Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture (AKPIA) Postdoctoral Fellowship and Associateship Programs, Harvard University — LIMITE : 01/04/2022

2022–2023 AKPIA Postdoctoral Fellowship Program (funded/partially funded)

2022–2023 AKPIA Postdoctoral Associateship Program (non-stipendiary)

Advanced Historical Research in Islamic Art and Architecture

THE AGA KHAN PROGRAM FOR ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE (AKPIA) AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE ITS POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP/ASSOCIATESHIP PROGRAM FOR THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2022-2023.

APPLICATION DEADLINE IS APRIL 1, 2022.

The Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture is pleased to invite applications for Harvard-funded Fellowships as well as self-supported (unfunded) Associateships, to conduct advanced historical research in Islamic art, architecture, material culture, and archaeology at Harvard University. AKPIA Fellowships and Associateships are intended preferably, but not exclusively, for overseas scholars from Muslim countries. Our program positions do not support professional design, conservation, or urban development projects, nor are they intended for research travel. AKPIA Fellows and Associates are expected to be in residence, except for one or two short research-related trips. Please note—we offer unfunded Associate positions, and a limited number of fully funded (or partially funded) Fellowships. We will consider applications of scholars who can provide partial funding, or who have no other outside funding. Application proposals may be for up to an entire academic year in duration (9 months), with a minimum of one semester (3 months).

AKPIA Associateships are unpaid positions, and are for scholars who have already procured their own funding and/or are on paid sabbatical leave.

AKPIA Fellowships may partially fund a scholar for up to an entire academic year, or it may fully fund a scholar for one semester, or more. Fellowship applicants are asked to include a detailed budget and timeline with their proposal materials.

AKPIA Fellowship and Associateship positions are full-time, immersion research appointments, to result in a lecture delivered to the AKPIA community, and a submission to the journal Muqarnas: An Annual on the Visual Cultures of the Islamic World (published by Brill). AKPIA Fellows and Associates are expected to meet with the Director of the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture, to discuss their research and to consider potential submission topics for publication. We do not allow scholars from taking on any other major responsibilities during their time at Harvard, including any teaching jobs. AKPIA Fellows and Associates are expected to be active participants in the academic life of our program at Harvard University. They are encouraged to attend lectures hosted by AKPIA and HAA (History of Art and Architecture department), and to meet with faculty, students and other visiting scholars.

We welcome applications both from senior scholars and from recent graduates. Research projects should preferably be publishable in the annual publication of the Aga Khan Program, Muqarnas: An Annual on the Visual Cultures of the Islamic World. It is potentially publishable, original projects that will be given preference. AKPIA Fellows and Associates have an affiliation with Harvard University’s Department of History of Art and Architecture (HAA). They are free to pursue their own research, and they are expected to present a public lecture on their research project as part of the AKPIA lecture series A Forum for Islamic Art and Architecture. AKPIA Fellows and Associates have access to all Harvard University libraries, museums, and facilities; they are also welcome to audit Harvard seminars, if they so choose (with instructor permission).

Click here for a list of previous visiting Fellows and Associates, and their topics of research.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS
Applicants must have a doctoral degree (PhD, DPhil, or equivalent). A solid command of written and spoken English is required (the AKPIA lecture will be delivered in English). Fellows and Associates must remain in Cambridge for the duration of the appointment.

REQUIRED MATERIALS
Application materials must be submitted via email in a single message; the Committee will not consider incomplete applications or applications submitted after the deadline: April 1, 2022.

The following materials are required of applicants:
   Completed, signed application form
   Curriculum vitae
   Research proposal, with timeline (for Fellowship applicants, please include a budget proposal)
   Two different writing samples of previous research publications
   * Letters of recommendation from two professors or scholars familiar with the applicant’s research
   **Original transcripts–when possible–in sealed enveloped from institutions where graduate work was conducted.

* Letters of recommendation and transcripts may be emailed directly to the Program from the institutions or recommenders (preferred), sent by a professional dossier and credentials service (such as Interfolio), or may be included with the other application materials in their original, sealed envelopes. Letter writers may email their letters directly to agakhan@fas.harvard.edu. All other materials should be submitted as individual documents within a single email message.

** Emailed scans of original transcripts are acceptable.

Materials should be sent to: agakhan[at]fas.harvard.edu

DEADLINE
All application materials must be received by April 1, 2022. Results will be announced by late May.
 

CONTACT INFORMATION
Please direct any inquiries about AKPIA Fellowships and Associateships at Harvard University to agakhan[at]fas.harvard.edu or 617-495-2355.

AKPIA Fellowships and Associateships
AKPIA Fellows and Associates are scholars given Harvard library and museum access in furtherance of a well-defined, specific research project. These positions enable post-doctoral scholars greater flexibility in carrying out independent research. Fellows and Associates are given access to Harvard’s extensive library system as well as the University’s museums, and they are given the opportunity to participate in the AKPIA lecture series, A Forum for Islamic Art and Architecture, and departmental symposia.

RESIDENCY
Residency is required for Fellows and Associates. Applicants who plan to spend a significant amount of time conducting travel research are not encouraged to apply. Fellows and Associates are responsible for finding their own housing; the Program does not provide housing for its scholars, nor does the Program assist with finding or securing lodging. You will be responsible for arranging your own health insurance.

DURATION
The maximum duration of Fellowships and Associateships is twelve (12) months. Minimum duration (normally 3 months) may be negotiable depending on each case. The duration of a Fellowship may also depend on the funding proposal.

FUNDING
Associateships are unfunded positions; Fellowships are awarded some funding. Applicants with outside sources of funding are encouraged to apply for either Associateships or Fellowships.

PAST RESEARCH PROJECTS
To view past research topics, see our previous Fellows and Associates.

Application Coversheet
The required application is available as a writable PDF. All applicants should download this document and complete all relevant fields.

Other Opportunities  
Given a prospective applicant’s past work and degrees, one of these programs may be more suited to her/his qualifications and interests. For useful information about all these programs, please visit the following links:

• Aga Khan Program at the GSD
• Fellowships at the Aga Khan Program at MIT
• Harvard PhD program in the History of Art and Architecture
• Harvard’s joint PhD programs in Middle Eastern Studies at CMES
• Harvard master’s degree program at CMES
• Information for prospective graduate students at Harvard
• Visiting students at Harvard University
• Harvard Extension School degrees, certificates, and courses
• Harvard Summer School courses
• For general information about Harvard University, click here.

More information: here