The Menil Drawing Institute is accepting applications for their Pre-Doctoral Fellowship spanning the 2027-28 academic year. Applications will be due on December 14, 2026 and should be submitted to mdimenil.org.

The Menil Drawing Institute welcomes applications from American and international researchers who work in fields pertaining to modern and contemporary drawing practices or adopt a transhistorical approach to the medium of drawing. This fellowship is residential and supports individual research towards the Fellow’s doctoral dissertation. Applicants must have completed a master’s degree and completed their graduate coursework and passed any required pre-doctoral exams (“orals”) before the term of the fellowship begins. Applicants with approved dissertation topics are preferred. The Fellow is expected to reside in Houston for the duration of the fellowship and to participate in the cultural and intellectual life of the Menil. They will typically make a presentation on their research to Menil staff and invited guests, and will also give a public talk.

TERMS OF APPOINTMENT
The Menil Drawing Institute Pre-Doctoral Fellowship is nine months in length and spans the academic calendar, lasting from September to June.
The Menil Drawing Institute Pre-Doctoral Fellow will receive a stipend of $29,700 to cover living and other expenses incurred during the Fellowship. This stipend will be paid during the course of the fellowship in monthly increments of $3,300.

Fellows are not considered employees of the Menil and will not be eligible to participate in the employee benefits plan. The Menil will not make any payroll deductions or withholdings. Fellows are responsible for all taxes associated with the stipend.

The Fellow will be housed in a fully furnished apartment within a historic bungalow on the Menil campus.

APPLICATION PROCESS
Applicants for the Pre-Doctoral Fellowship are required to provide a project proposal (not to exceed 1,000 words), a tentative schedule of work to be achieved during the fellowship period, a curriculum vitae, official undergraduate and graduate transcripts, a writing sample, and two letters of recommendation. It is the applicant’s responsibility to make sure that the application is complete and has been received by the museum.

Interviews will be conducted remotely in early January 2027. Applicants will be notified of decisions by February 2027.