Thematic Award Programs
Our thematic awards programs support multi-faceted approaches to enduring humanistic questions. Each year we issue calls for fellowship and event proposals related to the upcoming theme that will bring people and ideas together.
Fellowships
Our Thematic Fellowship programs support graduate student, faculty, and postdoctoral researchers with funding and opportunities to share their research with one another.
Postdoctoral Fellowship
Offered annually, the two-year postdoctoral fellowship program provides emergent, interdisciplinary scholars with time to further their work in an interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary setting and mentoring from a faculty member in their field.
Counter Fellowship
New for 2026–27, this year-long residential fellowship provides a modest stipend and monthly meetings for fellows to discuss and develop projects related to the Center’s annual theme.
Events & Seminars
Our Thematic Events programs support faculty and postdoctoral fellows with funding to host timely workshops, lectures, and other events related to the annual theme, as well as thematic semester-long research seminars.
Thematic Lectures
Each year we issue a call for co-sponsored lectures related to our annual theme. We provide speaker honoraria, travel, and lodging, as well as logistical and promotional support.
Multimodal Workshops
Each year we issue a call for co-sponsored multimodal workshops related to our annual theme. We provide workshop leader honoraria, travel, and lodging, materials and supplies, as well as logistical and promotional support.
Taft Research Seminars
This award program supports faculty and research staff who want to develop and deliver credit-bearing research seminars designed for graduate and advanced undergraduate and students interested in reading, thinking, and working collaboratively across the humanities and social sciences. We provide both $2,500 summer development awards and up to $15,000 seminar awards.