Folger Long-term Fellowships 2027–2028: Up to $70,000 for Early Modern Humanities Research

Folger Long-term Fellowships 2027–2028: Up to $70,000 for Early Modern Humanities Research

The Folger Institute’s 2027–2028 Long-term Fellowships will support full-time scholarly research connected to the Folger Shakespeare Library’s collections and programs in Washington, DC. The programme offers two award lengths: a nine-month, year-long fellowship with a $70,000 award, or a five-month, semester-long fellowship with a $35,000 award. Applications are scheduled to open on September 15, 2026, and must be submitted by December 15, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.

This is a specialised opportunity for a scholar who can make a persuasive case that a substantial research project will benefit from the Folger’s printed books, manuscripts, digital resources, and scholarly community. It is not a general graduate scholarship, a tuition award, or a grant for any humanities topic without a collection connection. The best fit is a project in the early modern humanities or its afterlives, broadly understood, with a clear reason to work with materials available through the Folger.

The page is worth preparing for before the portal opens. The application asks for a project abstract, a substantial project description, a CV, a focused list of primary sources or digital assets to consult onsite, and a recommendation letter. A strong submission will show both intellectual significance and practical feasibility: the committee should understand why the question matters, what the applicant will do during the chosen term, and how the proposed work relates to the Folger’s resources.

Key details

The two terms are alternatives, not separate awards that can be combined. An applicant must choose a semester-long or year-long fellowship and make the work plan match that period. The official page says applicants may not apply for both terms within the same fellowship-year application. The award is intended to cover travel, housing, and living expenses associated with the fellowship, but applicants should still plan a realistic budget for Washington, DC and confirm the current award conditions before relying on the amount.

What the fellowship supports

The Folger describes these awards as support for full-time scholarly work on significant research projects that draw on the strengths of its collections and programs. The collection is strongly associated with Shakespeare, but the eligible range is wider. The official FAQ describes holdings related to the literary, cultural, political, religious, and social history of Britain and Europe from the fifteenth through eighteenth centuries, with particular strength in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

That breadth does not remove the need for a specific connection. A proposal about an early modern topic should identify the materials, catalogues, finding aids, or digital resources that make the Folger a meaningful research base. The applicant does not need to arrive as a collections expert. The fellowship page explicitly says the requested materials list is a starting point and that awarded fellows receive training and support in early modern research methods. Still, a thoughtful initial list helps the committee judge whether the project is viable and whether the requested resources are available, usable, and relevant.

The Institute also states that it wants to support work across fields that addresses inequities or marginalised subjects and contributes to richer, more inclusive histories. That is not a requirement to force a social-justice angle into an unrelated project. It is an invitation to explain whose histories the research makes visible, what assumptions it tests, and how its methods can produce a fuller account of the early modern world and its legacies.

Who is eligible

Long-term fellowship applicants must hold a terminal degree in their field by the time the fellowship begins. The official FAQ clarifies that a PhD candidate may apply if the degree will be completed before the fellowship starts, so a person who has not yet defended at the time of application may still be eligible if the timing works. Applicants should not assume that being ABD alone satisfies the long-term rule; the relevant question is whether the terminal degree will be held when the award begins.

Scholars of any nationality may apply. The Folger says it is eligible to sponsor international scholars under the J-1 visa and covers the cost of the visa application for awarded fellows. That support does not eliminate the need to plan for visa processing, travel documentation, or any personal costs that fall outside the award terms. International applicants should contact the Institute if their proposed dates or immigration circumstances need clarification.

The project itself must fit the long-term scholarly fellowship rather than another Folger category. The library also offers short-term, artistic, and public humanities fellowships, each with different requirements and outputs. A project led by an artist, public scholar, community leader, educator, or cultural worker may be better suited to one of those routes, especially if it does not require a terminal degree. Do not treat the existence of those other fellowships as a waiver of the long-term scholarly degree requirement.

