2026 Gaius Charles Bolin Dissertation and Post-MFA Fellowship : Science and Technology Studies (STS)

2026 Gaius Charles Bolin Dissertation and Post-MFA Fellowship : Science and Technology Studies (STS)

Williams College : Bolin Fellowship

Location : Williamstown, Ma

Open Date : Sep 01, 2025

Deadline : Nov 15, 2025 at 11 : 59 PM Eastern Time

The Gaius Charles Bolin Fellowships at Williams College help transform the academy and support multivocality on college faculties by supporting graduate students completing terminal degrees and post-MFA candidates preparing to pursue careers in higher education. The fellowship aims to create academic spaces and platforms in which a variety of perspectives are recognized as scholarly contributions, including those addressing historical inequities.

Gaius Charles Bolin was the first Black graduate of Williams in 1889. He was an active and influential member of his class who went on to a successful career as a lawyer in Poughkeepsie, New York.

These fellowships, which honor Gaius Bolin's legacy, are two-year residencies at Williams. Two scholars or artists are appointed each year. Fellows devote the bulk of the first year to the completion of dissertation work-or in the case of post-MFA applicants, building their professional portfolios-while also teaching one course as a faculty member in one of the college's academic departments or programs.

Qualifications

The Bolin Fellowships are awarded to applicants who show exceptional promise as scholars, who have an interest in and capacity for teaching students in a community that is broadly diverse with regard to, among other things, race, gender, citizenship, ethnicity, religion, and who are pursuing a career in higher education in the United States.

Ph.D. candidates must have completed all doctoral work except the dissertation by the end of the current academic year. Post-MFA candidates must be recent recipients of the degree; only those with degrees granted in 2025, or to be granted in 2026, are eligible to apply.

The annual stipend for the position is $57,000. The College will also provide health and dental benefits, relocation and housing assistance, academic support including office space and a computer, and an annual allowance of $4,000 for research-related expenses.

Application Instructions

Candidates should apply via Interfolio by 11 : 59 PM on November 15, 2025, with :

• a cover letter with a description of your research and teaching interests; this letter should also explain how you will effectively engage a broadly diverse student body;
• a full curriculum vitae;
• two confidential letters of recommendation; including one letter of recommendation that addresses the applicant's contribution to advancing inclusive excellence and improving understanding of the perspectives and experiences of diverse populations
• PhD applicants : a copy of the dissertation prospectus, preferably limited to 10-15 pages, or a research statement of the same length; and a timetable for completion of the degree.
• Post MFA applicants : project description, preferably limited to 2-5 pages [250-1250 words], and additional material, as described below :

Writers : 2-3 short stories, 10-15 poems, or novel passages not to exceed 50 pages

Eligible candidates for the fellowship include all U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, and U.S. permanent residents (holders of a Permanent Resident Card); individuals granted deferred action status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program; Indigenous individuals exercising rights associated with the Jay Treaty of 1794; individuals granted Temporary Protected Status; asylees; and refugees.

Units that will be participating in 2025-26 are :

Williams College is a liberal arts institution located in the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts. The college has built its reputation on outstanding teaching and scholarship and on the academic excellence of its approximately 2,000 students. Williams promotes equal opportunity and makes all employment decisions on a non-discriminatory basis. Williams College is committed to building a diverse and inclusive community where individuals of all identities and backgrounds can live, learn, and thrive.

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