RSA Research Fellowships
The RSA Research Fellowships from the Renaissance Society of America fund short-term research and publication projects advancing scholarship on the Renaissance period (1300–1700).
Funder: Renaissance Society of America
Due Dates: September 16, 2026 (Full application deadline)
Funding Amounts: Up to $2,000 (Paul Oskar Kristeller Fellowships, ~10 awards) | Up to $3,000 (RSA-Kress in Art History, ~10 awards) | $3,750 (Virginia Fox Stern Residential, 1 award)
Summary: Supports RSA members with short-term funding for research and publication projects that advance scholarship on the Renaissance (1300–1700).
Key Information: Applicants must be RSA members for at least 12 months prior to applying; projects in all disciplines are eligible, with some fellowships focused on Art History or manuscript research.
Description
The Renaissance Society of America (RSA) offers competitive short-term fellowships to support individual research projects and publications that enhance scholarly understanding of the period 1300–1700. These fellowships are intended to facilitate research and the dissemination of outstanding scholarship by RSA members, with funding provided through donations, bequests, and grants from organizations such as the Samuel H. Kress Foundation and the Virginia Fox Stern Center.
Three main categories of fellowships are available:
- Paul Oskar Kristeller Fellowships: For research in any field other than Art History.
- RSA-Samuel H. Kress Research Fellowships: For research in Renaissance Art History.
- RSA-Virginia Fox Stern Residential Fellowship: For intensive research utilizing rare book and manuscript collections at Johns Hopkins University.
Fellowship funds may be used for a range of research-related expenses, including travel, access fees, digital resources, publication costs, dependent care, and (for contingent faculty) summer stipends. The program prioritizes support for contingent faculty, independent and self-employed scholars, graduate students, early career researchers, and those who have published fewer than two single-author books.
