The Women’s History Institute of Historic Hudson Valley Summer Research Fellowship
The Women’s History Institute of Historic Hudson Valley is pleased to offer Summer Research Fellowships to support matriculated college and graduate students to engage in scholarly research connected to the women who shaped the culture and chronicle of the Hudson River Valley. It is an opportunity to gain a privileged and sustained engagement with the archives, collections and research library of Historic Hudson Valley, as well as special access to its historic sites.
Historic Hudson Valley (HHV) is a not-for-profit organization focused on education and American history. We welcome more than 300,000 visitors annually to our five sites for public tours, school programs, seasonal festivals, and popular events, and our digital programming includes award-winning media on the history of Northern slavery and women’s history in our region. Our substantial archives, collections, and library offer an unparalleled window into four centuries of life in the Hudson Valley.
Fellowship Requirements and Benefits:
One-two Research Fellows are chosen each year. They are given unfettered access to HHV’s library, archives and collections, personalized guidance from the Research Librarian and the Archives and Collections Manager, and ample workspace in the Regional History Center at 639 Bedford Road in Tarrytown, NY.
Fellows are expected to produce the following:
- An article or mid-term report of approximately 750 words on a topic related to their research during the period of their Fellowship, and
- A final paper of 2,500 words or more on their findings at the conclusion of their Fellowship.
Fellowship stipends are $3,000 for research undertaken during June, July, and August, with a minimum of 10 days of in-person work at the Regional History Center (where the library, archives and collections are housed).
Application Dates:
Residence between June 1, 2026 – August 28, 2026. Low residency candidates are welcome to apply.
Applications containing a resume, proposal and two letters of recommendation must be submitted by November 28, 2025.Successful applicants will be notified by January 22, 2026, and award acceptances are requested by February 2nd, 2026.
Application Requirements:
A complete application consists of five (5) parts.
- A cover letter to [email protected] including:
- Name and contact information of the applicant;
- A general description or abstract of the research project; and the HHV collections to be consulted (when possible).
- A project proposal of 500 words which describes the theme and format as well as how it relates to the Women’s History Institute of Historic Hudson Valley
- A resume or curriculum vitae
- Two letters of recommendation from recent professors or relevant employer
- A virtual or in-person interview with the Librarian and Archives & Collections Manager (by November 1)
Applications should be submitted in PDF format by email to [email protected].
Archives, Collections and Library
Historic Hudson Valley’s archives and collections represent seventy-five years of collecting and curation. No other institution can offer a more comprehensive view of the Hudson Valley’s material culture or the rich history of the region.
HHV’s curatorial collection of nearly 8,000 objects is one of best-documented in the Hudson Valley. The collection is particularly strong in the decorative arts, including furniture and ceramics, over 65 percent of which are original family possessions exhibited in situ at our historic houses. HHV’s object storage and archival holdings are housed in a custom-built and climate-controlled facility at our Regional History Center in Tarrytown, NY.
Our archival collections include more than 4,000 rare books and 5,000 manuscripts as well as maps, subject files, photographs, and prints. Among the subjects in our archives are numerous unique items of interest to researchers in women’s history, covering topics such as enslavement and manumission in the Hudson Valley; women’s land ownership; 19th century politics, arts and letters; women’s entrepreneurship and domestic economies; female friendships; childhood; and teenage life.
HHV’s library offers a general book collection of more than 17,000 titles relating to the history and culture of the Hudson Valley. Subject areas include early African American history, agriculture, American 18– and 19th-century culture, art, architecture, biography, cooking, decorative arts, the history of science and technology, social and political history, textiles, women’s history, and the works of Washington Irving.
The Women’s History Institute:
The Women’s History Institute is a trustee-directed initiative of HHV that seeks to illuminate the significant contributions made by women in the Hudson Valley, past and present, and to reveal the stories of the diverse women who lived and worked at our historic sites. Through research, on-site and digital interpretation, and a lively roster of programs, the Women’s History Institute fosters a deeper understanding of the lives of these and other women of the Hudson Valley, and offers a contemporary audience the resources necessary to take inspiration from their history.
The Fellowship:
The Summer Research Fellowship supports the research of college and graduate students into the lives of women residing in the Hudson Valley, particularly during the time period represented in the HHV collections: the 18th and 19th centuries. By allowing these researchers privileged and sustained access to the collections, HHV will continue to build a body of scholarship that will support new interpretation at our sites as well as future digital products.
Fellowship Requirements:
\Summer Research Fellows will be required to submit a final report on their research. The format of this report will be determined by the individual Fellow, in consultation with the Librarian and the Archives and Collections Manager. The Fellows may also be asked to present their research to select HHV staff and supporters, and may be offered the opportunity to take part in HHV programming.
Eligibility:
Only U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and foreign nationals who have a valid visa and/or who have been resident in the United States for three years as of January 31, 2025 may apply.
Long-Distance Applicants:
No housing is available at Historic Hudson Valley. Fellows must obtain housing based on local availability such as Airbnb.com, VRBO.com, etc. Advice concerning locales, accessibility to Historic Hudson Valley, etc., is available by request from HHV staff.
Contact:
All questions about the Summer Research Fellowships should be directed to the Research Librarian, Catalina Hannan, and the Archives and Collections Manager, Caitlin Monaco. Both can be reached at [email protected]
