£5000

The National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, in partnership with the John Carter Brown Library in Providence, Rhode Island, invites applications for a three-month travelling fellowship for advanced research in collections based in the north-eastern United States.

Libraries, museums and archives on the north-eastern seaboard of the United States have large and important collections relating to the maritime history of both Great Britain and the USA. These collections are particularly strong for the age of sail. It is anticipated that successful applications will normally be focused on the period before about 1840.

The travelling fellowship is available to scholars based outside the United States who are engaged in a significant piece of maritime historical research that would substantially benefit from the opportunity to consult these collections. The National Maritime Museum supports a range of approaches to maritime history and welcomes proposals bringing other disciplinary perspectives to bear on these rich maritime collections. Candidates’ proposals would be expected to demonstrate clearly which collections they intend to consult, the relationship between the collections and their particular research project, and the anticipated outcomes from the fellowship.

The National Maritime Museum has established relationships with the John Carter Brown Library, the Peabody Essex Museum and the Yale Center for British Art, but the fellowship is available for study in a large geographical area stretching from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Bath, Maine. It is permissible to consult the collections of a number of institutions during the fellowship. For administrative purposes, the successful candidate will need to be based at the John Carter Brown Library, Providence, RI, for a period of at least two weeks at the beginning of the fellowship.

The fellowship is open to candidates who have either completed a PhD or equivalent, or who are currently nearing completion of their doctorate. Applicants will not be interviewed and the successful candidate will be selected on the strength of their proposal.

The Fellowship is advertised from September and may be taken up during the following calendar year.

The deadline for applications is 31 October 2012.

The conditions for a Caird North American Research Fellowship are:

• The award is £5000 for living and research expenses in the United States and towards airfares. The Fellow will be asked to provide receipts and a record of expenditure.
• The Fellowship is for a predetermined three-month period within the calendar year.
• The Museum will receive printed acknowledgement in any and all publications resulting in whole or in part from research carried out during the period of the Fellowship.
• The Fellow will provide the Museum (through the Research Department) with copies of all publications supported in whole or in part by the Fellowship.
• The Fellow will provide the Museum with a written report on the completion of their Fellowship.
• During the tenure of the Fellowship, the Fellow may be asked to attend conferences or symposia on behalf of the Museum.

Guidelines on how to apply

The deadline for applications is 31 October 2012.

Three documents (ideally typewritten) are required, as follows:

• A completed application form, which asks for brief personal details, the title of the proposed research project and the names and addresses of two academic referees.
• A curriculum vitae: this should be kept short and include details of the applicant’s education, employment history and major publications or papers delivered.
• An outline of the proposed research project, which should not exceed three sides of A4 paper, a timetable for its completion, and proposals for making the results available. The Museum does not undertake to publish or assist with the publication of the results of research work accomplished during the tenure of the Fellowship.

Please note: emailed applications are preferred, although we will also accept applications by post.

Please return your application form, CV and research proposal to:

E-mail: research@rmg.co.uk

The Research Executive
National Maritime Museum
Greenwich
London
SE10 9NF
UK

Tel: +44 (0)20 8312 6716
Fax: +44 (0)20 8312 6592

Reference Letters

Applicants should send a copy of their application to their nominated referees at the time of or in advance of its submission, asking the referees to comment on their professional knowledge of the applicant and the contribution the project would make to scholarship.

The referees should be asked to send their letters direct to the Museum at the above email or address by 31 October 2012.

Please note: Emailed reference letters can be accepted.

Outcome of applications

Interviews will not be held for this fellowship and the awards will be decided on the basis of the proposals alone.

Applicants will be informed of the decision of the Academic Awards Committee by December.

For any further information please contact the Research Executive.