Special Collections Research Fellowships

Three fellowship opportunities are available to researchers whose work would benefit from onsite access to our special collections in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Our fellows are awarded:

$2,000 for a project requiring domestic travel
$3,000 for a project requiring international travel

The current application cycle is open from November 1, 2024 through January 31, 2025. Awardees will complete their residency period and use awarded funds between May 5, 2025 and August 14, 2026.

Learn about eligibility, key dates, and how to apply.

Cohen Research Fellowship

The Hubert I. Cohen Fellowship is open to researchers whose work would benefit from onsite access to the Screen Arts Mavericks and Makers Collection.

This collection documents all aspects of the film production process through the papers of notable independent filmmakers including Robert Altman, Jonathan Demme, Alan Rudolph, Nancy Savoca, John Sayles, and Orson Welles, It also includes the papers of various specialty film producers and distributors including Ira Deutchman and Robert Shaye.

The fellowship, established with a gift from Joshua Bilmes, honors Professor Cohen’s long and distinguished career at the University of Michigan. He has introduced thousands of students to the art of the film through his intense and detailed examination of numerous auteurs and film genres.

Questions? Contact Philip Hallman at phallman@umich.edu.

Heid Research Fellowship

The Ralph C. and Mary Lynn Heid Rare Materials Research Fellowship is open to researchers whose work would benefit from onsite access to our special collections, including those held in the Special Collections Research Center and the Stephen S. Clark Library. The Joseph A. Labadie Collection and the Papyrology Collection are out scope for this fellowship.

Questions? Contact Martha O’Hara Conway at moconway@umich.edu.

Heidrich Research Fellowship

The William P. Heidrich Visiting Research Fellowship is open to researchers whose work would benefit from onsite access to the Joseph A. Labadie Collection.

This collection is one of the oldest, largest, and most comprehensive collections of its kind. Its holdings include materials on anarchism, anti-colonialist movements, antiwar and pacifist movements, atheism and free thought, civil liberties and civil rights, labor and workers’ rights, LGBTQ movements, youth and student protest, and other related topics.

Questions? Contact Julie Herrada at jherrada@umich.edu.