2025-26 UTSC/JHI DH Fellowship

March 4, 2025 by Sonja Johnston

The Jackman Humanities Institute, with the support of UT-Scarborough, the UTSC Library, the Dean, UTSC and the Office of the Vice-Principal Research, will support an 18-month Digital Scholarship project from July 1, 2025 to December 31, 2026.

Eligibility

All research faculty in the humanities and interpretive social sciences who hold their main budgetary appointment at UTSC. Applications are open to all tenure stream research faculty, but preference will be given to those 4-12 years post-PhD (with accommodation for career interruptions).

Applicants are encouraged to meet with the digital scholarship librarians at UTSC to discuss how you might collaborate on making your fellowship project successful. Contact Kirsta Stapelfeldt, the Digital Scholarship Unit Coordinator.

Support will be available to applicants before the deadline. UTSC and JHI will help to connect applications with resources such as:

Applicants are invited to contact and/or meet with CDHI Director, Professor Elspeth Brown, to discuss the possible shape of their projects, the content of their applications, and resources available in the short term.

Funding and Benefits

The UTSC/JHI Digital Humanities Fellowship provides up to $45,000 to support a DH-related research project, plus advice and guidance as needed. It is intended to get the online component(s) of a major piece of research through the conceptualization, design, and build process during eighteen months.

Responsibilities and Expectations

Support will be available after the selection of the 2025-26 UTSC/JHI DH Fellow.

The UTSC/JHI DH Fellow will lead a team involving undergraduate and graduate students and library staff. The team will produce the following outcomes:

  • Participation in the Critical Digital Humanities Initiative
  • Curricular innovation
  • Advancement on a scholarly project
  • A grant proposal (SSHRC, Early Researcher Award, or other)

During Summer and Fall semesters of 2025, the UTSC/JHI DH Fellow will work in close consultation with librarians and technologists from UTSC Library to design their project and assemble their collaborative project team, including UTSC undergraduate students from their home and⁠—where relevant⁠—other departments.

From January to December 2026, the UTSC/JHI DH Fellow will work on concrete outcomes including, where relevant:

  • Proof-of-concept technological demonstrations
  • New components of undergraduate courses and other student training initiatives
  • Publications, especially papers and posters designed to gather feedback and embed the project in national and international research networks
  • Grant proposal/s

The UTSC/JHI DH Fellow will be required to report twice during the fellowship, at the end of the Winter term of 2025 and at the end of the Winter term of 2026.

Application Components

All applicants must complete the online application with the following documents in a single PDF:

  • A detailed description of the project (12pt Times New Roman, 20mm margins, 3000 words maximum), including:
    • An executive summary
    • A description of the project concept, including a brief survey of relevant scholarship and account of the potential impact of the project on the applicant’s field
    • A description of work already undertaken to explore digital methods for research
    • An assessment of the project’s feasibility, including planning around collaboration (including with digital scholarship librarians), student training, and the dissemination and long-term sustainability of project results
    • Budget justification for up to $45,000CAD, excluding library and space costs (which will be provided in kind by UTSC) but including all other salaries and expenses
    • A description of the relevant aspects of the applicant’s track record, including significant publications and experience with collaborative graduate and undergraduate student research
  • A prospective budget in spreadsheet format for up to $45,000 CAD
  • Academic CV
  • 100-word description of your proposed research/project
  • 100-word biographical statement

You will also be asked to provide the name and email address of your Chair/Director, who will be asked to sign off on your application.

Application Timeline

  • Application Open: March 6, 2025
  • Application Deadline: April 17, 2025, at 4:00pm EDT
  • Chair/Dean Deadline: April 24, 2025
  • Selection Notification: End of April, 2025
  • Fellowship Period: July 1, 2025 to December 31, 2026

Contact and Additional Resources

  • Questions about the fellowship/projects/applications? Contact CDHI Director, Elspeth Brown
  • Technical questions about the application form or process? Contact JHI Communications Officer, Sonja Johnston

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