postdoctoral fellowships

A. W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowships and Beinecke Postdoctoral Fellowships are two-year, residential appointments that support research and writing for publication. In their first year, postdoctoral fellows design and direct an intensive weeklong seminar for the Center’s predoctoral fellows in residence, focusing on a topic related to the postdoctoral fellow’s field of interest and with a special emphasis on methodological issues. In the second year, postdoctoral fellows teach a course at a neighboring university. The A. W. Mellon and Beinecke Postdoctoral Fellowships commence in alternating years.

Postdoctoral fellows receive an office in the National Gallery’s East Building as well as housing, subject to availability. They have access to the notable resources of the National Gallery, including its library and art collection, as well as those of greater Washington. Fellows participate in lectures, colloquia, and discussions with the Center’s vibrant community of scholars.

Award Period

September 2026–August 2028

Fields of study

A. W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowships and Beinecke Postdoctoral Fellowships support research in the history, theory, and criticism of the visual arts of any period or geographical area. We especially encourage applications that contribute to scholarship in understudied areas.