2025-26 Theme: Creativity | Intelligence | Automation

Extended Deadline: April 1, 2025

OSU Libraries — in collaboration with the Global Arts + Humanities Discovery Theme (GAHDT) — are excited to announce the Global Arts + Humanities Undergraduate Libraries Fellowship Program. This program is designed for advanced undergraduates engaging in thesis projects, independent study courses or other in-depth research projects (including creative and performance projects) in arts and humanities disciplines. The program will support fifteen fellows throughout the research process and provide an opportunity for them to learn from peers in other disciplines.

Who should apply?

Advanced undergraduate students undertaking a cross-disciplinary research project in an arts and humanities discipline during the 2025-26 academic year. Research projects may include an undergraduate thesis, independent study or other in-depth research project (including creative and performance projects). Specific consideration will be given to students whose projects align with GAHDT’S Society of Fellows 2025-26 theme: Creativity | Intelligence | Automation.

What does the fellowship involve?

Student fellows will meet monthly (September through April) in cohorts to learn core research skills and practices and engage in shared research experiences with other fellows. This will include eight 90-minute sessions in total. Fellows will also meet individually with their University Libraries faculty mentor or other University Libraries experts (subject librarians, curators, archivists, specialists, etc.) each month to receive additional guidance on their research projects. The program is designed to support the work fellows will be doing, not to be additional work.

How will this benefit me?

• You will receive expert guidance and mentoring in learning research skills and practices to support your research project.
• You will develop a network of peers in other disciplines through participating in a cohort.
• You will gain experience developing proposals and presentations on your research for events, such as the Denman Undergraduate Research Forum.
• You will have opportunities to engage with GAHDT’s Society of Fellows programming throughout the academic year.
• You will join a community of young scholars at Ohio State and learn about opportunities for presenting and publishing your research.
• You will receive a total of $1,000. Funds ($500) disbursed at the end of each semester.

How to apply

Complete the fellowship application by March 15, 2025, and have your advisor submit a brief letter of support to the program coordinator Craig Gibson by the same deadline. Successful applications will include a clear description of the research project aims and how you will benefit from the program.

Contact

Email questions to Program Coordinator Craig Gibson.(gibson.721@osu.edu).

Downloadable application PDF

Extended Deadline: April 15, 2025

Purpose

Today’s graduate alumni are choosing many different career pathways. They need career allies to broaden the definition of career success, help them imagine paths forward and prepare them to use their education in many kinds of meaningful work. The Imagined Futures Career Allies Academy is designed for chairs and directors, directors of graduate studies and graduate program coordinators to build skills in:

• Guiding graduate students’ career exploration.
• Teaching students to translate skills to seek jobs beyond the professoriate.
• Integrating career diversity across the breadth of graduate programming. 

Overview and Outcomes

The Career Allies Academy will consist of eight two-hour meetings across the academic year, with some asynchronous work required between meetings. Participants must attend all sessions, barring exceptional circumstances. Meetings will address: 

• Mentoring students for a variety of careers
• Integrating career exploration and preparation into each phase of graduate education
• Building broadly-valued transferable skills into existing graduate courses
• Utilizing data to design and/or revise graduate program content and practices
• Small changes that have a big impact on students’ professional trajectories

Upon completion of the Career Allies Academy, each participant will have developed a plan for sustainable integration of graduate student career development in their own program. Participants may apply for additional funding to support a project that advances the mission of Imagined Futures within or across academic units.vProjects might include: curricular changes that integrate transferable skills or experiential learning, improved processes of outcomes data collection and reporting, using engagement with alumni working outside the professoriate to inform graduate program design, etc. Project support will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, contingent upon strength of proposal, alignment with best practices and availability of funds.

Compensation

Faculty participants may receive a course buyout at the lecturer rate ($7,000) or $5,000 in research funds. Staff participants will receive a $5,000 cash supplement. 

Eligibility

Chairs/directors, directors/coordinators of graduate studies programs. Chair concurrence is required.  

How to Apply

Applicants should complete this webform.

Timeline

• Extended application deadline: April 15, 2025

Program Dates (all meetings take place from 9-11 a.m.)

September 19  •  October 10  •  November 14  •  December 12  •  January 23  •  February 20  •  March 27  •  May 8

Contact

Applicants may email questions to Imagined Futures Director Danielle Fosler-Lussier (fosler-lussier.2).

Download Application PDF

Apply

Co-Sponsorship Opportunities

Global Arts + Humanities co-sponsorships provide support for events that align with the GAHDT mission and core goals.

