The Humanities Truck is an interdisciplinary platform designed to facilitate collaborative community-based research, scholarship, and exhibitions. These collaborations take time and can take many different forms. The Humanities Truck Project Fellowship Program provides a year for the Truck Fellows to be able to use the truck to develop these community relationships. Full-time faculty (including term faculty), advanced Ph.D. students, and MA students engaged in a thesis project at American University are eligible to apply. Fellows will receive substantial research funding ($10,000) for these year-long projects.  Application deadline is May 10, 2019. The funding will be allocated to six projects.

The funds could be used, among other things, for summer salary, hourly research assistance, honoraria for community members or organizations, equipment, archival duplication costs, research related services such as transcription costs, and supplies and food to support project specific community-based workshops, exhibitions, and performances. All equipment purchases will either need to be donated to the community or added to the Humanities Truck lending library upon conclusion of your project. Other expenses will need to be approved by the director of the Humanities Truck project and must align with the rules and regulations of the Mellon Foundation and American University.

Truck Fellows are expected to build a collaborative process that involves community partners in each phase of their projects, from research and documentation, to interpretation, and scholarly creation in the form of accessible deliverables, exhibitions and performances. Throughout the year, Truck Fellows will meet together to reflect upon the effective practices of community-engaged scholarship, and also to share the findings of their own projects. 

Application Instructions

• Please e-mail a copy of your latest CV and, if relevant, those of your AU team members when you submit your application. Also, you must include Letters of Support from your Community Partners.
• Please email your file(s) to humanitiestruck@gmail.com by the May 10, 2019 deadline.