I Tatti Fellowships
APPLICATION DEADLINE OCTOBER 15

Villa I Tatti, The Harvard University Center for Italian Renaissance Studies, offers up to fifteen Fellowships each academic year for advanced research in any aspect of the Italian Renaissance. Fellows join a community of scholars from all over the world, working in a wide range of fields and often with different methodological approaches. The most important goals of I Tatti are to develop our understanding of the Italian Renaissance, to encourage the fruitful interchange of ideas, and to create a relaxed atmosphere conducive to research and writing. To this end each Fellow is offered a study, use of the Biblioteca Berenson, lunches on weekdays, and various other privileges. Fellows are selected by an international and interdisciplinary committee that welcomes applications from scholars from all nations. The committee aims to assess the ability of candidates to contribute in a collegial way to the intellectual life of the Harvard Center. It pays special attention to the candidate’s curriculum vitae, the strength of the proposed project, and its potential to yield original results.

The project must represent advanced research in the Italian Renaissance, broadly defined as the period ranging from the 13^th to the 17^th centuries. Subjects covered include the architecture, history, literature, material culture, music, philosophy, religion, science, or visual arts of Italy. Applications would also be welcomed from candidates working on the transmission and circulation of ideas, objects, and people during the Renaissance, into and beyond the Italian peninsula, or the historiography of the Italian Renaissance, including the rebirth of interest in the Renaissance in later periods. It must be possible for applicants to carry out most of their research in Florence, with the resources available in the city and at I Tatti. Applicants should discuss how their project relates to their earlier work and note that preference is given to scholars embarking on a new research project rather than polishing a dissertation.

At the time of application, applicants must hold a PhD, dottorato di ricerca, or an equivalent doctorate. They must be conversant in either English or Italian and able to understand both languages. They should be in the early stages of their career, that is, within the first decade after receiving their doctorate. Fellows are expected to spend at least two or three days a week at the Villa, and are required to live in Florence or the surrounding area. They may not take on any other obligations such as teaching positions, even part-time ones, during any part of their Fellowship year.

Applications and the supporting material must be submitted by October 15; hard copy applications cannot be postmarked after that date. (See below for application instructions.) The selection committee informs applicants of its decisions in February, and it does not grant renewals, repeats, or deferrals of the Fellowship.

Stipend and Housing

The Fellowship year runs from July 1 to June 30. The maximum stipend is $50,000, plus a supplement towards relocation expenses. If the candidate receives partial salary or outside grants, this must be explained on the application or in subsequent correspondence with the Director. Several apartments on the I Tatti property are available for Fellows, with larger ones reserved for Fellows who live there with their families. These are rent free but with charges for utilities.

Hard Copy Application

Application and supporting materials should be sent to both the Cambridge and Florence address:

Your application should include:

1. A completed Fellowship application form (click here to obtain a pdf form).

2. A compact curriculum vitae that does not exceed five pages, including a list of your publications. Please indicate document title, date and page number in the header or footer.

3. A statement of the project to be developed at I Tatti (maximum 1500 words.) Please give a word count at the beginning and indicate document title, date and page number in the header or footer. The opening paragraph of the statement should be a concise abstract of the project. A focused bibliography of one page (in addition to the 1500 words) should be added at the end. The statement can be in English or Italian.

4. A photocopy of the doctoral certificate; an official transcript is not necessary.

Online Application

If you are submitting an online application, your application and supporting materials will be sent automatically to the Cambridge and Florence office; please do not send a hardcopy in the mail.

Please click here to submit an online application whereby you will then receive instructions on how to attach items #2-4 (listed above).

Letters of recommendation for both hardcopy and online applications

Three confidential letters of recommendation are required from scholars who know you well. Letters should be on institute letterhead and signed. These must be sent directly by the recommenders and should arrive by October 15, in one of the following ways:

• Hard copies mailed to both the Cambridge and Florence addresses

or

• signed letter, scanned and sent by email attachment to applications@itatti.it; or sent by fax to +39 055 3906894. In these cases letters will automatically be forwarded to both addresses.

Those who previously applied should submit a new application form, an updated curriculum vitae, project description, and at least one new letter of recommendation. To be successful, a project must have made considerable progress since the previous application.