Fejos Postdoctoral Fellowship

We will ask you to tell us about yourself. Our reviews are all double anonymous. Our reviewers will not have access to any of the following information:

Your abstract is a very important component of your application. In language that an interested layperson could understand, you need to convey what’s at the heart of your project. Your abstract should begin broad and go narrow, communicating the major theme or debate in anthropology your research addressed, then explaining the particular question you investigated. It should convey the “why,” “what,” “where,” and “how” of your research, while giving the reader a strong sense of how your media project will communicate your results. Your abstract will be the shortest part of your proposal, but it will also the hardest to write. You will need to have a very clear idea of your plans to do a good job. You probably should write it last. [Limit: 200 words]

If you are resubmitting an application that was unsuccessful in a previous funding cycle, you will need to include a resubmission statement. In it, you’ll have an opportunity to tell us about the progress you’ve made since you last applied. How has your thinking developed? How have you refined your plans? How does this application differ from the previous one? How have you addressed the reviewers’ concerns? [Limit: 1000 words]

Question 1: Describe the research that forms the basis of this media project. Explain your research questions, how you arrived at them, the methods you used to address them, and the conclusions that you have drawn based on your findings. What ethical issues has your research raised and how have you addressed them? [Limit: 750 words]

When answering this question, you should clearly describe the research that underlies the media project, including your specific research questions and conclusions. Explain how your findings further anthropological debates and add to the existing academic literature. Make sure that your theoretical claims are supported by appropriate evidence from your research. Be as detailed as possible in answering this question.

The Foundation looks for proposals that acknowledge and discuss an applicant’s research in the context of the large body of work done by international scholars. We also expect a discussion of the film, video, audio, tactile, or other media work that already exists on this topic, including from the world region where you did your research. State clearly how your project builds on what others have done. If aspects of your research have been published in the academic literature, please include references here and in the bibliography. For the second part of this question, we encourage you to think broadly about your ethical obligations to research participants, descendant communities, local stakeholders, and others affected by your work.

Question 2: Describe in detail the media project that you will be working on during the fellowship period, which could be a film, an audiowork, a podcast series, a series of short videos, a tactile theater piece, or some other multimodal work. How is your project related to the research that forms its basis? What will it add to our understanding of your findings beyond what is conveyed in traditional written publications? What story do you hope to tell? How will you tell it in fresh and compelling ways? [Limit: 1000 words]

It is important to provide a detailed answer to this question. We’re interested in the academic basis of your media project. We also need to be convinced of its innovative nature. Make a strong case for your plans. How will your work in this modality bring new insights to anthropologists beyond what they could learn from a book or article? What specific public audiences is your project designed to reach? How will it reach them? Be precise.

Question 3: One of our goals at the Wenner-Gren Foundation is to make anthropological insights available to broad audiences, within and beyond academia. Describe the audiences you hope to reach. How will you publicize your media project within the discipline, among your research participants, and to specific broader publics? Have you identified possible platforms or distributors or exhibition spaces? Who will own rights to the material? Will compensation and rights be offered to the people represented in the work? [Limit: 500 words]

Please be as explicit as possible. We are not looking for generalities in your answer to this question, but rather for a well thought-out, realistic, and creative plan. The Foundation is interested in funding projects that have the widest possible impact and the potential to bring anthropology and its relevance to the largest possible audience. The Foundation also takes seriously anthropology’s ethical obligations to share results with all relevant stakeholders in the formats that are most meaningful to them.

Question 4: Describe the nature of the footage, images, objects, or audio recordings you will employ and your timetable for the project. Is the material already in hand? If not, what new or additional recording (and/or research) is necessary? Detail what is needed to achieve to bring the project to fruition. [Limit: 250 words]

It is important to give a good sense of the material that will be included in your project. Bring this material to life and demonstrate how it will advance the goals outlined in your answer to Question 2. The underlying objective of the award is to support the final phase of media production. We would expect any final recording and/or research to take up no more than one month of your time.

Question 5: Describe the resources at your disposal for media production and any other aspects of digital media that you intend to integrate into this project. If you intend to collaborate with your research participants or other academic or media personnel, explain their role(s) in the project and the nature of the collaboration. If additional funding is needed, detail what is required and your strategy for obtaining these funds. [Limit: 500 words]

One of the Foundation’s primary funding criteria is feasibility. This question is your chance to resolve any doubts about your ability to succeed. It is important to demonstrate that you have the skills and resources you will need to complete your project within the allotted time.

Question 6: The goal of the Wenner-Gren Foundation is to advance anthropological knowledge and amplify the impact of anthropological research. How will your multimodal project contribute to these aspects of our mission? What difference will it make for your research participants, their communities, and society writ large? [Limit: 250 words]

The Fejos Postdoctoral Fellowship is very competitive. It’s not enough to provide us with an example of excellent research or an interesting case study. You must also convince us of the uniqueness of your project and explain why it is an important contribution to anthropology and the wider world.

Be explicit about what your media project will bring to anthropological conversations and public debate. What relevance will your project have for the discipline and beyond it? What impact will your project have in the lives of your research participants, other stakeholders, and the societies in which they live? The answer to this question must build on the arguments presented earlier in the proposal. Clearly demonstrate how the project will contribute to the outcomes you claim this work will have.

You must submit (1) a sample of your prior work that illustrates your approach to visual, audio, or tactile storytelling and (2) a sample of footage and/or recordings for the current project that illustrates the quality and novelty of the work that you intend to complete under the Fejos Postdoctoral Fellowship. Our reviewers are fluent in a broad range of languages but use English in the evaluation process. If your sample includes content that is not in English, include either subtitles or a 500-word English language summary of any non-English dialogue or narration. We carefully consider these elements of your application; invest time and effort into the material you include.

You will have a chance to upload charts, maps, or graphs that you refer to in your response to the project description questions. Please use this option sparingly. Only include figures that are essential for communicating your plans and goals.

You should tailor your research bibliography specifically for this proposal. Focus on your central research question and the broader conversations and debates that have inspired you. You’ll want to cite literature related to your approach to your topic, your research context, your methods, and any ethical issues raised by your research.

You’ll have a chance to upload your research bibliography to our online application system. Use a format compatible with Microsoft Word.

An annotated filmography or list of media works should be prepared specifically for this proposal. The works included should give a sense of your sources of inspiration and illustrate your approach to visual, audio, or tactile storytelling.

Prepare your media bibliography in a Microsoft Word (or compatible) format or as a PDF file and attach it to the application following the directions provided during the online submission process.