A Graduate Research Fellow assists with an academic research program or project. Works in a variety of fields within science or the social sciences, in programs based at a university. Conducts field or library research or recruits participants for a study; may also assist with legal research.
Gaius Charles Bolin Dissertation and Post-MFA Fellowship:
Philosophy Williams College:
Bolin Fellowship Location:
Williamstown, Ma Open Date:
Sep 01, 2026
Deadline:
Nov 15, 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time Description The Gaius Charles Bolin Fellowships at Williams College are designed to strengthen and expand the professoriate by supporting scholars and artists whose research, teaching, and engagement contribute to inclusive and intellectually vibrant academic communities. Through sustained mentorship, professional development, and full participation in the intellectual life of the College, fellows are supported as they prepare for faculty careers. Established in 1985, the program supports advanced graduate students and post-MFA artists. Gaius Charles Bolin was the first Black graduate of Williams in 1889. He was an active and influential member of his class who went on to a successful career as a lawyer in Poughkeepsie, New York. Bolin also was a founding member of the local branch of the NAACP and was the first African American president of the Dutchess County Bar Association. In 1969, eighty years after Gaius Bolin graduated, Joseph E. Harris, the first Black tenure-line faculty member, was hired at Williams. In honoring this legacy, the fellowship supports scholars and artists whose research, teaching, and creative work expand the range of questions, perspectives, and communities represented in academic scholarship, and who are prepared to contribute to inclusive, rigorous, and collaborative academic environments. The Bolin Fellowship is structured as a two-year residency at Williams. Two scholars or artists are appointed each year. Fellows devote the bulk of the first year to the completion of dissertation work-or in the case of post-MFA applicants, building their professional portfolios-while also teaching one course as a faculty member in one of the college's academic departments or programs. The second year of residency, preferably with a terminal degree in hand, is spent on academic career development while again teaching just one course. Through this structure, fellows gain experience as teacher-scholars while advancing significant scholarly or creative work. Qualifications The Gaius Charles Bolin Fellowships at Williams College are designed to strengthen and expand the professoriate by supporting scholars and artists whose research, teaching, and engagement contribute to inclusive and intellectually vibrant academic communities. Through sustained mentorship, professional development, and full participation in the intellectual life of the College, fellows are supported as they prepare for faculty careers. Established in 1985, the program supports advanced graduate students and post-MFA artists. Gaius Charles Bolin was the first Black graduate of Williams in 1889. He was an active and influential member of his class who went on to a successful career as a lawyer in Poughkeepsie, New York. Bolin also was a founding member of the local branch of the NAACP and was the first African American president of the Dutchess County Bar Association. In 1969, eighty years after Gaius Bolin graduated, Joseph E. Harris, the first Black tenure-line faculty member, was hired at Williams. In honoring this legacy, the fellowship supports scholars and artists whose research, teaching, and creative work expand the range of questions, perspectives, and communities represented in academic scholarship, and who are prepared to contribute to inclusive, rigorous, and collaborative academic environments. The Bolin Fellowship is structured as a two-year residency at Williams. Two scholars or artists are appointed each year. Fellows devote the bulk of the first year to the completion of dissertation work-or in the case of post-MFA applicants, building their professional portfolios-while also teaching one course as a faculty member in one of the college's academic departments or programs. The second year of residency, preferably with a terminal degree in hand, is spent on academic career development while again teaching just one course. Through this structure, fellows gain experience as teacher-scholars while advancing significant scholarly or creative work. Application Instructions Candidates should apply via Interfolio by 11:59pm on November 15, 2026, with: a cover letter with a description of your research and teaching interests; this letter should also explain how you will effectively engage a broadly diverse student body and contribute to an academic environment that values diverse perspectives and experiences a full curriculum vitae two confidential letters of recommendation, including one letter of recommendation that addresses the applicant's ability to contribute to inclusive academic environments and to advance understanding of diverse perspectives and experiences PhD applicants: a copy of the dissertation prospectus, preferably limited to 10-15 pages, or a research statement of the same length; and a timetable for completion of the degree Post MFA applicants: project description, preferably limited to 2-5 pages [250-1250 words], and additional material, as described below:
Writers:
2-3 short stories, 10-15 poems, or novel passages not to exceed 50 pages
Visual Artists:
20 images
Theatre Artists:
sample of design portfolio, links to performances Eligible candidates for the fellowship include all U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, and U.S. permanent residents (holders of a Permanent Resident Card); individuals granted deferred action status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program; Indigenous individuals exercising rights associated with the Jay Treaty of 1794; individuals granted Temporary Protected Status; asylees; and refugees. Eligible candidates may apply to more than one academic unit. Units that will be participating in 2026-27 are: Arabic Studies Asian Studies Biology Classics Cognitive Science Economics German Jewish Studies Math Philosophy Physics & Astronomy Political Science Psychology Statistics (
PLEASE NOTE:
participating units change from year to year.)Arabic Studies Asian Studies Biology Classics Cognitive Science EconomicsGerman Jewish Studies Math Philosophy Physics & Astronomy Political Science Psychology Statistics (
