The New York Public Library is pleased to offer Short-Term Research Fellowships to support scholars based outside the New York metropolitan area engaged in graduate-level, post-doctoral, professional, and independent research in the arts and humanities. This fellowship is intended to support projects that would significantly benefit from research drawing on collections accessible at The New York Public Library and conducted onsite at one of our three research centers: The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, and the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building.

Fellowship stipends are $1,000 per week for a minimum of one and maximum of four weeks.

Applicants should articulate the importance of the Library’s holdings to their projects and are encouraged to explore the NYPL Research Catalog, Archives and Manuscripts Portal, and Research Guides for more information on collections and resources accessible at the Schwarzman Building. While these links do not represent the entirety of the Library’s collections, they provide a thorough overview and are a good place to start. Questions regarding collections or additional holdings should be directed to staff in the relevant research division(s).

For assistance with the application process, email fellowships@nypl.org. Staff cannot provide feedback on individual applications or project proposals.

Key Dates

• Applications due: March 23, 2026

• Applicants notified: May 31, 2026

• Award period: July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027

Eligibility

NYPL Short-Term Research Fellowships are open to individuals based outside the New York metropolitan area* with the legal right to work in the United States. NYPL does not sponsor employment visas for these fellowships. Former recipients of this fellowship are only eligible to apply again after three years have passed and if they are applying with a new project.

*For the purposes of this fellowship, the New York metropolitan area includes: the five boroughs of New York City; Nassau, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, and Westchester Counties in New York; Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Monmouth, and Union Counties in New Jersey; and Greenwich and Stamford, Connecticut.

Application Instructions:

Applications are submitted through the new NYPL Fellowship Portal. Click here to be taken to the application form.

A complete application must include the following:

• Application completed in the NYPL Fellowship Portal

• Project proposal of no more than 1500 words -- see guidelines below

• Abbreviated CV of no more than two pages

• One professional letter of recommendation

Project Proposal

Successful project proposals will include a thorough explanation of how in-person access to collections accessible at The New York Public Library is essential to the progress and completion of the research project. Proposals should also include:

• Abstract of the project's major themes, questions, and arguments

• Significance of the project

• Specific Library collections and holdings to be consulted during the fellowship

• Project plan, including a timeline of your work with the Library's collections during the fellowship term and a description of the proposed methodological approach

• Expected project outcomes

• Personal statement (350 words max) detailing the impact this fellowship would have on your project and/or career as well as the likelihood of successfully completing your project without this fellowship

Selection Criteria

Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee composed of expert Library staff who will consider the following criteria:

• Need for research holdings of The New York Public Library

• Uniqueness of materials and innovative uses of material

• Quality of the project plan as it relates to the size and scope of materials to be accessed

• Impact this grant might have on the applicant's project and/or career