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Program Descriptions

85.300:  Woodrow Wilson Center Fellowships in the Humanities and Social Sciences

Popular Name: 

Objectives:  The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars was established by Congress to symbolize and strengthen "the fruitful relationship between the world of learning and the world of public affairs." It aims, in a strictly nonpartisan fashion, to foster scholarship and to promote the exchange of views between scholars and decision makers. The Center sponsors research, meetings, and publications on history, economics, politics, international relations, the environment, and many other areas. Fellows from around the world are brought to Washington, DC, to encourage discourse among disciplines and professions. The results of these activities are published. The Center enriches the quality of knowledge and debate in the Nation's capital and throughout the world.

PROGRAM AND AWARD	FINANCIAL AND INFORMATION CONTACTS
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS	FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFO.
APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS	INFORMATION CONTACTS
RELATED PROGRAMS	ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS
PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS	POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS

85.300 ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Applicant Eligibility:  Individuals from any country are welcome to apply. Men and women with outstanding capabilities and experience from a wide variety of backgrounds (including government, the corporate world, and the professions, as well as academia) are eligible for appointment. Because the Center has no laboratory facilities, primary research in the natural sciences is not eligible. However, projects that seek to relate the natural sciences to broader intellectual and social issues are welcome. Proposals that represent essentially advocacy are not eligible. The Center normally does not consider projects that represent essentially the rewriting of doctoral dissertations; the editing of papers and documents; the preparation of textbooks or miscellaneous papers and reviews; anthologies, memoirs, or translations.

Beneficiary Eligibility:  Citizens from all countries will benefit.

Credentials/Documentation:  For academic participants, eligibility is limited to the postdoctoral level, and normally it is expected that academic candidates will have demonstrated their scholarly development by publication beyond the Ph.D. dissertation. For other applicants, an equivalent degree of professional achievement is expected. An applicant working on a degree at the time of application (even if it is to be completed prior to the proposed fellowship year) is not eligible. All applicants should have a command of spoken English since the Center is designed to encourage the exchange of ideas among its Fellows.

85.300 APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS:

Preapplication Coordination:  There is no official pre-application process. Individuals who have questions about their eligibility or the focus of their proposed research should contact the Office of Scholar Selection and Services. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O.12372.

Application Procedure:  Applications can be obtained from the Office of Scholar Selection and Services. A complete application must include the following: 1. a completed two page fellowship application form; 2. a list of applicant publications (not to exceed three pages); 3. two letters of references sent directly to the Center by the application deadline; 4. a project proposal not to exceed 5 single-spaced or ten double-spaced pages (the most important element); and 5. a completed financial information form (included with the application form).

Award Procedure:  Applications are evaluated by peer review committees.

Deadlines:  The Center holds one round of competitive selection per year. The annual deadline is October 1.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:  Decisions on appointments are announced by early April.

Appeals:  There is no official appeals process.

Renewals:  There is no official renewal process.

Criteria for Selecting Proposals:  1) The importance and originality of the project (the quality of the project proposal and the degree to which the key questions have been identified and a promising approach outlined); 2) the applicant's scholarly promise, capabilities, achievement, and ability to accomplish the proposed project; and 3) the likelihood that the work, when completed, will advance basic understanding of the topic under study. The Center devotes special attention to the exploration of four prominent themes: governance; the U.S. role in the world and issues of partnership and leadership; key long-term future challenges confronting the United States and the world; and the broad interests of President Wilson, including government reform, international institutions, and a more open trading system. Projects should involve fresh, critical research, both in terms of the overall field and of the author's previous published work. The Center welcome projects that transcend narrow specialties and do not represent essentially technical, methodological issues of interest only within a specific academic discipline. The main criterion is the general importance of the project — will it change our understanding of a problem that is fundamental for society and important to the United States.

Examples of Funded Projects:  Listed below are a few of the 21 Fellows chosen for the academic year 1999-2000. 1) Martin Albrow, Professor of Sociology, Roehampton Institute, London. "Renewing the Concept of Society for Policy Use in the USA and the UK." 2) Laura Hein, Associate Professor of History, Northwestern University. "Living Social Science: Inventing and Commemorating Economic Achievement in Twentieth Century Japan." 3) Benjamin Kaplan, Associate Professor of History, University of Iowa. "Divided by Faith: A Social History of Religious Toleration in Europe, 1500-1800." 4) Yemile Mizrahi, Professor, Centro de Investigacion y Docencia Economica, Mexico. "From Opposition to Government: The National Action Party in Mexico." 5) Kurt Weyland, Associate Professor of Political Science, Vanderbilt University. "The Politics of Neoliberal Reform in Fragile Democracies: Argentina, Brazil, Peru, and Venezuela."

Range and Average of Financial Assistance:  In 1999-2000, the average yearly support was $44,442.00, which included travel expenses and health insurance for Fellows, their spouses, and their dependent children.

85.300 RELATED PROGRAMS:

85.300 PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

85.300 FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFO:

Federal Agency:  THE WOODROW WILSON INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR SCHOLARS

Type of Assistance:  Project Grants.

Obligations:  (Grants) FY 99 $5,840,000; FY 00 est $6,763,000; and FY 01 est $7,310,000.

Budget Account Number:  33-0400-0-1-503.

Authorization:  Woodrow Wilson Memorial Act of 1968, Public Law 90-637, 82 Stat. 1356; 82 Stat. 1357.

Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature:  Annual reports, current Fellows' listing, and application forms are available.

85.300 INFO CONTACTS:

Regional or Local Office:  None.

Headquarters Office:  Woodrow Wilson International Center For Scholars, One Woodrow Wilson Plaza, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20523. Contact: Rosemary Durkin Lyon, Office of Scholar Selection and Services. Phone: (202) 691-4213. Internet: wwics.si.edu.

(See Appendix IV for more contact info.)

85.300 ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:

Formula and Matching Requirements:  The Woodrow Wilson Center seeks to follow the principle of no gain/no loss in terms of a Fellow's previous year's salary. However, the combination of limited funds and a ceiling established by Congress makes it essential for most applicants to seek supplementary sources of funding: sabbatical support, other fellowships, or foundation grants. Each Fellow is assigned a furnished office available every day around the clock. The Center's main offices are located in the heart of Washington, DC, in a smoke- free space. Professional librarians provide access to the Library of Congress, university and special libraries in the area, and other research facilities. IBM-compatible personal computers or manuscript- typing services are available, and each Fellow is offered a part-time research assistant. Publishing services are available through the Woodrow Wilson Center Press, which co-publishes with Cambridge University Press and the Johns Hopkins University Press.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:  Stipends cover the length of the residential fellowship.

Uses and Use Restrictions:  Assistance is intended for the use of scholars only. In order to foster a true community of scholars, the Woodrow Wilson Center prefers its Fellows to be in residence for the entire U.S. academic year from September through May. A few fellowships are available for shorter periods with a minimum of 4 months.

85.300 POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Reports:  Fellows are asked to provide the Wilson Center with two copies of any publications that result from research undertaken during the fellowship period.

Audits:  None.

Records:  None required.