About the Fellowship
The Virginia HBCU Scholars Fellowship funds the humanities research of scholars affiliated with Virginia’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in service of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) heritage, stories, and communities. The fellowships are made possible by a major grant from the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation built on their long record of support for HBCUs.
Selected candidates will join the nearly half-century legacy of Virginia Humanities’ fellowship program and become part of a distinguished family of writers, scholars, and researchers that includes Nikki Giovanni, Robert Trent Vinson, Cassandra Newby-Alexander, and Margot Lee Shetterly. Participants can look forward to a respite from demanding workloads and find a supportive environment designed to further or complete their research. Thanks to our role as the state’s humanities council and our relationship with the University of Virginia, we can provide fellows with full access to the resources and libraries at the University of Virginia and the Library of Virginia.
Note: The deadline to apply was January 16, 2023. Details on the 2024 application will be posted here when available.
Fellows will be awarded a stipend of up to $5,000 per month, for up to one academic year (9 consecutive months). Replacement funds are available as needed and will be awarded to the fellow’s home institution. As part of the fellowship, selected candidates will have the option to choose another expert in their field of study to review their research as well as network, engage, and collaborate with other scholars. In addition, fellows will share their work publicly on Virginia Humanities’ With Good Reason public radio show and podcast and have the option to publish in our digital Encyclopedia Virginia and/or present at a local cultural center/organization of their choice.
Pictured: Kevin K. Gaines is the Julian Bond Professor of Civil Rights and Social Justice, with a joint appointment in the Corcoran Department of History and the Carter G. Woodson Institute for African American and African Studies, University of Virginia and Yahusef Medina, Interim Director, Community Initiatives, Virginia Humanities. Photo by Pat Jarrett/Virginia Humanities
“Just to have that space and time to really think deeply about my project, to write, and do research, it was just such a gift.”
Kim O’Connell
Press Releases
- Nine New Fellows Explore Stories of Virginia’s History and Culture (6/26/2023)
- Announcing Our Class of 2023 K-12 Educator Fellows (5/9/2023)
- Announcing Nineteen New Fellows HBCU, K-12, and Public Humanities Fellows (8/1/22)
More Information
For more information or questions contact the Project Director, Yahusef Medina, at ymedina@virginia.edu.
Support the next generation of Virginian scholarship.
The Fellowship program relies on endowed and named fellowships to uncover stories about Virginia’s history and culture. Be a part of this valuable work by funding a Fellowship today.