Sponsorship requests may not exceed $500. Student applications must include a letter of support from a tenure track faculty member from the Division of Arts and Sciences. Requests are accepted on a rolling basis and are reviewed by the Global Arts + Humanities Discovery Theme Leadership Committee. These requests must be submitted using the tool below  -  no less than 21 days before the event.

Downloadable application form

Apply Now

Centers + Institutes Grants

APPLICATION DEADLINE CLOSED

Purpose

Centers + Institutes Grants advance the mission and goals of the Global Arts + Humanities Discovery Theme by enhancing the capacity of centers and institutes for cross-disciplinary collaborations that foreground humanistic methods and practices in addressing critical societal challenges. 

Grant Types

1. Center Grants: Proposals with budgets between $5,000-$25,000 will be accepted from the directors of individual centers.
2. Collaborative Center Grants: Proposals with budgets between $25,000-$75,000 will be accepted from directors for projects that support cross-disciplinary collaboration between two or more centers OR for institutes that house multiple centers or programs. Collaborative Center Grants may be for projects that are one-to-two years in length.
3. Summer Institutes and Program Grants: Proposals from directors of centers/institutes or cross-disciplinary programs may apply for projects with budgets between $5,000-$15,000 to be disbursed in the summer of 2025 for short-term, cross-disciplinary research, teaching and/or community-engagement initiatives.

Priority Consideration

Priority consideration will be given to new and ongoing projects with sustainable programmatic and/or curricular alignments supporting and integrating cross-disciplinary education, outreach and research opportunities that foreground humanistic methods and practices in addressing critical societal challenges. 

Timeline

• Call for concept papers issued: August 26, 2024
• Deadline for two-page concept proposals: November 1, 2024
• Target date for concept paper decisions: November 15, 2024
• Deadline for invited proposals: March 1, 2025
• Target date for final decisions: April 5, 2025
• Funds released: July 1, 2025 (or thereafter)

How to Apply

Invited proposals must  be submitted online: SUBMIT INVITED PROPOSALS

Full Proposal Guidelines
Deadline: March 1, 2025
SUBMIT INVITED PROPOSALS

Center and institute directors invited to submit full proposals should follow these guidelines:

1. All proposals must align with GAHDT’s mission, goals and commitment to enhance the university’s capacity for cross-disciplinary research, teaching and outreach that integrate arts and humanities methods and practices in meaningful ways.
2. Faculty and staff compensation may include:
   1. Compensation for project leaders: Proposals may request a course release at the lecturer rate or supplemental or off-duty pay of $5,000 (for the labor equivalent to that of a course release) for the center or institute director and for a current tenure-track faculty or staff member (with PI status) to help implement the program. Each Center Grants Proposal may have no more than two project leaders, one of which must be the center or institute director. If requesting course releases, please include a letter of support from each project leader’s department chair.
   2. Faculty and staff collaborators: Depending upon the scope of their contributions to the project, collaborators can be allocated between $500-$2,000 in cash as research funds for up to a maximum of $10,000 to be divided evenly among teams that consist of five or more collaborators. All proposals must indicate how these research stipends will be divided. Project leaders who receive a course release or supplemental pay are not eligible for research stipends.
3. Proposals should run NO MORE than eight double-spaced pages, including appendices or data (excluding CVs) and MUST include a detailed, itemized budget of one-to-two pages. Proposals should include an explanation of the cross-disciplinary project’s relevance and impact, vision for meaningful involvement of students, and potential for developing strong and sustainable cross-disciplinary collaborations with other units on campus and/or with community partners. Proposals should also describe how the project will engage diverse perspectives and audiences.
4. Proposals for two-year initiatives should clearly outline the planned phasing for their initiative’s development and structure the budget according to the designated phases.
5. Proposals may request cash allocations for such items as student programs; public or academic lectures, presentations or conferences; consultations; working groups; planning innovative and/or experiential cross-disciplinary teaching and learning opportunities; documentation (podcasts, videos, website development); student support, including small grants for undergraduate and graduate student research; GAA tuition and fees; and costs for rental equipment, campus space, printing or design necessary for the research and/or creative project. These suggestions are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Applicants are encouraged to be visionary and imaginative in thinking about possible applications of funds. Operations costs, like faculty and staff salaries, will not be supported.
6. Proposals should include a description of the documentation (performance, podcasts, blogs, videos, website, publication, etc.) the project will produce. Additionally, proposals should include a description of a plan and/or method for developing documentable evidence of success and indicate how the center or institute will measure the outcomes of their proposal in achieving demonstrably transformative, cross-disciplinary educational goals, either within (or across) curricula, research and/or community engagement. Directors will be required to submit an annual report to GAHDT, which will be reviewed by the faculty director and GAHDT leadership.
7. Indicate the potential of the proposed initiative to secure extramural (non-Ohio State) funding, and please note if any additional funding has already been secured. Sources of funding may be identified using this Office of Research resource.

