Special Collections Research Fellowships for 2026-2027

Special Collections at Smith College offers four extended-term fellowships:

• Margaret Storrs Grierson Fellowship
• Friends of the Smith College Libraries Fellowship
• Ruth Mortimer Fellowship
• Carel B. Germain Fellowship

Successful applicants will receive awards of $2,500, intended to support research visits extending beyond two weeks. 

Special Collections also offers several short-term fellowships for research visits up to two weeks in length with awards of $1,000: Madeleine L’Engle Travel Research Fellowships, named in honor of Madeleine L’Engle, class of 1941, renowned young adult fiction author; and Arts and Media Travel Research Fellowships, for projects that will result in a publicly accessible project such as a work of fiction, multimedia, visual arts, or performing arts piece.

Researchers should apply if they live more than 50 miles from Northampton, MA, and their interests and objectives would be significantly advanced by extended work in the holdings of Special Collections. Fellowships support research in any or all of Special Collections’ three repositories: College Archives, the Mortimer Rare Book Collection, and the Sophia Smith Collection of Women’s History. These grants do not cover research-related costs, e.g., reproduction fees. Only one application is required for all fellowships.

•  Applications open: Wednesday, October 1, 2025
• Application due date: Monday, January 5th, 2026 by 11:59pm EST
• Awards announced: March 13, 2026
• Awards to be used: Monday, June 1, 2026 to Friday, June 4, 2027

Interested researchers are encouraged to apply with a brief research prospectus and CV. Hard-copy and emailed application materials will not be accepted. Additional application information can be found on the Smith College Special Collections website.

Contact

Please send any inquiries to specialcollections@smith.edu