Frequently Asked Questions

The Linda Hall Library is offering six fellowship options for the 2025-26 academic year:

• Residential fellowships provide doctoral students, postdoctoral scholars, and independent researchers with up to four months of funding ($3,000 per month for doctoral students; $4,200 per month for postdoctoral researchers and scholars with other terminal degrees) to conduct research in Kansas City.
• Virtual fellowships provide doctoral students, postdoctoral scholars, and independent researchers with up to four months of funding ($3,000 per month for doctoral students; $4,200 per month for postdoctoral researchers and scholars with other terminal degrees) to conduct research remotely using resources from the Library’s digital collections. Virtual fellows receive personalized research assistance from reference staff and may request complimentary scans of Library resources in accordance with our in-house digitization policies.
• The National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship provides nine months of residential funding ($5,000 per month) to a postdoctoral scholar whose research explores the intersection of science and the humanities.
• The History of Science and Medicine Fellowship, offered in partnership with the Clendening History of Medicine Library at the University of Kansas Medical Center, provides one month of residential funding ($3,000 per month) to a doctoral student whose research examines the intersecting histories of science and medicine.
• The Pearson Fellowship in Aerospace History provides up to two months of residential funding ($4,200 per month) to a postdoctoral scholar studying the history of aviation or spaceflight.
• The Presidential Fellowship in Bibliography provides up to four months of residential funding ($4,200 per month) to a postdoctoral scholar whose research focuses on the study of books and manuscripts as physical artifacts.

The Linda Hall Library offers general research support to humanities scholars whose projects examine the relationship between science, technology, and society. We encourage applications from doctoral students, postdoctoral scholars, and independent researchers who would benefit from using our collections.

Except for the NEH Fellowship, applicants for postdoctoral funding must have their PhD completed by the start of the academic year (July 1).

The NEH Fellow must be a United States citizen or a foreign national who has lived in the United States for the three years immediately preceding the application deadline. Doctoral candidates must have completed all degree requirements, except for the actual conferral of the degree, by the application deadline for the fellowship (January 17, 2025).

Yes, provided the applicant can secure the necessary travel documents.

Please note that the Linda Hall Library is not a visa-granting institution. Residential fellows from outside the United States are responsible for securing their own travel documents.

Also, international fellows should be aware that the US does not have tax treaties with some countries. Consequently, researchers from these countries may be required to pay income taxes on their fellowship monies.

Yes, US citizens will need to report any fellowship funding they receive as income. Applicants from outside the US are responsible for determining whether a tax treaty between their home country and the US is in force.

• Fellowships awarded to individuals from a country without a tax treaty with the U.S. that have a nonimmigrant visa status of F, J, M, or Q are subject to a 14% withholding.
• Fellowships awarded to individuals from a country without a tax treaty with the U.S. that have any other visa status (such as B-2, Tourist) are subject to a 30% withholding.

In either case, some or all taxes withheld may be refunded when the individual files a US tax return. Check here for more information and a list of countries that have tax treaties. Additional information on US income tax treaties can be found on the IRS website.

Yes, the Linda Hall Library offers virtual fellowships to support research using our digital collections. Virtual fellows may consult materials that have already been scanned or request additional documents in accordance with our in-house digitization policies.

The Linda Hall Library is open to all who wish to use its collections, regardless of whether they have a fellowship or not. We are open to the public Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Information about the Linda Hall Library’s collections can be found here. Applicants may also wish to consult the Library’s online catalog or digital collections. You are also welcome to email fellowships@lindahall.org or reference@lindahall.org or call us at 816.926.8701.

The Clendening History of Medicine Library is located within the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas, approximately 3 miles (5 km) from the Linda Hall Library. Further information about their special collections can be found here. Applicants may also wish to consult their online catalog or contact Jamie Rees, Manager of Historical Collections, by phone (913.588.7244) or email (jrees@kumc.edu).

The fellowship application consists of an online form where you will upload a CV, project description, and a list of relevant resources. For additional information about preparing an application, please consult this document.

The applications are reviewed by a committee comprised of independent experts and scholars who are not affiliated with the Library.

All fellowship applications will be evaluated based on the following considerations:

• Intellectual, historical, and/or scientific significance of the project.
• Importance of the Linda Hall Library’s collections to the project. Applicants will be asked to submit a list of relevant resources along with their research proposals. (Applicants to the History of Science and Medicine fellowship should also highlight resources in the Clendening Library’s collections.)
• Feasibility of the project given the applicant’s qualifications and the length of the requested fellowship.

Virtual fellows will be able to use materials in the Library’s digital collections and request additional scans in accordance with our in-house digitization policies. Priority will be given to projects that rely on items that are not readily accessible on other platforms, such as Google Books, HathiTrust, or Internet Archive.

No, you may only apply for one fellowship per year.

No, you may only apply for one type of fellowship support (residential or virtual) during the academic year. Virtual and residential fellows have different levels of access to the Library’s collections. Our external review committee accounts for those variations when evaluating each project proposal. Please contact fellowships@lindahall.org if you have questions about whether a residential or virtual fellowship would work best for you.

Yes, you may reapply one year after having been awarded a fellowship

All Linda Hall Library residential fellows must:   

• Work full time at the Library on their research project.
• Offer a lecture or seminar to the public while in residence if requested.
• Participate in the Library’s monthly Works-in-Progress Seminar and other in-house events aimed at research fellows.  
• Acknowledge the Library in any resulting publications or presentations based on the fellowship and provide a copy of any resulting publication to the Library.
• Provide documentation (tax forms, visas, work permits) as required by law.
• Complete an evaluation of their research experience and the extent to which the library collections met research expectations.
• Submit a written summary of their research activities at the conclusion of their fellowships.
• Abide by the Library’s rules of conduct as outlined on our website.

