The next call will come in Spring 2021
The King’s College Mount Vernon Fellowship allows a scholar to pursue research and writing in the Washington Library at Mount Vernon for a period of one month, or in exceptional circumstances up to two months. The fellowship supports travel and living expenses of the recipient. For the duration of the fellowship the recipient will reside in the Washington Library’s scholars’ residence at Mount Vernon and have full use of the extensive facilities. The fellow will be expected to carry out a programme of research or writing specified in the application. In making an award, priority will be given to research aligned with the mission of the Washington Library and the Georgian Papers Programme, but applications will be considered from all those whose research could benefit from the residency, and the opportunities for scholarly exchange and collaboration that residency at Mount Vernon would make possible. Applications can be considered from any scholar employed by King’s College London or current PhD student, regardless of departmental or faculty affiliation, and from scholars associated with the Georgian Papers Programme at King’s as Summer Fellows. Where there are applications of equal quality, preference will normally be given to candidates from King’s.
The current global pandemic has inevitably produced a degree of uncertainty as to when it may be possible to take up the fellowship. The Washington Library is currently closed, and the timing of reopening is uncertain. We will work with the Library and the successful candidate to set up arrangements for take up of the fellowship as soon as possible.
Timing details of the residency at Mount Vernon can be decided between the Fellow and the Washington Library once an award has been made. Other details regarding the arrangements and funding are in the further particulars.
How to apply
To apply, please fill out the application form below, and send it with a CV and statement of proposed research of no more than 1,000 words to Professor Arthur Burns, Academic Director of the Georgian Papers Programme at King’s College London (arthur.burns@kcl.ac.uk), using the subject line Mount Vernon Fellowship.
Mount Vernon and the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington
Mount Vernon, situated on the Potomac River in Fairfax County, Virginia, some 15 miles south of the centre of Washington DC, was the plantation home of George and Martha Washington, who are both buried there. One of the most important historic sites in the United States, and maintained in trust by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association (MVLA), the estate attracts more than a million visitors each year.
The estate is also home to the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington, opened in 2013 to advance appreciation and understanding of the first president of the United States. The Library houses Washington’s books and manuscripts, a further 1,500 eighteenth-century volumes, and a large collection of nineteenth-century newspapers, manuscripts, and documents. It is also a scholarly retreat and offers educational outreach, seminars and training programs with a special focus on Washington’s leadership. Further information about the library can be found here.
In 2015 the Washington Library inaugurated a new academic partnership with King’s College London in support of the Georgian Papers Programme thanks to the generous support of the Amanda and Greg Gregory Family Fund. King’s College London is extremely grateful to the Washington Library for helping to make this exciting academic opportunity possible.
Download the application form and further particulars.