Applications for 2025–2026 Beckman Center Fellowships Now Open

The Beckman Center for the History of Chemistry at the Science History Institute is now accepting applications for our 2025–2026 fellowships. Scholars whose research would benefit from the use of our collections are invited to apply for one of our long- or short-term programs by January 15, 2025.

This year, the Institute is pleased to introduce a new collaboration with the American Trust for the British Library (ATBL), which is offering the Beckman Center’s short-term fellows the opportunity to also apply for an ATBL research fellowship. The award comes with an additional $2,500 stipend to support similar research at the British Library in London. Opting in to be considered for an ATBL fellowship does not impact your application to the Science History Institute.

Other available programs include a 12-month, grant-funded NEH (National Endowment for the Humanities) postdoctoral fellowship that is open to researchers who have earned a doctoral degree or who have completed all requirements for a doctoral degree by the application deadline. Scholars may also apply for a curatorial fellowship, a two-year, benefit-eligible position that integrates fellows as staff members and offers professional development, portfolio building, networking, and mentorship opportunities in the library and museum fields.

All fellows participate in regular informal writing groups, give at least one lecture, and actively contribute to the vitality of the Institute’s Beckman Center.

With around 20 scholars in residence each year, the Science History Institute is home to the largest private fellowship program in the historical study of science, medicine, and technology in the United States. Researchers travel from all over the world to use our collections and to take part in a vibrant scholarly community.

About the American Trust for the British Library

Founded in 1979, the American Trust for the British Library (ATBL) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and supporting the work of the British Library, one of the world’s greatest research libraries. The ATBL provides financial and gifts-in-kind support for the British Library’s collecting, preservation, and outreach activities. The ATBL also seeks to celebrate and extend engagement with the British Library, its work, and its collections within the United States through programs, events, lectures, collaborations, and fellowships like the ATBL’s research fellowship program.

About the National Endowment for the Humanities

Created in 1965 as an independent federal agency, the National Endowment for the Humanities supports research and learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from around the nation. Additional information about the National Endowment for the Humanities and its grant programs is available at neh.gov.

About the Beckman Center

The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center for the History of Chemistry at the Science History Institute supports a dynamic community of researchers interested in the history and social studies of chemistry and related sciences, technologies, and industries. In addition to offering a robust fellowship program, the Beckman Center is also home to associated scholarly events and activities, including an annual conference, a public lecture series, writing workshops, a book series, and a network of more than 250 alumni.