Q: Do I need to be in a particular discipline in order to be eligible to apply?

A: No. We invite and welcome fellowship applications from scholars in all disciplines but we require applications to articulate clearly the project's value to the humanities.

Q: For external fellowships, does the Ph.D. or other terminal degree need to be held for 4 years at the time of application?

A: All applicants possessing a Ph.D. or their discipline's terminal degree must have held their degree for at least four years prior to the start date of the fellowship year (in late-August, exact date dependent on the academic year start of UConn). For example, for the 2024–25 fellowship year, applicants must have received their Ph.D.s before late August 2020.

Independent scholars without terminal degrees including: writers, poets, museum professionals, artists, and library professionals are all eligible to apply for UCHI Visiting Scholar residential fellowships, regardless of nationality. All candidates must however possess a record of advanced professional accomplishment and their applications must articulate clearly the project's value to the humanities.

Persons whose situations do not fit into any of the above categories should explain their circumstances within the project proposal.

Q: Can I apply to the Visiting Humanities Fellowship as an independent scholar if I received my terminal degree less than four years ago and I’m currently unaffiliated with a college or university?

A: No. Applicants must have held a terminal degree for at least four years or be an independent scholar with an advanced record of professional accomplishment. Terminal degrees are not required for applicants who are independent scholars, but independent scholars with terminal degrees must have held that degree for at least four years. The Visiting Humanities Fellowship is not a postdoctoral fellowship.

Q: How should referees submit their letters of reference?

A: Letters of reference should be submitted by referees directly through the application portal to ensure confidentiality.

Q: Can non-UConn graduate students apply for UCHI Dissertation Fellowships?

A: No, only students enrolled in Ph.D. programs at the University of Connecticut are eligible to apply. Additionally, as indicated in the application portal, graduate students must have completed qualifying exams, their prospectus, and sufficient research so they can complete the dissertation during the year-long fellowship period. Students scheduled to defend in the fall semester are not qualified for the fellowship.

Q: How can independent scholars, writers, and artists submit their portfolios or associated works?

A: Portfolios and works of art should be submitted through the application portal as a single .pdf document. Specific instructions for submitting translations and writing samples are included in the application guide sheet.

Q: Are there formatting requirements for the application materials?

A: All application materials (proposal, CV, and bibliography) must be formatted in a standard 12pt font with 1" margins.

Q: How will my application be reviewed?

A: Members of the UCHI leadership team do not participate in any panel deliberations or in voting. In all fellowship categories, review panel membership rotates annually, and includes new reviewers each year. Fellowship applications from UConn faculty members are evaluated by a panel of at least three (3) external scholars from a range of humanities, arts, and social science disciplines. Submissions (or Applications) for Visiting fellowships and Dissertation fellowships are reviewed by panels comprised of UCHI Advisory Board members.

Q: Can I change the period of performance of my fellowship if I receive an award?

A: No, the UCHI does not permit awardees to defer fellowships. If a candidate declines a fellowship award, the candidate must reapply to be considered for an award in a future year.

Q: Can I see the evaluators’ comments after the competition?

A: Feedback is provided only in-person and only for applications received from members of the UConn Community. UConn applicants requesting feedback should contact the UCHI (uchi@uconn.edu) to request an appointment with a UCHI administrator before May 15th of the year in which their application was declined. Due to large number of external applications, it is not feasible for the Institute to provide feedback on individual external applications.

More questions? Email us at uchi@uconn.edu.