NEH Postdoctoral Fellowship in Poetics
The Fox Center's NEH Postdoctoral Fellowship in Poetics is open to recent PhD graduates from any university whose research is focused on poetry or poetics. This longstanding fellowship reflects the importance of Emory’s Stuart A. Rose Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Book Library as a center for research in poetry, and we are especially eager to support projects which engage with the holdings of the Raymond Danowski Poetry Library. Starting in AY 2027-28, Poetics Fellows will be appointed for one year, with the possibility of renewal for an additional year. Applicants who received (or will receive) their PhD from Emory University are not eligible for this fellowship.
Applications are now open. Click here to apply.
Please note: We do not require that applicants' research engage directly with our theme of Humanities Plural. However, we ask that applicants briefly address how their project relates to significant methodological, theoretical, or conceptual issues in the humanities.
About the Fellowship
The Fox Center's NEH Postdoctoral Fellowship in Poetics is intended to support exceptional early career researchers to expand their disciplinary thinking in a lively and collegial environment while providing them with the necessary time and space to advance their individual research projects. Our NEH Postdoctoral Fellows in Poetics participate in our weekly fellows' seminar, presenting their work-in-progress at one of these meetings, and nominating a scholar from their own field to be included as a guest presenter at a subsequent meeting.
In the spring of their fellowship year, our NEH Postdoctoral Fellows in Poetics offer an interdisciplinary undergraduate seminar on a subject of their choosing through Emory's Institute of the Liberal Arts, which hosts two interdisciplinary majors. If invited to continue for a second year, fellows will have additional teaching responsibilities and will receive teaching mentorship from Emory faculty in a relevant discipline. See a list of examples of past seminars and the General Education Requirements that these courses fulfill.
Fellowships are for a period of ten months, August 1 – July 31, and carry a stipend of $62,000, eligibility for a wide range of competitive benefits (including health, dental, and vision insurance), a research budget of $2,000, and a $2,000 stipend for moving expenses. All NEH Postdoctoral Fellows in Poetics have access to a private office in the Center and are required to be resident in Atlanta for the term of the fellowship.
Alanna Prince, 2025-26 NEH Postdoctoral Fellow in Poetics
“The sense of comradery and stability has been really good for me. Coming in and seeing everyone in their element, being able to come to that meeting every week and chat about things and seeing people give thoughtful feedback has been incredible.”
Michael Patrick Allen, 2024-25 NEH Postdoctoral Fellow in Poetics
“I'm very struck by how everyone tries to engage with the problems and preoccupations of the other fellows. They try to not only give you something from their home discipline but also understand the questions and projects that you are trying to pursue.”
How to Apply
All Postdoctoral Fellows must hold a PhD (or its international equivalent, such as the DPhil). Applicants may not have held a doctorate for more than five years. Preference will be given to applicants who have not held prior postdoctoral fellowships.
To apply, please complete our online application form in Interfolio.
You will be asked to upload the following documents:
- Cover letter (2 pages maximum)
- Project description (1000 words maximum, including a timeline for the fellowship year)
- Writing sample (20-25 pages)
- Syllabi for two proposed undergraduate courses
- Curriculum vitae
- E-mail information for three recommenders
It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all required documents are uploaded to Interfolio and submitted. Incomplete applications cannot be considered after the deadline.
Application Timeline
- August 2026: Online application form goes live.
- December 7, 2026: Applications close. Letters of recommendation must be received before December 11, 2026.
- February 2027: Decisions are announced.
Frequently Asked Questions
Scholars from outside of the United States are appointed under either the J-1 visa (Research Scholar status) or F-1 OPT (Optional Practical Training), depending on their circumstances. The Fox Center reserves the right to cancel awards if the recipient is unable to meet the conditions required for a visa.
Applicants should describe the specific research planned for the period of the Fellowship and the expected output and include a detailed timeline. They should also describe their engagement with the annual theme and how they would benefit from the interdisciplinary environment.