The Yale Center for British Art (YCBA) offers short-term fellowships to support research projects that engage substantively with the museum’s collections. These awards are open to academics, curators, doctoral candidates, and independent scholars seeking funding for up to four weeks of on-site research.

These fellowships are open to curators, academics, independent scholars, and doctoral students working in any area of British visual and material culture. Applicants may be of any nationality. North American predoctoral applicants must have completed all academic requirements except the dissertation to qualify.

Fellowships provide US $5,000 for a four-week research period, with funding prorated for stays of two to four weeks. This stipend is intended to cover all associated costs, including travel, lodging, and daily expenses.

Application Timeline

Deadline: Tuesday, January 20, 2026, 12 pm EST
Notification of decisions: Late spring 2026
Fellowship period: July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027 (awards cannot be deferred)

Eligibility

These fellowships are open to curators, academics, independent scholars, and doctoral students working in any area of British visual and material culture. Applicants may be of any nationality. North American predoctoral applicants must have completed all academic requirements except the dissertation to qualify.

Expectations for Fellows

Arrival dates must be confirmed with the Research department in advance, as researcher visits are scheduled to ensure that each visitor has a dedicated desk in the Reference Library, and Study Room space is limited. Access to materials from Rare Books and Manuscripts, Prints and Drawings, and the Archives will be arranged accordingly.
Fellows will be provided a dedicated workspace in the YCBA Reference Library.
Fellows are expected to spend the majority of their time consulting the museum’s collections but will also have access to other Yale museums and libraries.
Fellows are encouraged to participate in YCBA programs and to engage with the broader scholarly community at Yale.
During the fellowship, fellows are expected to give a brief presentation on their research to YCBA staff.
Fellows may also be invited to contribute to one of the museum’s in-gallery program series—“Beyond Britain” or “Research in Action”—focusing on individual works in the collection.
At the end of their residency, fellows must complete an exit survey, and the YCBA fellowship should be acknowledged in any resulting publications or presentations.

Funding Information

Fellowships provide $5,000 for a four-week research period, with funding prorated for periods of two to four weeks. Payments will be made at the start of the fellowship whenever possible; international payments may take several weeks to process.
Fellows are responsible for any taxes associated with their award.

Application Requirements

All materials (project title, CV, abstract, object list) must be submitted in English by Tuesday, January 20, 2026, 12 pm EST. Letters of recommendation are not required.

Questions

For further information, please contact ycba.researchyale.edu.

To submit an application (and explore current and past cohort profiles and their research projects), please visit the YCBA's Research Fellowships webpage: https://britishart.yale.edu/research-fellowships-yale-center-british-art