Choosing five months or nine months

The five-month award is appropriate when a defined research and writing phase can be completed in a semester-sized period. It may fit a scholar who has a focused archive plan, a book chapter or article sequence with a clear scope, or a project milestone that can be reached through concentrated residence. The nine-month award gives a larger runway for a more extensive body of research, sustained drafting, or a project that needs several cycles of archival review and interpretation.

The longer award is not automatically the better application. A committee needs to see that the proposed workload is substantial enough for nine months and that the applicant has a credible plan for using that time. Conversely, a five-month plan should not read like an ambitious nine-month project compressed into a promise that cannot be delivered. Select the term by matching the research question, source base, writing goals, and personal obligations to the time actually requested.

Both options include limited virtual flexibility. Year-long fellows may take up to three months virtually, and semester-long fellows may take up to one month virtually. The virtual period can be used for full-time research with online collections, writing, or editing related to the project. Applicants must explain how they would use any proposed virtual months and why that arrangement helps the work. The virtual option may also support scholars with dependent-care responsibilities, but it should be presented as a purposeful part of the research design rather than an unexamined request for remote work.

Application materials and process

The application portal is scheduled to open on September 15, 2026. All applications must be completed and submitted through the Folger’s online portal by December 15 at 11:59 p.m. ET. The official instructions say applicants can revise the form up to the deadline, but the application is not complete until the applicant presses the submit button. Create an account early, read the current form, and do not mistake saved drafts or uploaded documents for a submitted application.

The required materials are:

• A 250-word abstract of the project.
• A 1,500-word project description explaining the topic’s importance, relevance to the field, originality, and sophistication, along with the proposed work plan and any virtual research plan.
• A two-page CV.
• A one- to two-page list of primary sources, rare materials, or digital assets to consult onsite during the residential portion.
• One recommendation letter, requested through the online portal.

The recommendation letter may come from an artist, scholar, teacher, or colleague. The FAQ says a missing letter does not make the application formally ineligible or automatically penalised, but the main fellowship page says letters are helpful to interdisciplinary committees. In practice, a complete, thoughtful letter is preferable. Ask early, give the recommender a concise project summary and timeline, and confirm that they understand the term and work plan you are proposing.

Building a credible research plan

Start with the research problem, not with a catalogue dump. State the question in language that a scholar outside your subfield can follow. Then explain what evidence will answer it, what the existing scholarship leaves unresolved, and what the Folger makes possible. A useful plan links each major activity to a concrete result: identifying a group of sources, comparing editions, testing an argument, drafting chapters, preparing a digital component, or completing a defined article or book section.

Use the Folger online catalog and finding aids before writing the materials list. Record call numbers, collection names, formats, and any access questions. The list does not need to prove that the applicant already knows every item in the library. It should show enough research to demonstrate that the proposed project has a real evidentiary base and that the requested residence is more than a generic change of scenery.

If some work will be virtual, specify the months and tasks. For example, a plan might reserve the residential period for source consultation and collaborative discussion, then use a virtual period for transcription, writing, or editing based on digitised material and notes. Avoid presenting virtual time as a convenience without a research purpose. Explain why the sequence makes the project stronger and how the work remains full-time during that period.

What reviewers are likely to look for

The official criteria name impact, relevance to the field, originality and sophistication of approach, feasibility of the research objectives, and expected use of Folger collections. The page says particular weight is given to impact, relevance, and approach. Those criteria point to a proposal that is ambitious in its contribution but disciplined in its method.

Impact does not have to mean a claim that the project will transform an entire discipline. It can mean that the work changes how a particular archive, author, community, genre, or historical relationship is understood. Relevance should be explicit: tell the committee why the project belongs in current conversations and why the Folger is the right setting. Originality can come from a new question, overlooked sources, a different method, a comparative frame, or a more inclusive account of material that has been read narrowly.

