Postdoctoral Fellowships in the Social Sciences
This page provides information on some fellowships for postdoctoral researchers in the social sciences. To search for other postdoctoral funding, see the Pivot funding opportunities database (accessible from berkeley.edu computers).
- Deadlines refer to sponsor receipt deadlines. In most cases a portion of the application must be completed by the faculty sponsor, and the entire application must then be processed first by the administering unit and then by SPO. Please allow time for these activities.
- Other funding information is available from the Graduate Fellowships Office.
- Agencies may change their programs, requirements, deadlines, location, and other information at any time. Please verify information from agency websites.
Fellowships
| Program | Deadline | Program Synopsis |
|---|---|---|
| The David E. Bell Fellowship Program at HCPDS | October 11 - November 30 | The Bell Fellowship Program provides opportunities for research and leadership training in a two-year, non-degree program for researchers and practitioners in the field of population and development at HCPDS. |
| American Antiquarian Society, Fellowships | varies | AAS offers three broad categories of visiting research fellowships, with tenures ranging from one to twelve months doing research in the AAS library. |
| American Association of University Women, Fellowships and Grants | varies | AAUW provides funding for graduate women. Fellowship and grant recipients perform research in a wide range of disciplines and work to improve their schools and communities. |
| American Cancer Society, Postdoctoral Fellowships | April 1, October 15 | Supports postdoctoral training in cancer research, including basic, preclinical, clinical, cancer control, psychosocial, behavioral, epidemiology, health services and health policy research. |
| American Council of Learned Societies, Fellowship and Grant programs | varies | ACLS offers fellowships and grants in programs for work in the humanities and related social sciences at the doctoral and postdoctoral levels. |
| American Councils for International Education, Research Abroad | varies | American Councils administers several grants for independent, overseas policy relevant research in the humanities and social sciences as well as language training. |
| American Diabetes Association, Postdoctoral Fellowships | varies | Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States or U.S. possessions. |
| American Educational Research Association, Fellowships and Grants | varies | AERA is a national research society that strives to advance knowledge about education, to encourage scholarly inquiry related to education, and to promote the use of research to improve education and serve the public good. |
| American Historical Association, J. Franklin Jameson Fellowship in American History, Fellowships in Aerospace History | varies | Jameson Fellows spend 2-3 months at the Library of Congress for American history research. Aerospace History Fellows undertake a 6-12 month research project in aerospace history. |
| American Psychological Association, APA Congressional Fellowship, Foundation Grants | varies | The APA Congressional Fellowship Program offers members the opportunity to spend one year working on the staff of a member of Congress or congressional committee. Applicants must be U.S. citizens. The APA also offers a variety of grants for early career psychologists. |
| Cambridge University, Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, Fellowships | varies | The Centre offers a number of programmes to bring scholars from all over the world to CRASSH. |
| Columbia University, Earth Institute, Fellows Program | November | The program provides postdoctoral scholars with the opportunity to build a foundation in one of the core disciplines represented within the Earth Institute (i.e. social, earth, biological, engineering, and health sciences), while acquiring cross-disciplinary expertise needed to address critical issues related to sustainable development. |
| Council of American Overseas Research Centers, Fellowships | varies | CAORC is a federation of independent overseas research centers that promote advanced research, particularly in the humanities and social sciences, with a focus on the conservation and recording of cultural heritage and the understanding and interpretation of modern societies. CAORC offers research fellowships to doctoral candidates, postdoctoral scholars, and independent scholars. |
| Dartmouth College, Leslie Center for the Humanities, Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowships | October | With the support of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Dartmouth offers an in-residence postdoctoral fellowship in the humanities and humanistic social sciences. |
| Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, Fellowships | May | Short-term research fellowships support doctoral candidates, college and university faculty, and independent scholars working in the field of American history who intend to conduct research at archives in New York City. |
| Harvard University, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Fellowships | January | The Belfer Center offers research fellowships during the academic year to individuals who wish to devote their time to research and writing in the fields of science and international affairs. |
