I Tatti/DHI Rom Joint Fellowship for African Studies 2022-2023

I Tatti – The Harvard University Center for Italian Renaissance Studies and the German Historical Institute in Rome (Deutsches Historisches Institut in Rom) offer a joint residential fellowship for the 2022-2023 academic year. 

With this fellowship, I Tatti and the DHI Rom seek to stimulate and support increased scholarship on cultural exchange with and within the African continent during the period c. 1250-1750 by creating and promoting opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration, particularly between scholars from African regions and those working in European and North American institutions. The fellowship offers post-doctoral scholars working on African studies (or topics that closely consider Africa) a ten-month position to conduct historical research in Italy supported by two institutes with dynamic academic communities.

About I Tatti (The Harvard University Center for Italian Renaissance Studies)

Villa I Tatti, The Harvard University Center for Italian Renaissance Studies is a center for the study of early modern culture with a focus on Italy, defined historically as the period ranging from the 14th to the 17th centuries and geographically to include transnational dialogues between Italy and other cultures (e.g. Latin American, Mediterranean, African, Asian, etc.). The historic villa contains a unique collection of Renaissance and Asian art, and also houses the Biblioteca Berenson, one of the over seventy libraries that make up the Harvard Library system. In addition to its holdings of... read more

I Tatti/DHI Rom Joint Fellowship

Application Deadline	15 Nov 2021
Country to study	Italy
Type	Fellowship
Sponsor	I Tatti (The Harvard University Center for Italian Renaissance Studies)
Gender	Men and Women

Aim and Benefits of I Tatti/DHI Rom Joint Fellowship

Terms and details relating to the DHI

• Fellows will spend five months at the DHI Rom (September 2022 – January 2023).
• Fellows are required to spend their research period in Rome except for research-related trips, and to participate in and contribute to the activities of the DHI Rom.
• The Fellowship may not be held concurrently with another fellowship or award.
• The Fellow is responsible for obtaining health coverage with an Accident and Health insurance policy.
• 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.
• Fellows are given a space to work within the DHI for the duration of their stay.
• Fellows enjoy the use of the DHI library, archive, and collections.
• The stipend is Euro 2,500 per month, plus a monthly supplement of Euro 1,000 to offset rental costs.

Terms and details relating to Villa I Tatti

• Fellows will spend five months at I Tatti (February – June 2023), made possible by a generous grant from The Lila Wallace – Reader’s Digest Fund.
• Fellows may not take on any other obligations such as teaching positions, even part-time ones, during any part of their fellowship period.
• The Fellowship may not be held concurrently with another fellowship or award.
• This is a residential fellowship. Fellows must live in the Florence area, spend at least three days a week at I Tatti, and participate in and contribute to the activities at the Center.
• Fellows enjoy all the privileges of I Tatti, including use of the Biblioteca Berenson seven days a week and lunch with other Appointees from Monday through Friday.
• Fellows are offered a reserved desk or carrel in the Biblioteca Berenson.
• The stipend is USD 4,200 per month, plus a one-time supplement (maximum USD 1,500) towards relocation expenses. 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, a housing subsidy will be offered to offset rental costs.
• 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.

Requirements for I Tatti/DHI Rom Joint Fellowship Qualification

We welcome applications from scholars of all nationalities. Special consideration will be given to scholars from the African continent. Applicants must have their PhD certificate in hand by the time they apply and will be asked to upload a scan of it when submitting their application. (If the certificate is not in English, please include a translation.) Applicants must be fluent in English, Italian, German, or French, and proficient in an additional one of these languages. Each successful candidate must be approved by both institutions. It must be possible for Fellows to carry out most of their research with the resources available in the city where they are resident. The Fellow will be expected to carry out original research on the topic for which they have been awarded their fellowship. Priority will be given to applicants with no previous association with the two institutes.

Selection Criteria: 

The fellowship is designed for scholars in fields related to the study of precolonial and colonial African history c. 1250-1750, including art history, the history of expressive cultures, musicology, economic history, intellectual, political, and religious history, as well as literature and languages. Preference will be given to advanced research projects that address the relationship between the African continent and the Mediterranean world during the early modern period, broadly understood historically to include the period from the 14th through the 17th centuries. 

Interview date, Process and Venue for I Tatti/DHI Rom Joint Fellowship

Fellows will spend five months (September 1, 2022 – January 30, 2023) in Rome at the DHI and five months (February 1 – June 30, 2023) in Florence at I Tatti.

Documents Required for Application

Applicants must have two scholars who know their work well submit recommendations online by November 21, 2021. These recommendations must be written in English. 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.

Application Deadline

November 15, 2021

How to Apply

Interested and qualified? Go to I Tatti (The Harvard University Center for Italian Renaissance Studies) on itatti.slideroom.com to apply

Applications must be written in English and must be submitted electronically by midnight (Cambridge, MA time) on November 15, 2021. Scholars can apply to only one type of fellowship at I Tatti per academic year.

For more details, visit I Tatti website.