Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts, National Gallery of Art, DC

A. W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship

The Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts, National Gallery of Art, is now accepting applications for the A. W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship, a two year appointment located in Washington, DC. Applications are due October 15, 2023. During both years, the fellow carries out research and writing for publication. In the first year of the fellowship, the fellow will design and direct an intensive weeklong seminar for the seven predoctoral fellows in residence at the Center, focusing on a topic related to the applicant’s field of interest and with a special emphasis on methodological issues. In the second academic year, while continuing research and writing in residence, the fellow is expected to teach one course by arrangement at a neighboring university.

Fields of Study

The A. W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship supports research in the history, theory, and criticism of the visual arts of any period or culture. The Center encourages applications in historically marginalized fields.

Residency

The A. W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow will be in residence at the Center for two years and will participate fully in the activities of the Center throughout the fellowship period. The fellow will be provided with housing in an apartment near the National Gallery, subject to availability, and with a shared study. The fellow has access to the notable resources represented by the art collections, the library, and the image collections of the National Gallery of Art, as well as to the Library of Congress and other specialized research libraries and collections in the Washington area.

Stipend

The award for both the A. W. Mellon Fellowship is $55,000 per year. The fellow also receives an allowance for travel, in addition to housing, as available.

Applications

Candidates for the A. W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship must complete an online application that includes brief proposals for the topic of the predoctoral seminar and the university course and a copy of an article or a chapter of a book, to be submitted on or before October 15, 2023. Three letters of recommendation in support of the application are required. After a preliminary selection, several candidates will be invited to Washington in early 2024 for interviews. The A. W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship cannot be deferred or renewed. Holders of the A. W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship may reapply for a senior or visiting senior fellowship five years after the completion of the fellowship. Individuals may not apply for other Center fellowships while an application is pending or once a fellowship has been awarded.

About the Center

The Center, founded in 1979 and located in the National Gallery’s East Building, is a research institute that fosters study of the production, use, and cultural meaning of art, artifacts, architecture, urbanism, photography, and film worldwide from prehistoric times to the present. The Center’s programs include fellowships, internships, meetings, research, and publications. These are privately funded through endowments and grants to the National Gallery of Art. 

Members of the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts resident community of scholars include the Kress-Beinecke Professor, the Andrew W. Mellon Professor, the Edmond J. Safra Visiting Professor, the A. W. Mellon Lecturer in the Fine Arts, and approximately 18 fellows at any one time, including senior fellows, visiting senior fellows, research associates, postdoctoral fellows, and predoctoral fellows. In addition, the Center supports approximately 11 predoctoral fellows who are conducting research wherever in the world they need to be.