Call for applications: I Tatti fellowship programme in Italy

Fellows will spend five months (1 September 2022 to 30 January 2023) in Rome at the German Historical Institute Rome and five months (1 February to 30 June 2023) at I Tatti in Florence.

The programme is designed for scholars in fields related to the study of pre-colonial and colonial African history c. 1250 to 1750, including musicology, art history, the history of expressive cultures, intellectual, political, and religious history, as well as literature and languages. Preference will be given to advanced research projects that address the relationship between the African continent and the Mediterranean world during the early modern period, broadly understood historically to include the period from the 14th through the 17th centuries.

Fellows have full access to the Berenson Library’s rich collections of books and periodicals, photographs and digital images, manuscripts and recordings. As one of the over seventy libraries that make up the Harvard Library system, the Biblioteca Berenson provides access to a vast range of online journals and other electronic resources and offers fellows comprehensive interdisciplinary resources for the study of late medieval and early modern Italy.

Eligibility

• Fellows are selected by an international and interdisciplinary committee that welcomes applications from scholars from all nations. The committee aims to assess the ability of candidates to contribute in a collegial way to the intellectual life of the Harvard Center. It pays special attention to the strength of the proposed project and its potential to yield original results, and to the candidate’s curriculum vitae.
• At the time of application, scholars must hold a PhD or an equivalent degree and will be asked to upload a scan of the certificate. They must be conversant in either English or Italian and able to understand both languages.
• Fellows should be in the early stages of their career, having received a PhD between 1 January 2011 – 1 September 2021, and have a solid background in Italian Renaissance studies.
• Candidates may not be working on a second PhD at the time of application. In the event that a candidate holds two doctoral degrees, the eligibility dates (PhD certificate dated between 1 January 2011 – 1 September 2021, inclusive) apply to the more recent degree.
• The project must represent advanced research in the Italian Renaissance, broadly defined historically as the period ranging from the 14th to the 17th centuries and geographically to include transnational dialogues between Italy and other cultures (e.g. Latin American, Mediterranean, African, Asian etc.).

Fellows will receive a $60 000 stipend, plus a supplement towards relocation expenses. If the candidate receives a partial salary or outside grants, this must be indicated on the application or in subsequent correspondence with the Director, and permission must be received.

Application

Interested scholars can apply here. Applications can be written in English or Italian and must be submitted electronically by midnight (Cambridge, MA time) before 15 October.

Note: Scholars can only apply for one type of I Tatti fellowship per academic year. A year-long I Tatti Fellowship for non-UK citizens normally based in the UK could jeopardise the outcome of their eventual application for settlement (also called ‘indefinite leave to remain’) in the UK. Scholars are encouraged to apply instead for a short-term fellowship at I Tatti.

Letters of recommendation

Applicants must have two scholars who know their work well submit recommendations online before 22 October. The recommendations can be written in English or Italian.

View the original call here.