The David C. Driskell Center Archives Research Fellowship Program

Now accepting proposals from emerging scholars to participate in a fellowship program conducting research in previously undiscovered collections.

The David C. Driskell Center

Committed to preserving the rich heritage of visual art and culture of the African diaspora, The David C. Driskell Center was established in 2001 at the University of Maryland in College Park to provide an intellectual home for artists, museum professionals, art administrators, and scholars working to expand and deepen the field of African diasporic studies in the visual arts. Home to object-based art collections, archival collections, and an extensive research library, The Driskell Center is a world-renowned institution dedicated to the protection, the study, and the display of art and visual culture of the African diaspora.

About the Program

The David C. Driskell Center Archives Research Fellowship program is an opportunity for 4-5 early career professionals or graduate students to undertake original research with previously undiscovered, partially processed collections within the David C. Driskell Center Archives. During the fellowship year, fellows will have unprecedented access to the recently acquired Hayes-Benjamin Papers on African American Art and Artists, the Michael D. Harris Collection, and the Alonzo Davis Collection. Research Fellows will benefit from the opportunity to interact with their peers, to learn from one another’s process and to share their research in process. Research Fellows will participate in meetings and research trips in College Park, MD and the surrounding D.C. metro area throughout the academic year, resulting in a paper as well as a presentation to be given during a conference at the David C. Driskell Center in Spring of 2024.

About the Award

Research Fellowships will take place between September 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024; with research trips and meetings to be conducted in October and February, as well as a conference in April. The awardee will receive a stipend of $3,000, as well as travel expenses for required  meetings and research trips. At the end of the program, the resulting papers written by the Research Fellows will also be published in an edited collection by the Driskell Center.

Eligibility and Evaluation

We welcome proposals from emerging scholars, including graduate students and those who have completed graduate degrees within the last five years. To apply, please send (1) a project proposal of no more than 1000 words, (2) a resume, (3) an academic writing sample of no more than 10 pages, and (4) one letter of reference to driskellcenter@umd.edu by September 1, 2023. The proposal should outline relevant experience and accomplishments, the proposed research topic, and an explanation of how the Center’s holdings will support that topic.

For more details, visit: https://driskellcenter.umd.edu/news/david-c-driskell-center-archives-research-fellowship-program