The Women’s History Institute of Historic Hudson Valley Summer Research Fellowship
Apply now to be a 2026 Women’s History Institute Summer Fellow!
Historic Hudson Valley is pleased to offer summer research fellowships to support matriculated college and graduate students. This fellowship is for students engaged in scholarly research focused on 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 substantial archives, collections and research library of Historic Hudson Valley, as well as special access to its historic sites.
Fellowships can be on site or low-residency and include a stipend of $3,000. Past Fellows have studied subjects including young women’s education and professions; culinary and architectural history; and the history of medical practice both by and on women.
Fellowship Requirements and Benefits
Research fellows are given access to Historic Hudson Valley’s library, archives and collections, personalized guidance from Historic Hudson Valley’s 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 Historic Hudson Valley 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.
Historic Hudson Valley’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.
