Annual Fellowships

The Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies is pleased to offer fellowships to support significant research and writing about the Holocaust and related topics for projects that will benefit from a period of residence at the Museum and access to its resources. We welcome proposals from all relevant academic disciplines, including — but not limited to—anthropology, archaeology, art history, comparative genocide studies, film studies, geography, history, Jewish studies, law, material culture, religious studies, philosophy, political science, and psychology. Fellowships are designed for scholars at all levels of career, starting with PhD candidates (ABD). A principal focus of the fellowship program is to ensure the development of a new generation of scholars and those early in their careers are especially encouraged to apply. Faculty between appointments and scholars currently not affiliated with a university will also be considered. 

The Museum's Collections

Mandel Center fellows have access to the Museum’s extensive resources, including:

• Approximately 120 million pages of Holocaust-related archival documents

• Library resources in more than 60 languages

• Hundreds of thousands of oral history, film, photo, art, artifacts, and memoir collections

• The Database of Holocaust Survivor and Victim Names

• More than 200 million images from the ITS Digital Archive

Browse the Collections

Benefits of Becoming a Mandel Center Fellow

Many Mandel Center fellows hit academic career milestones earlier than average, including the publication of monographs, promotion to professorship, and achievement of tenure or tenure-track positions. Mandel Center fellowships also open doors at non-academic institutions, including nonprofit, governmental and educational organizations. Former fellows have been heavily involved as experts in the Museum’s revitalization project for its Permanent Exhibition, have partnered with local institutions to implement commemorative ceremonies, and have even testified at Congressional hearings.

A fellowship at the Mandel Center provides scholars time to conduct research in the Museum's world-renowned archives, to write, and to participate in programs, all while working in an intimate scholarly environment designed for the most fruitful research experience possible. Fellows enjoy tailored onboarding meetings and consultations with Mandel Center staff, personal guidance through the Emerging Scholars Publications Program, and regular scholarly presentations and lectures by Mandel Center staff and fellows. 

Fellowship Duration and Stipend

Fellows receive a monthly stipend of $5,000, which may be subject to taxes, as well as a one-time travel stipend to support roundtrip, economy transportation to Washington, DC from their home institution. Individual awards are for two, four, or eight consecutive months of residency. A minimum of two consecutive months is required; no exceptions are allowed. Fellows may not hold a Mandel Center fellowship concurrently with other funded fellowships. The Mandel Center provides visa assistance to fellows and their dependents, if necessary, but there is no further financial allowance for accompanying family members. Fellows are responsible for securing their own housing accommodations and health insurance. 

Application Materials and Guidelines

The Mandel Center's annual competition for fellowships for the 2025–2026 academic year will open on August 15, 2024. Applications must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. on November 15, 2024.

Awards are granted on a competitive basis. Project proposals should specify the resources available at the Museum to which a scholar needs access for their research. Applicants may attach an addendum listing these resources (in addition to the 1,000-word project proposal) or otherwise reference important resources in the body of their project proposal. Visit Collections Search to explore the Museum's holdings.

Applicants who previously received a fellowship award from the Mandel Center may re-apply once seven years have passed since the end date of their previous residency.

Applications must be submitted in English via our online application and consist of the following:

• An online application form

• A project proposal (in PDF format, not to exceed 1,000 words)

• A curriculum vitae summary (in PDF format, not to exceed four single-spaced pages)

Please note that the Mandel Center does not require letters of recommendation. 

Applicants will be notified of the competition outcome by April 2025. 

Contact Information

Visiting Scholar Programs Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies United States Holocaust Memorial Museum 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW Washington, DC 20024-2126 vscholars@ushmm.org