CENTER FOR NATIVE AMERICAN AND INDIGENOUS RESEARCH

Graduate Fellowships

The Center for Native American and Indigenous Research (CNAIR) is excited to announce its inaugural graduate student fellowship awards in 2018-2019. As the university’s and Chicago’s intellectual hub for research with and about Native Americans and for Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS) research, CNAIR supports undergraduate, graduate, and faculty fellows. The Center’s graduate student fellowship program seeks to generate and support research that is responsive to and engaged with Native communities and organizations, NAIS research, and historical and contemporary issues. Graduate students will have the opportunity to receive mentoring in NAIS methodologies and in career possibilities within relevant institutions (including but not limited to the university); present their work; and join a community of scholars dedicated to work that is interdisciplinary and oriented both to critical inquiry and to its repercussions for publics inside and outside the university. We welcome fellowship applications from Northwestern graduate students in all disciplines, including the humanities, social sciences, science and engineering, business, law, and medicine.

ABOUT THE FELLOWSHIPS

Graduate student fellows will:

• Select a faculty mentor and meet regularly throughout the fellowship term to discuss the student’s project
• Attend CNAIR-sponsored talks and events
• Present work at end of year CNAIR Research Forum
• May select and lead discussion of a reading with the NAIS graduate cluster
• Have the opportunity to develop an understanding of career opportunities related to NAIS research and Native organizations both inside and outside of university settings. Once selected, fellows will work with CNAIR co-directors to partner with a mentor at Chicagoland NAIS-and Native organizations.
• We will select one digital projects fellow, who will receive mentoring in creating digital projects related to NAIS scholarship and Native communities. If you wish to be considered as the digital projects fellow, please include in your personal statement the rationale for this consideration. This rationale should focus on a proposed project or use for digital platforms (no prior experience is necessary: we seek to foster digital scholarship in NAIS with the fellowship and will consider the
  student’s proposed research goals and plan rather than experience or expertise. We will provide necessary training and mentoring.).

Fellowships include support for one quarter, including a monthly stipend, fringe benefits, and research funds. TGS will cover the cost of tuition and health insurance benefits. Recipients of these fellowships will have the possibility to extend their existing funding toward support in their sixth year. Fellowships will be awarded by December 10, 2018; funds may be applied to winter, spring, and summer 2019 quarters. Students who take their fellowship funds in summer 2019 should plan to be in residence at CNAIR in winter or spring. Applicants must be enrolled in a Northwestern graduate program.

Application Process

Applications are due by November 15. Please submit the following documents as one PDF file to Jennifer Michals (jennifer.michals@northwestern.edu):

• A 1-2 page (single spaced) personal statement explaining how your research would benefit from and contribute to the Center and its mission to advance scholarship, teaching, learning, and artistic or cultural practices related to Native American and Indigenous communities, priorities, histories, and lifeways. Please indicate in your personal statement if you wish to be considered as the Digital Projects Fellow.
• A 2-3 page (single spaced) research statement and 1 page bibliography. Your research statement should include an explanation of how you plan to utilize the fellowship research funds.
• C.V.
• Writing sample of no more than 20 pages (double spaced).
• Unofficial graduate transcripts.
• A letter of recommendation from your primary faculty mentor should be sent directly from the faculty member to jennifer.michals@northwestern.edu by November 15.