Fellowship in the Digital Humanities by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, Italy

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This fellowship, generously supported in part by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, aims to support the work of scholars in the humanities or social sciences, librarians, archivists, and data science professionals whose research interests or practice cut across traditional disciplinary boundaries and actively employ technology in their work. Projects can address any aspect of the Italian Renaissance, broadly understood historically to include the period from the 14^th to the 17^th century, and geographically to include transnational dialogues between Italy and other cultures (e.g. Latin American, Mediterranean, African, Asian, etc.). Projects should apply digital technologies such as mapping, textual analysis, visualization, or the semantic web to topics in fields such as art and architecture, history, literature, material culture, music, philosophy, religion, and the history of science.

I Tatti offers Fellows the precious time they need to pursue their studies with a minimum of obligations and interruptions together with a maximum of scholarly resources- a combination that distinguishes the Harvard Center from similar institutions.  Each year, a limited number of activities organized at I Tatti are reserved for the Fellows, and they are expected to join the wider community at conferences, lectures, and concerts.

This is a residential fellowship of 4 or 6 months in length.  Up to two fellowships will be awarded every year.

Eligibility

Applicants must be conversant in English and have familiarity with Italian. At the time of application, a PhD is required for scholars in the humanities and social sciences. In exceptional cases, applications from advanced PhD (ABD) students will be considered, provided these applicants have earned their PhD by the time they assume a fellowship at I Tatti. In addition, we require a letter from the dissertation supervisor clearly stating the anticipated PhD date. A Master’s degree is required for librarians, archivists, and data science professionals. A background in programming, library sciences, computer graphics, computational linguistics, or other fields relevant to digital humanities research is highly desirable. Candidates should possess the technical skills to carry out their project at the time of application, and it must be possible for applicants to carry out most of their research in Florence. Priority will be given to early and mid-career scholars. I Tatti welcomes applications from scholars from all nations and gives special consideration to candidates without regular access to research materials and facilities in Italy. Applications are evaluated by international scholars. The selection committee aims to assess the ability of candidates to contribute in a collegial way to the intellectual life of the Harvard Center.

Short-term Fellowships at I Tatti can be held only once and cannot be deferred. Short-term Fellowships are intended for scholars who have not previously held appointments at I Tatti (with the exception of Graduate Fellows).

Terms

The stipend is $4,000 per month, plus a one-time supplement (maximum, $1,500) towards relocation expenses. In light of the residential nature of the fellowship, Fellows must live in the Florence area and spend at least three days a week at the Center. When possible, a one-bedroom apartment will be set aside for the Fellow’s use, rent free, but with charges for utilities. If an apartment is not available, $1000 per month will be offered to help offset rental costs.

Applicants should indicate their preference between fall (September through December) and winter-spring (January through June). Fellows enjoy all the privileges of the Harvard Center, including use of the Biblioteca Berenson seven days a week and lunch with other Appointees from Monday through Friday. Short-term Fellows do not receive an office or study, but they will have their own desk or carrel in the Library itself. Fellows may not take on any other obligations such as teaching positions, even part-time ones, during any part of their Fellowship period.

The Fellow is responsible for obtaining a visa, permesso di soggiorno, and health coverage (and, if appropriate, for accompanying family members). The Fellow must determine if a visa is required and, if necessary, obtain one before travel.

Application

Applications must be written in English and must be submitted electronically by midnight (Cambridge, MA time) on November 15, 2018. Scholars can apply for only one type of fellowship at I Tatti per academic year.

Letters of Recommendation

Applicants must have two scholars who know their work well submit recommendations online by November 20, 2018. These recommendations can be written in English or Italian. In order to give your referees adequate time to submit letters of recommendation, click the reference tab and register them as early as possible. Referees will receive an email explaining how to access the system and submit their letters electronically. It is the applicants’ responsibility to inform the scholars writing on their behalf of the nature of the project and the deadline for submission.

Click here to apply