Projects proposed should require nine months to bring to substantial completion, although applications from faculty for semester-long fellowships (4.5 months) will be considered depending on apartment availability. Fellows must reside on campus for at least 90% of their appointments. SAR fellowships cover the broadest expanse of the humanities and social sciences, with a preference for empirically grounded work, particularly approaching research from the perspective of archaeology, anthropology, history, sociology, or related fields.
Funding and benefits
- Stipend of $70,000 for nine-month senior scholar fellowships
- Stipend of $35,000 for 4.5-month senior scholar fellowships
- Stipend of $50,000 for nine-month junior scholar fellowships
- Campus apartments provided for each fellow
Who can apply?
- Scholars with doctorates planning to write books and PhD candidates planning to write dissertations (Weatherhead Fellowship)
- PhD candidates planning to write dissertations (Paloheimo Fellowship)
- Native American scholars, either pre- or postdoctoral, working in the humanities or social sciences, or a Native American writer with a substantial body of published work (Katrin H. Lamon Fellowship)
- Scholars must be in residence for at least 90% of their appointments
- Senior fellows are expected to informally mentor junior fellows
Required documents
- Research proposal
- Prior published work demonstrating an ability to write in a publicly accessible manner for non-specialists
When to apply
- Applications are accepted through the first Monday in November to be considered for a residency beginning September 1 the following year.
- Awards are announced annually in March.
How to apply
- Prepare your research proposal and supporting materials.
- Submit your application through the official online application portal at apply.sarsf.org by the first Monday in November.
Additional information
- Due to ongoing construction on campus, offices separate from fellows' residences are unavailable.
- The Mellon Foundation Fellowship and Wenner-Gren Fellowship have sunset and are no longer accepting applications.
Our Take on This Opportunity
This section reflects Open Opportunities’ own analysis of the opportunity from an applicant’s perspective.
You may be a strong fit if…
- Ideal for advanced PhD candidates or postdoctoral scholars in anthropology, archaeology, history, sociology, and related social sciences or humanities fields who need dedicated writing time.
- Well-suited for researchers whose work focuses on empirically grounded topics and who possess a strong track record or aspiration for public-facing scholarship.
What should you think carefully about?
- Applicants must commit to living in the provided campus apartments for at least 90% of the fellowship duration.
- Separate office spaces are not available due to ongoing campus construction, meaning fellows must work from their residential apartments.
How could this fit your current goals and plans?
This fellowship is designed to support scholars at critical transitional writing stages—such as completing a first book manuscript or finalizing a doctoral dissertation—while integrating them into an interdisciplinary scholarly community in Santa Fe.
Our take
Researchers and doctoral candidates in the humanities and social sciences seeking funded, dedicated writing time in a collaborative residential setting should strongly consider applying by the November deadline.
Ready to apply?
Review the opportunity on the official website before applying.
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