GSAS Mary Magdalene Impact Fellowship

Deadline to apply: February 23, 2024

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Mary Magdalene Impact Fellowships provide support for graduate students who wish to devote a summer to pursuing scholarship and research interests in the area of women in Christianity. Preference will be given to applicants whose scholarship and research interests include women in Christianity; focus on the impact of Christianity and its teachings and structures on women; and/or incorporate the study of Mary Magdalene.

Award Information

For updated stipend rates, please see Stipends and Scholarships

Eligibility

Doctoral students and Master’s students in good standing with satisfactory academic progress according to the guidelines established by GSAS and who will have completed at least one semester of full-time graduate study (minimum of 9 credits) in the GSAS by the time the Fellowship begins are eligible to apply for a Mary Magdalene Impact Fellowship. Awardees may reapply for the award, subject to the general rule that students may only hold two Summer Fellowships in a five-year period.

Application Instructions

  1. Prepare your curriculum vitae and your project narrative (including a proposed budget) with bibliography: Files should be submitted electronically as PDF files by attaching them with the online application form, and should begin with the student's name followed by CV and the project narrative (e.g., Smith_CV_Narrative).
  2. Ask for a Mentor’s or Advisor’s letter of recommendation (via email): Please ask your mentor or adviser to discuss your plans to apply for this fellowship, and how the fellowship will support your academic and professional goals. 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.
  3. Fill out the online application form and attach your curriculum vitae and your project narrative.

Project Narrative
The narrative should not exceed four double-spaced pages (minimum 12 pt. font) (not including an accompanying bibliography). It should explain the objectives, methods and original contribution of the project to women in Christianity (and related subject matter) in succinct, jargon-free language. (Remember that your proposal will be reviewed by faculty members outside of your disciplinary area).

When preparing their project narratives, applicants should consider the following items:

  • Identify the subject area that you wish to research, explicitly connecting it with women in Christianity and/or the study of Mary Magdalene.
  • Proposals should indicate how the project at hand will critically reflect on the role of women and gender in Christianity historically and today. They may, for example, reflect on specific historical or contemporary events that have shaped the perception and role of women within church teachings, liturgical practices, the development of church institutions, and/or the relationship between Christian communities and societies writ large (among other topics).
  • From their assessment of the extant literature and their planned research contributions, applicants may also suggest how the new knowledge formed by their projects may reconfigure the role and perceptions of women in Christianity.
  • Applicants should supply a brief work plan, indicating how they will use the time provided by the award to accomplish their goals. Along these lines, they should also clearly identify their project deliverables (e.g., preparing an article for conference presentations and/or article publications, supporting dissertation research, etc.).
  • Applicants should indicate where they will conduct their research, and what materials they plan to use.
  • Applicants should include a brief budget that outlines how they will use travel and research funds provided by the award.

Review and Selection Process

The members of the Distinguished Fellowships Committee will read each application and will make its recommendations to the Dean. Applicants will receive notification through email approving or denying their applications approximately two months after the application deadline (see your department for deadline).