Hunt 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 the publication(s) you plan to finish to communicate your results. Your abstract will be the shortest part of your proposal, but it will also be 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 writing plans? How does this application differ from the previous one? How have you addressed the reviewers’ concerns? [Limit: 1000 words]

We will ask you to answer four project description questions. Our word limits are strict. To make the best possible case for your work, it’s a good idea to use all the space provided.

Question 1: Describe the research that forms the basis of your proposed writing project. What conclusions did you draw in this study? (If you are planning to conduct further research during the fellowship period, please explain how this work will help you achieve your publication goals.) [Limit: 1500 words]

When answering this question, you should clearly describe your specific research questions and preliminary conclusions you have reached. You must make clear how your findings further anthropological debates and add to the existing literature.  Show us that you have the evidence you need to support your broader claims. The Foundation looks carefully for proposals that locate an applicant’s research in the context of a larger body of work done by international scholars.

If you are asking for a period for additional research as part of your proposal, explain this part of your plan in your answer to Question 1. Be explicit about how this new research relates to the completed research. Explain why it’s so important for you to do this additional work now. Applicants should remember that the underlying objective of the award is to support writing for publication. Please note that you may spend no more than one quarter of the fellowship period on the research phase of your project.

Question 2: How did you gather evidence to support these conclusions? Describe your research design and process. (If you are planning to conduct further research, describe your research design and process for this future phase of your work.) [Limit: 750 words]

Provide a brief review of the research you conducted.   Tell us about the kind of evidence you collected, the analysis you used, and the reason why you chose the specific methodology or methodologies you employed.  Please also discuss the ethical issues raised by your research. We encourage you to think broadly about your ethical obligations to research participants, descendant communities, local stakeholders, and others affected by your work. (Note to applicants who work with human remains: we’re interested in understanding how you have constructed the identity of the people whose remains or tissues you are writing about and what efforts you and the institutions you are working with have made to engage with descendant communities.)

Question 3: Describe the publications you plan to complete during the period of the fellowship. Provide an annotated outline of their contents. [Limit: 500 words]

Give us a detailed picture of your publication plans. Provide an annotated outline of the book’s chapters or a description of the articles you will write and the subjects they will address. Please be specific about the content of your book or articles and the publishers or journals you will approach. Have publishers or journal editors shown interest in your work? Do you have a book contract is already in hand?

In addition, you should describe what you will need to accomplish during the fellowship period to bring your project to completion. Will you be editing/augmenting current drafts of chapter/s or articles? Will you be initiating all or part of the project from scratch? What else do you need to do?

Question 4: What contributions will this project make to one or more traditions of anthropology? The Wenner-Gren Foundation’s mission is to support innovative research in anthropology. We are interested in funding work that does more than simply add to an existing body of knowledge. How will your publications bring new insights to the field? [Limit: 250 words]

The Hunt Postdoctoral Fellowship is very competitive. To succeed, you will need to convince us of the uniqueness and importance of your work. Many applicants have done excellent research and produced interesting case studies. How is your work distinctive?  What critical contribution to the discipline will your writing project make?

At Wenner-Gren, we understand anthropology broadly as the study of what is means to be human. A successful application is one that emphasizes the contribution of the proposed research not only to the specific area of research being addressed but also to the broader field. You should be explicit about what your book or articles will add to anthropological conversations in the broadest possible sense.

In answering this question, be sure you are building on the arguments you presented earlier in the proposal. Don’t make empty claims. Make a clear and well-substantiated case for the significance of intervention you hope to make.

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 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 bibliography to our online application system. Please use a format compatible with Microsoft Word.