The American Philosophical Society Library accepts applications for short- residential fellowships for conducting research in its collections. The Society's Library located near Independence Hall in Philadelphia, is a leading international center for research in the history of American science and technology and its European roots, as well as early American history and culture. The Library houses over 7 million manuscripts, 250,000 volumes and bound periodicals, and thousands of maps and prints. Outstanding historical collections and subject areas include the papers of Benjamin Franklin; the American Revolution; 18th and 19th-century natural history; western scientific expeditions and travel including the journals of Lewis and Clark; polar exploration; the papers of Charles Willson Peale, including family and descendants; American Indian languages; anthropology including the papers of Franz Boas; the papers of Charles Darwin and his forerunners, colleagues, critics, and successors; history of genetics, eugenics, and evolution; history of biochemistry, physiology, and biophysics; 20th-century medical research; and history of physics. (The Library does not hold materials on philosophy in the modern sense.)

The fellowships, funded by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Grundy Foundation, the Isaac Comly Martindale Fund, and the Phillips Fund, are intended to encourage research in the Library's collections by scholars who reside beyond a 75-mile radius of Philadelphia. The fellowships are open to both U.S. citizens and foreign nationals who are holders of the Ph.D. or the equivalent, Ph.D. candidates who have passed their preliminary exams, and independent scholars. Applicants in any relevant field of scholarship may apply. The stipend is $2,000 per month, and the term of the fellowship is a minimum of one month and a maximum of three, taken between June 1, 2002 and May 31, 2003. Fellows are expected to be in residence for four consecutive weeks during the period of their award.

There is no special application form and this notice provides all the essential information needed to apply. Applicants should submit the following: (1) cover sheet stating a) name, b) title of project, c) expected period of residence, d) institutional affiliation, e) mailing address, f) telephone numbers, and e-mail if available, and g) social security number; (2) a letter (not to exceed three single-spaced pages)which briefly describes the project and how it relates to existing scholarship, states the specific relevance of the American Philosophical Society's collections to the project, and indicates expected results of the research (such as publications); (3) a c.v. or résumé; and (4) one letter of reference (doctoral candidates must use their dissertation advisor). Published guides to the Society's collections are available in most research libraries, and a list of these guides is available on request. Applicants are strongly encouraged to consult the Library staff by mail or phone regarding the collections.

Support for the Library Resident Research Fellowships is provided by:

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
The Grundy Foundation
The Isaac Comly Martindale Fund
The Philips Fund

Address applications or inquiries to:

Library Resident Research Fellowships,
American Philosophical Society Library,
105 South Fifth St.,
Philadelphia, PA 19106-3386.
Telephone: (215) 440-3400.

Applications must be received by March 1, 2002.

Notice of awards will be mailed after May 1, 2002.

Joseph-James Ahern
Assistant Manager of Technical Services and Programs
American Philosophical Society Library
105 S. 5th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19106 USA
Voice: 215-440-3443
Fax: 215-440-3423
jjahern@amphilsoc.org
http://www.amphilsoc.org