Feasibility is where a compelling idea becomes a fundable plan. Give the reader a manageable scope, explain the order of work, and make the requested term believable. If the project is collaborative or part of a larger initiative, identify your own responsibility. The FAQ says only the project lead may apply and receive the fellowship, and the Institute does not award multiple fellowships for one project. Make your individual intellectual contribution unmistakable.

Common mistakes to avoid

The first mistake is treating the fellowship as a general humanities stipend. A proposal that never identifies a meaningful relationship to Folger resources will be difficult to evaluate under the published criteria. The second is choosing the nine-month term for prestige rather than need. A shorter, well-supported plan is stronger than an inflated schedule.

Another mistake is leaving the materials list until the end. The list is not decorative: the Folger says it uses it to assess project viability and the availability, condition, conservation, or exhibition status of requested materials. Start the catalogue work early enough to replace inaccessible sources with realistic alternatives.

Applicants should also avoid confusing the long-term scholarly fellowship with the public humanities or artistic routes. The eligibility rules and expected outputs differ. Finally, do not assume that a saved online application is submitted. Allow time to review every field, check the recommendation status, and press the final submission control before 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on December 15.

Timeline and preparation checklist

Use September 15 as the portal-opening date, not as the date to begin thinking about the project. The months before the opening are useful for narrowing the question, consulting the catalogue, and arranging a recommender. The Folger has announced virtual information sessions for October 9 and December 1, 2026, at noon Eastern Time. Those sessions can help applicants understand the programme, but they do not replace the written instructions or extend the deadline.

After the portal opens, move the final project description into the required 1,500-word shape, prepare the shorter abstract, and check that the work plan agrees with the selected term. Leave time for a disciplinary reader outside your specialty to test the explanation. Before submission, verify the date and time zone, the degree timing, the materials list length, the CV length, the recommendation request, and the final portal status.

The FAQ says long-term award announcements are made in early March. That is a planning indication rather than a guarantee of a specific announcement day. If selected, review the award agreement, housing choices, immigration steps if relevant, and the schedule for onsite and virtual work before making irreversible travel or employment decisions.

Frequently asked questions

Can an international scholar apply?

Yes. The Folger says its fellowships are open to scholars of any nationality. The Institute can sponsor awarded international scholars under the J-1 visa and covers the visa application cost for those fellows. Confirm the current immigration and award arrangements with the Institute before relying on them.

Do I need to already be a Folger collections expert?

No. The official page calls the one- to two-page materials list a starting point and says awarded fellows receive training and support in early modern research methodologies. You should still use the online catalogue and finding aids to build a credible initial list.

Can I apply for both the semester and year-long awards?

No. The long-term fellowship page says applicants must choose one term and may not apply for both within the same fellowship year or application. Select the length that matches the project’s actual scope.

Can I include remote research?

Yes, within the published limits. Year-long fellows may take up to three months virtually, while semester-long fellows may take up to one month virtually. The application must explain the work and the reason for the proposed virtual period.

Is a recommendation letter mandatory?

The application instructions request one letter. The FAQ says a missing letter does not make an application formally ineligible or formally penalised, but it also explains that letters help an interdisciplinary committee understand a project. Treat the letter as an important part of a complete application.

When is the 2027–2028 deadline?

Applications are due December 15, 2026, by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. The portal is scheduled to open September 15, 2026. Confirm both dates in the live application portal before submitting, because the official site is the controlling source for any update.

Official links and next steps

Begin with the official Folger Long-term Fellowships page. Read the Folger Fellowships FAQ alongside the application instructions, then inspect the online catalog and finding aids for the proposed source list. Questions about recommendation uploads can be sent to [email protected], as listed on the official application page.

The most useful next action is to write a one-paragraph research question and identify the specific Folger resources that make the project possible. Then ask a potential recommender, choose the five-month or nine-month term, and draft the longer project description before the portal opens. On September 15, transfer the prepared materials into the live form, check the current instructions, and submit a complete application well before December 15 at 11:59 p.m. ET.