Tanner Humanities Center: Doctoral Student Fellowships For University of Utah Doctoral Students in The Humanities
Tanner Humanities Center: Doctoral Student Fellowships For University of Utah Doctoral Students in The Humanities
Tanner Humanities Center: Doctoral Student Fellowships For University of Utah Doctoral Students in The Humanities
The Tanner Humanities Center's mission is to promote humanistic research and education at the University
of Utah, in the state, and in the nation. The Center sponsors an annual competitive program which promotes
research by University of Utah faculty and graduate students and research by independent scholars and
faculty from other institutions. See http://www.thc.utah.edu for more information.
Eligibility
University of Utah students must have successfully passed their Ph.D. or terminal degree qualifying exams, and
completed all course work by the fellowship application deadline (March 1, 2021) to be eligible for a fellowship.
The Tanner Humanities Center will award up to three graduate fellowships for the nine-month academic year 2021-
2022. The fellowships are designed to enable doctoral students of unusual ability and achievement to enhance their
career preparation by engaging in research and writing full time, and by participating in all Center activities. Projects
in the following fields are eligible: anthropology, archaeology, communication, history, philosophy, religious studies,
ethnic /gender/cultural studies, jurisprudence, history/theory/criticism of the arts, languages and linguistics, literature,
creative writing, historical or philosophical issues in the social and natural sciences, or the professions. The Center
encourages projects that are interdisciplinary and that are likely to contribute to substantive intellectual exchange
among a diverse group of scholars.
Fellowship Activities
We are an intellectual community. We require Fellows to be in residence during the nine-month academic year from
August through April, to continue their program of studies, and to participate fully in Center activities. During their
residence, Fellows will present a work-in-progress talk to faculty, graduate students, and invited guests. We require a
final written fellowship report by June 30, 2022. Brief absences for research-related travel are permitted with notice to
staff. If you have significant travel requirements or plans for 2021-2022, please do not apply for a Center fellowship.
Selection Criteria
The Tanner Humanities Center’s faculty advisory board, comprised of distinguished faculty from a variety of
humanities disciplines, reviews proposals and selects finalists. The Center seeks Fellows whose past and present work
demonstrates excellence and collegiality, and represents a variety of disciplines and methodologies without regard to
race, color, gender, sexual orientation, religion, citizenship, or national or ethnic origin. The University of Utah seeks
to provide equal access to its programs, services, and activities to people with disabilities.
Application Process
5) If you have applied for a fellowship in the recent past, you must request new letters and other
supporting documents anew. The Center does not retain past applications, which would in any event
contain dated information.
Description Format
The review panel is composed of scholars from a wide range of disciplines who may not all possess
specialized knowledge of the candidate's proposed field of study. The project should thus be clearly
explained and justified and free from jargon. We will not consider proposals that exceed the 1000 word
limit. The proposal should address the following points in order. Please label each section, paginate, and
double-space throughout.
a) The specific questions, problems, or ideas you will examine and the
objectives or results you hope to achieve.
d) How does the project fit into existing scholarship in the field? What
is its relationship to the work of others in the same area? What is
distinct and original about the proposed project?
f) How does the dissertation project fit in with your career objectives?
g) What would you gain from, and contribute to, the Tanner Center’s
intellectual community and activities? This is a key consideration, since
unlike non-residential research fellowships, this is a fellowship in residence
at an active humanities center and in a community of fellows.
If you are interested in receiving comments from the Center’s Director prior to the application deadline, you
may submit a draft of your proposal to Tanner Humanities Center by February 8, 2020.
ON OR BEFORE MARCH 1, 2021 submit the application materials via e-mail to Beth James
(beth.james@utah.edu). The Center will notify applicants by April 30, 2021.
PLEASE COMPLETE THE ATTACHED COVER SHEET AND SUBMIT WITH ELECTRONIC
DOCUMENTS.
TANNER HUMANITIES CENTER
2021-2022 DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP and
DISSERTATION SUPPORT AWARD APPLICATION
Name: UU ID number
Address:
e-mail address:
Names, address, and telephone numbers of the two persons whom you have asked to send recommendations
directly to the Tanner Humanities Center:
1.
2.
Your letters of recommendation and your program’s graduate director's letter verifying that
you are in good standing must be sent directly to the Tanner Humanities Center by March 1,
2021. All materials should be sent to Beth James at beth.james@utah.edu
TANNER HUMANITIES CENTER, UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
It would be helpful to the Center's review panel (most of whom will be outside of this field) if you
commented specifically on the applicant's proposed project while keeping in mind the following selection
criteria:
•the project's contribution to the field in specific terms of the work’s significance and originality;
•the capability, based on past performance, of this candidate to undertake and complete
this project within or shortly after the period of fellowship residency;
•the applicant’s writing and analytical abilities, work plan and methodology; and
The Center strives to create an environment for positive intellectual and humanistic exchange. Please
comment on the candidate's collegiality and ability to work and interact effectively with fellows, faculty,
staff and students, and the likelihood that this candidate will be a full participant in the Tanner Humanities
Center.
Please send your letter of reference directly to Beth James, Associate Director (beth.james@utah.edu).