Announcement of Memberships

Opportunities for Scholars for the Academic Year 2024-2025

The Institute for Advanced Study is an independent private institution founded in 1930 to create a community of scholars focused on intellectual inquiry, free from teaching and other university obligations. Each year scholars from around the world apply to come to the Institute to pursue their own research. Those who are chosen are offered a membership for a set period.  Members receive access to the extensive resources of the Institute, including offices, access to libraries, subsidized restaurant and housing facilities, and some secretarial services.

The School of Historical Studies supports scholarship in all fields of historical research, but is concerned principally with the history of western, near eastern and Asian civilizations, with particular emphasis upon the Greek and Roman world, the history of Europe (medieval, early modern, and modern), the Islamic world, East Asian studies, art history, history of science, and late modern history. The School also offers the Edward T. Cone Membership in Music Studies. The School welcomes approximately forty Members working on topics in the above-mentioned fields, but each year the School also selects scholars working in other areas of historical research.  All selections are based on both external and internal review.  Members in the School are appointed for either term (first term September 25 to December 22, second term January 15 to April 12) or for two terms, amounting to a full academic year. 

Members’ eligibility requirements: applicants must have a substantial record of publication and a Ph.D. awarded by no later than December 31, 2022. The School considers the scholar’s academic career stage when evaluating the list of publications. Still, applicants must have at least three substantial articles in print in scholarly publications to be considered eligible. Scholars do not have to have a current institutional affiliation.

Members are required to remain in residence in Princeton during term time.  Members’ only obligation is to pursue their research. If they wish, they may also participate in seminars and meetings within the Institute, and there are ample opportunities for contact with scholars at nearby universities. Qualified candidates of any nationality are invited to apply.

Institute stipends for members will normally be offered up to a maximum of $78,000 for the full academic year, or $39,000 for one term. Membership stipends may be supplemented by other grants, including sabbatical salaries, but if the total exceeds the salary at the time of application the Institute stipend will be reduced accordingly. Scholars with full sabbatical funding, other grants, retirement funding, or other means may apply for a non-stipendiary membership. Institute stipends are intended to replace lost salary to fund Members; they are not intended to pay for teaching replacements in Members’ home institutions. A few Assistant Professors who meet additional eligibility requirements will be selected for Mellon Fellowships that provide full-year support matching their salaries and benefits at the time of application. (Detailed information about this program is on the website: https://www.hs.ias.edu/mellon.) Some short-term visitorships (for less than a full term, and without stipend) are also available on an ad-hoc basis. (To inquire about visitorship opportunities contact the Administrative Officer at HSao@ias.edu.)

Funding for Members comes from a variety of sources. The Center for Spain in America supports one John Elliot Member pursuing research in the history and culture of Early Modern Spain. The Patricia Crone membership supports one scholar working in the field of Near Eastern Studies. The Starr Foundation membership and the Roger E. Covey membership each support Members in the field of East Asian Studies. The Edward T. Cone membership annually supports one scholar in Music Studies. A Gerda Henkel membership will be offered to one scholar from the European Union, and there are other named memberships that are not tied to any specific field or nationality. Some Members will also be supported by the Institute’s own endowment or through foundation grants. 

Deadline: Completed membership applications must be submitted by October 15, 2023.

Inquiries may be sent by email to the Administrative Officer at hsappquery@ias.edu or by post to: School of Historical Studies, Institute for Advanced Study, 1 Einstein Drive, Princeton, New Jersey 08540