GSAS Renaissance Society of America Fellowship

Deadline to apply: TBA

Overview and Responsibilities

A collaboration between the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) and the Renaissance Society of America Fellowship (RSA) offers a unique opportunity for a GSAS doctoral student to be appointed to an RSA Fellowship. The 12-month Fellowship can be renewed for a total term of two (2) years and the Fellow will serve as the Book Reviews Manager for the RSA publication, Renaissance Quarterly (RQ).

Advised by the RQ Managing Editor, Ellis Light, Ph.D., while collaborating with the Reviews Editor, John Decker, Ph.D., the RSA Fellow will serve approximately 18 hours per week during the calendar year administering the following responsibilities:

  • Write 1-2 book reviews per year for the journal.
  • Consult on the selection of books to review/reviewers in their field of study.
  • Manage all book review submissions in Editorial Manager (EM), including technical check and acceptance, finalizing, saving, and setting automated reminders
  • Schedule reviews; generate and format headers for book reviews.
  • Send headers files to Reviews Editor (along with link to Dropbox folder of individual reviews) quarterly, with due date as indicated on production schedule.
  • Handle initial formatting and clean-up of book reviews file as submitted by the Reviews Editor.
  • Send PDF proofs of reviews to authors post-copyediting.
  • Send publisher catalogs to Reviews Editor; request review copies from publishers; maintain books ordered spreadsheet.
  • Maintain affiliations style sheet and publisher style sheet.
  • Catalog in Zotero books received (as time permits).
  • Invite authors to review books as indicated by Reviews Editor (as time permits).

Eligibility

GSAS students enrolled in a humanities Ph.D. program, in good standing with satisfactory academic progress according to GSAS guidelines, and who will have completed at least six semesters of full-time graduate study (with at least four of these semesters in the graduate school) by the time the Fellowship begins.

Application Guidelines

Departments may nominate/recommend up to two (2) doctoral students. Completed applications will be reviewed by the GSAS Distinguished Fellowship Committee, and the RQ Editor and RSA representatives. The Fellowship will be awarded by the GSAS Dean. 

From each department

Nomination memo, including an applicant ranking. Departments may rank up to two (2) applicants and all applications will be reviewed by the Distinguished Fellowship Committee. 

From each applicant

  • 500 word personal statement describing the applicant’s qualifications for the obligations of the RSA Fellowship and how it will contribute to her/his professional goals;
  • curriculum vitae;
  • writing sample (between 5-20 pages); and
  • letter of recommendation from a Fordham faculty member discussing the connections between the applicant’s research and scholarly interests, as well as how the RSA Fellowship will enhance the applicant’s professional development.

Application instructions

  1. Prepare your 500 word personal statement, curriculum vitae, and writing sample. Files should be submitted electronically as PDF files by attaching them with the online application form.
  2. Ask for a mentor’s or adviser’s letter of recommendation (via email): Please ask your mentor or adviser to provide a letter of recommendation. The student should arrange for the mentor or adviser to submit a letter of recommendation electronically directly to the Department or Program by the deadline date.

Deadlines

Student applications must be submitted via the online application form on or before 11:59 p.m. ET on TBA.