Grabar Travel & Post-Doctoral Awards

Travel Grant Deadlines: August 15 and December 15 

Post-doctoral Fellowship Deadline: December 15

These competitive grants and fellowships, established in memory of Professor Oleg Grabar and supported by the Oleg Grabar Memorial Fund, are intended to encourage and further the professional development of graduate students (Ph.D. candidates) and post-doctoral scholars in all areas of the history of Islamic art, architecture and archaeology. The number and amount of the grants and fellowships will be announced annually in accordance with available funds. The Grabar Grants and Fellowships are administered by HIAA’s Grants and Fellowships Committee which is chaired by Emine Fetvacı. 

Oleg Grabar Memorial Fund

The Historians of Islamic Art Association (HIAA) has established a permanent fund in memory of Professor Oleg Grabar and in support of the annual award of Grabar Grants and Fellowships. 
 

Funding Request and Levels

HIAA invites you to join this continuing development effort and to become a donor to the Oleg Grabar Memorial Fund in support of the new program of Grabar Grants and Fellowships. 

• Leadership Donors: $10,000 or above 
• Sponsors: $5,000 or more
• Sustainers: $1,000 or more
• Supporters: $500 or more
• Contributors: any amount up to $500
   

Donation Options

Donation by check, drawn on a US bank and made out to Historians of Islamic Art Association, may be mailed to:

Jennifer Pruitt
HIAA Treasurer
1127 C Street SE,  Unit 4
Washington, DC 20003   USA

For donation by wire transfer, please contact the HIAA Treasurer at historiansofislamicart@gmail.com
 

Acknowledgment

Donors of $500 or more will be acknowledged in the Grabar Grant and Fellowship program information and publicly at HIAA’s Biennial Symposia. 

How to apply

Applicants must be HIAA members in good standing at the time of application. Membership status will be verified by the HIAA Secretary, as necessary. Applicants from outside the United States are responsible for meeting the requirements for and obtaining any visas necessary for visits to or residence and research in the United States. Upon request, HIAA will supply documentation of the grant and/or fellowship award, the dates of the award, and financial support.
 

Grabar Travel Grant

This competition is open to graduate students (doctoral candidates) who have been invited or accepted as participants in a scholarly conference or other professional meeting for the purpose of presenting papers, chairing sessions or moderating discussions.

The maximum amount of the award is $1000 US.

Applications are accepted for two deadlines each year (August 15 and December 15). Notification will be sent within six weeks of the application deadline. Grabar Travel Grants must be used within 12 months of the award date. 

Applications must include in a single PDF the following five components and must be submitted in English.

1. Application cover sheet
2. A cover letter explaining the applicant’s purpose in participating in the conference, the expected benefits of participation, and an itemized travel budget
3. Curriculum vitae
4. Letter of acceptance from the conference/session organizer(s). 
5. Abstract of the paper to be presented.

A letter of recommendation from the applicant’s primary supervisor must be sent via email to the Grabar Committee Chair by the deadline.

All materials should be submitted by email to the Chair of HIAA's Grants and Fellowships Committee.
 

Grabar Post-doctoral Fellowship

The Grabar Post-doctoral Fellowship is intended to support post-doctoral scholars at early stage of their careers in advancing their research. Fellowship funds may be used in one of two ways:

• To spend up to two months in residence as a visiting professor or fellow/research scholar at a university, museum, research institute or similar institution outside their usual country of residence or employment.
• To support additional research to aid in preparing the dissertation for publication. The Grabar Post-doctoral Fellowship will provide up to $2000 US per month, for a maximum of two months. An additional $1000 may be requested for travel or for supplies.

Applicants should have completed their PhD within the last five years or have submitted their dissertations by the start of the fellowship. The fellowship is open to scholars of all nationalities; however applicants are responsible for obtaining required visas for residence and research in the country specified in their application.

Applications are accepted for one deadline each year: December 15. Notification of the award will be sent in January. The fellowship must be completed within twelve months of the award date.

Applications must be submitted in English and must include in a single PDF:

1. Application cover sheet 
2. Curriculum vitae with contact information
3. Project proposal (maximum 2,000 words) including the following:
   1. For the residential fellowship: The proposal should outline proposed research or teaching, and identify the host institution. Make sure to explain why residency at that particular institution is necessary and what resources you anticipate using there. Also please discuss project outcomes and how this opportunity will advance your research or professional development. Please include a schedule of work and a select bibliography.
   2. For the publication fellowship: The proposal should describe the additional research required and what impact it will have on the finished project. Please provide specifics about research location(s) and the resources required. Explain what will be required to turn the dissertation into a publishable work and provide a schedule of work for the entire project, including the fellowship period.
4. Budget organized in the following categories: a) Round-trip travel to research location; b) Lodging and subsistence costs for the fellowship period; c) Local transportation; and d) Research expenses such as visas, permits, photocopies, photographs for publication and permissions ($1000 maximum). The fellowship cannot cover the costs of translators, research assistants, or equipment such as cameras or laptop computers. The maximum award will be $2000 US per month; the maximum award period is two months.
5. Letter of recommendation. This must be submitted via email directly from the referee to the Chair of the Grants and Fellowships Committee. The reviewer should comment on the merits of the proposal and the feasibility of the research plan, as well as the potential impact of the fellowship opportunity for the candidate.
6. lf applying for the residential fellowship, a letter of invitation from the host institution indicating willingness to host the applicant and the availability of research materials if applicable. This may be forwarded directly to the email address indicated below or it may be included in the application.

All materials should be submitted by email to the Chair of HIAA's Grants and Fellowships Committee. To be considered, applications must have all components included and complete, including the letters of recommendation and letter of invitation, if required.

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