All Linda Hall Library virtual fellows must:

• Work regularly on their research projects using materials from the Library’s digital collections for the duration of their fellowships.
• Check in with the Vice President for Research and Scholarship on a regular basis to discuss their projects.
• Participate in the Library’s monthly Works-in-Progress Seminar and other in-house events aimed at research fellows.
• Offer a lecture or seminar to the public if requested.
• Acknowledge the Library in any resulting publications or presentations based on the fellowship and provide a copy of any resulting publication to the Library.
• Provide documentation (tax forms, visas, work permits) as required by law.
• Complete an evaluation of their research experience and the extent to which the library collections met research expectations.
• Submit a written summary of their research activities at the conclusion of their fellowships.

In addition to the residential fellowship requirements listed above, the NEH Fellow must be a United States citizen or a foreign national who has lived in the United States for the three years immediately preceding the application deadline. 

The NEH Fellow must also:

• Have a PhD or have completed all the requirements for a PhD, except for the actual conferral of the degree, by the fellowship application deadline. (For the 2025-26 application cycle, this corresponds to January 17, 2025.)
• Remain in continuous residence in Kansas City during their fellowship term and work on their projects on a full-time basis.
• Not be delinquent on repayment of federal debt. Examples of relevant debt include student loans, delinquent federal taxes, delinquent child support payments, and delinquent payroll taxes for household or other employees.
• Not hold another concurrent NEH grant. They may hold non-NEH fellowships or grants during their fellowship tenure, including sabbaticals and grants from their own institutions, so long as they do not interfere with their residence at the Linda Hall Library.
• Complete an online questionnaire about their activities and accomplishments and submit it to the NEH’s Division of Research at the conclusion of their fellowship.

In addition to the residential fellowship requirements listed above, the History of Science and Medicine (HSM) Fellow must be a doctoral student whose research examines the intersecting histories of science and medicine.

The HSM Fellow must also:

• Work full time on their research project at either the Linda Hall Library or the Clendening History of Medicine Library.
• Spend at least one week in residence at both the Linda Hall and Clendening Libraries.
• Participate in seminars and in-house research events at either the Linda Hall or Clendening Libraries.
• Acknowledge both the Linda Hall Library and Clendening Library in any resulting publications or presentations based on the fellowship and provide a copy of any resulting publication to both libraries.

The Pearson Fellowship in Aerospace History honors the life and legacy of aerospace engineer Jerome Pearson. In addition to the residential fellowship requirements listed above, the Pearson Fellow in Aerospace History must be a postdoctoral scholar studying any aspect of aerospace history.

Possible research topics include, but are not limited to, aerospace engineering, physics, astronomy, astrophysics, and other disciplines related to space travel and exploration.

In addition to the residential fellowship requirements listed above, the Presidential Fellow in Bibliography must be a postdoctoral scholar whose research focuses on the study of books and manuscripts as physical artifacts.

Possible research topics include, but are not limited to, the history of printing techniques, publication practices, textual transmission, and reading strategies.

Most research fellows will receive stipends twice per month at a rate of $3,000 per month for doctoral students and $4,200 per month for postdoctoral fellows. The recipient of the NEH Postdoctoral Fellowship will be compensated at a rate of $5,000 per month.

Fellowship stipends will be distributed on the 15th and 30th of the month as either physical checks or direct deposits, depending on a fellow’s preference.

For further information about the Linda Hall Library’s policies, please consult our Fellowship Handbook.

The Linda Hall Library does not provide housing for its fellows. We are happy to pass along information about places where fellows have stayed previously. To find out more, please email fellowships@lindahall.org.

The first day of your fellowship will include an orientation that will introduce you to the Library and its facilities. Our goal is to make your time at the Library as productive and rewarding as possible.

Virtual fellows may make use of all resources in the Linda Hall Library’s digital collections. They may also request additional scans through the Library’s online catalog in accordance with the following guidelines:

• Fellows may submit a maximum of 7 scanning requests per week, with the understanding that it will take 3-5 business days for each request to be fulfilled.
• Fellows may request scans of entire books, journal issues, or conference proceedings published over 95 years ago, as well as other resources that are in the public domain (e.g., federal government documents).
• Books, journals, and conference proceedings not in the public domain cannot be digitized in their entirety due to copyright restrictions. However, fellows can request scans of specific chapters, articles, or sections of these materials.

Click here for additional information about the Library’s digitization policies.

Residential fellows are expected to be at the Linda Hall Library (or Clendening Library in the case of the History of Science and Medicine Fellow) during regular operating hours. While they may leave the Library to eat lunch, visit the post office, or complete other similar errands, the majority of their time should be spent on site making use of the Library’s collections.

Virtual fellows are not expected to keep set hours but must schedule regular check-in meetings with the Vice President for Research and Scholarship throughout the duration of their fellowships to ensure that they are making progress on their research projects.

Although residential fellows are expected to remain in Kansas City throughout the duration of their fellowships, the Linda Hall Library recognizes that attending academic conferences and workshops is an important component of their professional development. Fellows should let the Research and Scholarship team know if they are planning to attend a conference during their fellowship.

Linda Hall Library Fellows are expected to participate in our monthly Works-in-Progress seminar and are welcome to attend other public programs and fellowship social events.

The Linda Hall Library’s Fellowship Handbook contains additional information about the Linda Hall Library’s day-to-day operations, administrative procedures, and scholarly resources. It also provides an introduction to the Kansas City metropolitan area.