| Haverford College, John B. Hurford '60 Center for the Arts and Humanities, Mellon Post-Doctoral Fellowship | January | The fellowship is designed to nurture the professional potential of an emerging generation of young humanists. Fellowships are for two years. |
| George A. and Eliza Howard Foundation Fellowships | November | Fellowships are intended primarily to provide artists, scholars, and writers with time to complete their work. Fields vary by year. The Foundation targets its support to early mid-career individuals who have achieved recognition for at least one major project. |
| Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Sponsorship Programmes | varies | Various fellowships fund research stays in Germany. |
| International Resources and Exchange Board, Participate in Projects | varies | IREX brings expertise and experience in fields such as education, civil society, gender, media, governance, access to information, and youth employment. |
| Leakey Foundation, Research Grants | varies | The foundation exclusively funds research related specifically to human origins. Grants given to senior scientists and post-doctoral students may be funded up to $25,000. |
| John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress, Chairs & Fellowships, Scholars in Residence | varies | Offers residential fellowships to scholars and practitioners from all fields and all levels to make use of the Library’s collections and digital resources.. |
| National Academies, Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowships | November | Awards will be made to individuals who have demonstrated superior academic achievement, are committed to a career in teaching and research at the college or university level, show promise of future achievement as scholars and teachers, and are well prepared to use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students. U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, and U.S. permanent residents are eligible. |
| National Academy of Education, NAEd/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship | November | Fellowships support non-residential postdoctoral proposals that make significant scholarly contributions to the field of education. |
| National Science Foundation, SBE Postdoctoral Research Fellowships | November | The Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences offers fellowships to encourage independence early in the Fellow’s career. |
| Newberry Library, Fellowships | November, December | Fellowships provide assistance to researchers to use the collections in Chicago. Short-term fellowships for one to two months and long-term fellowships for four to twelve months are available. |
| Paralyzed Veterans of America Research Foundation | July 1 | Grants support innovative research and fellowships that improve the lives of those with spinal cord injury and disease. |
| Princeton University, Society of Fellows in the Liberal Arts, Fellowships | August | The Princeton Society of Fellows, an interdisciplinary group of scholars in the humanities, social sciences, and selected natural sciences, invites applications for in-residence postdoctoral fellowships. |
| Smithsonian Institution, Fellowships and Internships | varies | Fellows have the opportunity to study and work intensively with Smithsonian collections and experts in their fields and beyond. |
| Social Science Research Council, Fellowships & Opportunities | varies | SSRC fellowships target specific problems, promote individual and institutional change, and expand networks. |
| Stanford University, Center for International Security and Cooperation, Fellowships | January | CISAC is an interdisciplinary community of scholars dedicated to producing policy-relevant research on international security topics. CISAC residential fellows are expected to produce a finished piece of writing. |
| Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program, UCOP, Call for Applications | varies | TRDRP supports investigators at eligible California institutions engaged in research that directly contributes to the elimination of smoking and tobacco use and mitigates its human and economic costs in California. The Postdoctoral Fellowship supports research training under a designated mentor. |
| UC Humanities Research Institute, Grants | varies | UCHRI programs available for recent PhDs include Residential Research Group Fellowships and Workshops. |
| UC President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program | November | The current program offers postdoctoral research fellowships, professional development and faculty mentoring to outstanding scholars in all fields whose research, teaching, and service will contribute to diversity and equal opportunity at UC. |
| UCLA Center for Seventeenth- and Eighteenth-Century Studies, Postdoctoral Fellowships | February 1 | The Center administers a number of fellowship programs for senior and postdoctoral scholars. |
| Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research, Post-PhD Research Grant | varies | The Foundation has a variety of grant programs for anthropological research and scholarship that are open to applicants irrespective of nationality or country of residence. |