The Fellowship

Activities

  • The Society of Fellows is an interdisciplinary intellectual community in which the postdoctoral fellows are joined by senior fellows to share their work in progress.
  • Fellows are expected to participate in monthly colloquia, attend dinners of the Society, and to engage in conversation with other members about their intellectual interests.
  • They participate in the annual evaluation of new applicants for the fellowship.
  • They serve as evaluators for the ProQuest Distinguished Dissertations Awards sponsored by the Rackham Graduate School.
  • Each fellow is expected to teach the equivalent of one academic year, i.e., a total of two full terms during the period of the fellowship.

Appointment

  • Each fellow has a three-year appointment as an Assistant Professor in an affiliated department of the University and a concurrent three-year appointment as a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Society of Fellows.
  • This appointment is not tenure-track.
  • Any subsequent appointment of a fellow to a position at the University of Michigan would be subject to the rules governing new appointments.
  • The fellowship appointment begins on August 25 of the first fellowship year and ends on May 24 of the final fellowship year.

Stipend and Benefits

  • The current annual stipend is $63,000.
  • Fellows are eligible for participation in the University’s health, dental, and life insurance programs.

Residence

Fellows are expected to be in residence in Ann Arbor for the academic years of appointment (September to May) and to participate in all Society activities.

Off-Campus Research Leave

Off-campus research leave during academic terms will be permitted only in rare cases, only for brief periods of time, and only upon written application to the Chair of the Society well in advance of the proposed leave. Any leave granted will count as part of the fellowship tenure.

Publications

Fellows are asked to cite their affiliation with the Society of Fellows in any publications that result from work done during their tenure and to provide the Society with copies of such published work.

Report on Scholarship

At the end of each fellowship year, fellows are asked to submit a written report on their activities and accomplishments during the year.

Research Assistance

  • The departments of appointment have primary responsibility for providing office and laboratory or studio space for fellows, as well as access to other research needs or equipment.
  • The Society will help to ensure the cooperation of departments in providing the requisite setting for the scholarly and creative work of each fellow.
  • Each fellow may draw on the Society’s funds for research or travel on approval from the Chair and with proper receipts, up to a total of $3,000 per year.
  • Fellows are encouraged to seek support from external agencies if it appears that their scholarly and creative work will be enhanced by such grants.

Fellowship Application

The application will be available on August 1 each year. Questions may be submitted to [email protected].

NEW: Arts Initiative Fellowship

  • For the 2027–2030 and 2028–2031 fellowship terms, the Michigan Society of Fellows is piloting a new Arts Initiative fellowship program. In addition to the Society’s customary six annual fellowships, MSF will support one additional, dedicated fellowship position in the arts.
  • The Arts Initiative fellowship follows the same appointment structure, residency expectations, teaching expectations, stipend, benefits, application deadline, and review process as the Society’s other postdoctoral fellowships.
  • Arts Initiative fellows are appointed as non-tenure-track Assistant Professors in an affiliated department and as Postdoctoral Scholars in the Michigan Society of Fellows for a three-year term.
  • The primary distinction is eligibility: applicants for the Arts Initiative fellowship must have completed an MFA degree or comparable terminal degree in the arts within the required eligibility period.
  • For the 2027–2030 fellowship term, the Arts Initiative fellowship will be available in the participating departments of Creative Writing | English Department and Film, Television, & Media. Applicants whose creative practice aligns with these fields are encouraged to apply.
  • Like all Society fellows, the Arts Initiative fellow will participate fully in the interdisciplinary intellectual life of the Society, teach the equivalent of one academic year across the three-year fellowship term, and pursue independent creative work, research, or artistic projects while in residence at the University of Michigan.