Supporting the work of individual scholars

Obermann Center Faculty Fellows fully devote themselves to projects within an interdisciplinary community. The program supports artists, researchers, and scholars during periods when focus and feedback are crucial. The program is rooted in our mission: to support the work of individual scholars, while also providing Fellows with the opportunity to enrich an individual, discipline-specific project through interdisciplinary exchanges with a lively intellectual community of Fellows.

Each year, twelve Fellows are selected competitively: six during the fall semester and six during the spring semester. The Obermann Center provides an office (if requested), a stipend ($1,000), and staff support. During the fellowship period, Fellows meet every two weeks to share their work-in-progress with one another. Fellows from both the spring and fall semesters are warmly invited to attend events and gatherings hosted by the Obermann Center throughout the year.

A new approach to supporting faculty research in 2023-24

In the past, the Obermann Fellowships were a residency program. However, recognizing that many faculty now work from remote locations during research-intensive semesters, we are trying a new experiment. While we can still offer office space to faculty members who need a retreat, we also welcome applications from faculty who would benefit from participating in the Fellows seminar and the $1,000 research award.

The Obermann Fellows Faculty Seminar 

The heart of the Fellows program continues to be the bi-weekly seminar. In this two-hour meeting, facilitated by the Director of the Obermann Center, Fellows share work-in-progress. Past Fellows tell us they gain incredibly valuable insight from the questions, suggestions, expertise, and recommended readings of Fellows from other disciplines. The seminars are also a uniquely supportive, collegial space. Participants not only discuss their research. They also act as a warm, friendly accountability group, sharing strategies for balancing research with other responsibilities, for establishing sustained and sustainable research and writing careers, and for creating a healthy work life balance. Ideally, the seminar will meet at the Obermann Center.