The Center for Black, Brown, and Queer Studies
2023-24 Academic Fellowship, Virtual
Institution Type: | Nonprofit |
Location: | Massachusetts, United States |
Position: | Fellow |
The Center for Black, Brown, and Queer Studies (BBQ+) is an independent Center dedicated to interdisciplinary research, pedagogy, and mentorship in critical race, Indigenous, postcolonial, and queer studies.
The annual BBQ+ Academic Fellowship Program provides mentorship, career development advice, and writing support to a diverse group of underrepresented scholars (broadly and intersectionally defined) as they establish themselves either within academic institutions or as independent educators and researchers. Our Fellows come from all levels of higher education, from undergraduate students to postdoctoral scholars. The fellowship is fully virtual.
Throughout their year-long tenure, BBQ+ Fellows:
-
Work on their individual research and writing projects.
-
Collectively explore the intersections of critical race, postcolonial, indigenous and queer theory.
-
Closely interact with and get exposure to leaders in social justice, education, and activism.
-
Build intergenerational and interdisciplinary communities of support.
Eligibility
The Fellowship space is designed for underrepresented scholars, broadly and intersectionally defined. It is open to:
-
College students (including students in community colleges) and recent graduates (3 years post-degree)
-
Master’s students and recent Master’s degree holders (3 years post-degree).
-
Ph.D., Ed.D., and other doctoral students
-
Recent postdoctoral scholars (up to 8 years post-degree)
Please note: The fellowship is open to undocumented and international applicants.
In all cases, parental leaves, family leaves, sick leaves, and any similar circumstances will not be counted within years-post-degree. For circumstances or other related considerations that are not documented, applicants are encouraged to write to fellowships@bbqplus.org.
Benefits
The fellowship offers:
1. Research stipend: Depending on funding, fellows may be offered a $2,000 USD research stipend. They can also apply to reimburse other research or professionalization expenses. If you have another source of funding and can waive the research stipend, please indicate so in your application.
2. Mentorship and professionalization: Each cohort of fellows works closely with a mentor to develop their research project and prepare for a professional career. Fellows also have access to the broader network of the Center and the Senior Fellows.
3. Community: The Center aims to foster a tightly-knit and supportive intergenerational and interdisciplinary community of scholars around shared academic interests.
Expectations
Fellows are expected to attend the regular weekly fellowship meeting (Fridays, 12-2pm ET) where they will work on writing, reading theory, and engaging the Center’s intellectual community. BBQ+ is a fully virtual organization, and all fellowship meetings are conducted remotely via Zoom with closed captioning.
Fellows are assigned to one of four cohorts, determined by academic level:
-
Undergraduate level (including recent college graduates). Advisor: Prof. Soha Bayoumi
-
Master’s and Early Doctoral level (including recent Master’s graduates). Advisor: Dr. Caitlin Gunn
-
Advanced Doctoral/Dissertation level. Advisor: Prof. Soha Bayoumi
-
Postdoctoral level. Advisor: Prof. Ahmed Ragab
The weekly fellowship meetings alternate among the Writing Clinic, Theory Clinic, Colloquium, and Fellows Circle. Writing Clinics and Theory Clinics are conducted within individual cohorts, and all cohorts come together for Colloquia and Fellows Circles.
1. Writing Clinic: During the fellowship year, Fellows develop one or more research projects, including, but not limited to, junior or senior papers, Master’s theses, dissertation or book chapters, proposals, and articles. Fellows workshop different drafts of their projects in the Writing Clinic with their cohort.
2. Theory Clinic: Within each cohort, Fellows engage in close readings of theoretical texts, as well as practical discussions of how theory and research methods relate.
3. Colloquium is a work-in-progress talk with a guest speaker with pre-circulated work.
4. Fellows Circle: The Circle is a space dedicated to discussing various topics related to professional development, academic labor, emotional health, and other issues selected by Fellows.
To Apply
-
Please fill out the application form on our website: https://www.bbqplus.org/fellowship/apply
-
You will need to upload the following materials within the application form:
-
Cover letter (1 page) explaining how the fellowship year will impact your work
-
Research proposal (1-2 pages, double-spaced, not including citations/references) explaining your research interests and the project that you anticipate you will be working on during the fellowship year. Please explain what stage the project is at. If the project is part of a larger work (e.g., dissertation or book chapter), please describe the full project and explain which chapter(s) or part(s) you intend to work on during the fellowship.
-
Curriculum Vitae
-
A writing sample: Writing of continuous prose of at least 8 pages (no maximum)
-