The Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Scholars Fellowship seeks to develop and amplify underrepresented voices and research within the academy and applied humanities spaces. This fellowship helps HBCU-affiliated writers, community scholars, and faculty members with their research process through funding, access to academic publishing outlets (journals and presses), public promotion of their work, and professional community/peer support.
Projects of interest can range across the disciplines of traditional, public, and digital humanities, and human-centered social sciences. Preference is given, but not limited to, projects that engage Virginia’s historical significance, elevate historically marginalized narratives, and explore broader South Atlantic themes. We offer both short-term (3-6 months) and long-term (9-12 months) options. Read more in the requirements section.
The HBCU Scholars fellowship builds on the nearly half-century legacy of the Virginia Humanities fellowship program. Selected candidates will 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. Fellows will receive access to various resources and the library system at the University of Virginia and the archives available at the Library of Virginia.
Fellows will have the opportunity to collaborate, share their ideas, and have their work reviewed by other experts in their field of study. In addition, fellows will share their work publicly on Virginia Humanities’ With Good Reason public radio show and podcast and present their scholarship at a cultural center/organization of their choice (e.g., The Jefferson School African American Heritage Center in Charlottesville). Fellows are also encouraged to publish in our online resource, the Encyclopedia Virginia.
Fellowship Timeline
- Friday, December 5, 2025: Application Opens
- Sunday, March 1, 2026: Application Closes
- April 2026: Applicants are notified
- May 2026: Acceptance packet is due
- Summer 2026: Selected fellows are onboarded and fellowship terms begin
Press Releases
- In Common: HBCUs Past, Present, and Future
- Yosef Medina & Monika Rhue on the Humanities = Podcast
- Seven New Fellows Expand Our Understanding of Virginia (October 23, 2025)
Made Possible By
More Information
For more information or questions contact Yosef Medina, director of Strategic Initiatives, 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.
