Funder: American Philosophical Society
Due Dates: January 25, 2027 (Application) | December 15, 2028 (Fellowship completion)
Funding Amounts: $5,000 per month for 3–12 months, plus $2,000 for relocation
Summary: Supports established experts advancing Native American and Indigenous Studies through archival research or collaboration at the American Philosophical Society.
Key Information: Fellows must reside regularly and continuously at APS, devote full time to research, and accept no teaching assignments.
Description
The Mellon Foundation Native American Scholars Initiative (NASI) Sabbatical Fellowship supports established academic, independent, and community-based experts in Native American and Indigenous Studies. Administered by the American Philosophical Society’s Library & Museum in Philadelphia, the residential fellowship supports work requiring APS archival collections or collaboration with the Center for Native American and Indigenous Research (CNAIR) or other APS staff. Projects may span any field of study and historical period.
Fellows are based at CNAIR, which promotes collaboration among scholars, archives, and Indigenous communities throughout the Americas. Preference is given to applicants with lived experience or sustained personal engagement with Indigenous communities whose projects involve close community collaboration. Project quality is the central selection priority, alongside the need for access to APS and other Philadelphia-area research institutions.