8.  Center/institute directors will be the points of contact for communications with GAHDT during the grant program process. Funds will be released to and administered by the center/institute.

Full Proposals Evaluation Process and Criteria 

Evaluation Criteria

1. Cross-disciplinary relevance and impact: Does the project imagine cross-disciplinary research, creative expression, teaching and/or outreach collaboration that foregrounds the transformative power of arts and humanities methods and practices? What is the project’s potential for increasing Ohio State’s national recognition and distinction in the integrated arts and humanities?
2. Student impact and engagement: How will the project meaningfully engage students and positively impact their educational experiences and/or professional development?
3. Potential for collaboration: Does the project put forth a vision for collaboration across the university community? How will the project address the challenges of conducting intellectual work across disciplines and among faculty, students and community stakeholders?
4. Institutional ecology and networks: To what extent does the project build on existing initiatives, resources, and expertise? Does the project build on new or established local, national and/or international networks or collaborations? What kinds of consultation have already taken place or are planned?
5. Diverse perspectives and engagement: Does the project encourage the engagement of diverse perspectives and audiences?
6. Extramural funding: What is the project’s potential for securing non-Ohio State funding?

Contact

Applicants may email questions to GAHDT Associate Director Puja Batra-Wells (batra-wells.1@osu.edu).

Download Application PDF

Deadline: March 15, 2025

APPLICATION WINDOW CLOSED

Purpose

To advance the mission, goals, and diversity of the Global Arts + Humanities Discovery Theme by enhancing the professional development of graduate students (PhD and MFA) through their collaboration in cross-disciplinary research, educational programming and community-engagement initiatives in the arts and humanities.

These Graduate Professional Development positions aim to:

• Embed graduate students in humanities and arts MFA or PhD programs in university entities or initiatives involved in cross-disciplinary research/creative work to facilitate the student’s professional development.
• Establish a mentoring framework that will guide the student’s engagement, illustrate best practices and thresholds for achievement and hone praxis-based skills. 

Award Conditions

1. Proposals may request funding for a Graduate Professional Research Associate position at 25% for one-to-three semesters, beginning summer 2025 or autumn 2025. Aligned with Graduate Research Associateships, these positions will follow the same guidance and policies established by the Graduate School (Section 9.2, Terms of Appointment, Reappointment, or Termination). The university establishes a minimum stipend for GRAs of $4,820 for a semester-long, 25% appointment with an average load of ten hours per week over the duration of the appointment period. Graduate Professional Research Associates may not hold an appointment for more than 75% time as a combination of appointments. GAHDT will cover 50% tuition and fees associated with a 25% appointment if the candidate holds no other appointments.
2. These positions may be distributed across one-to-three semesters. Hiring units must undertake their own searches to make these appointments. The search should include a detailed description of 1) The roles/tasks that the graduate student will undertake as part of their contribution to the relevant project, 2) How the role will contribute to their professional development, and 3) The types of mentorship that will be made available.

Eligibility

Department, center, institute or program chairs and directors may apply for these grants to advance existing or new cross-disciplinary initiatives. Graduate students are not eligible to apply for these awards directly. Previously-funded GAHDT projects that have identified new opportunities for graduate student professional development are eligible to apply for these funds.

How to Apply

All applications must be submitted online, where applicants will be guided through the application process for their proposal type. 

Proposal Guidelines

Department, center, institute or program chairs and directors are invited to submit proposals that:

1. Align with GAHDT’s mission and clearly explain the position’s relevance and impact for the department, center, institute or program in terms of its contributions to cross-disciplinary research and/or community engagement and education in the arts and humanities in the twenty-first century. Proposals may request a Graduate Professional Research Associate at 25% for one-to-three semesters to work with department, center, institute or program chairs/directors and staff to implement this vision. Proposals should run no more than six double-spaced pages.
2. Include a precise job description detailing a meaningful vision for the graduate student’s professional development and its relevance to academic and/or alt-ac career possibilities. Proposals must also describe how the position will encourage the engagement of diverse perspectives and audiences.
3. Describe the forms of outcomes (performance, podcasts, videos, blogs, website, catalogue/database, publication, curriculum, etc.) that the project aims to produce and the graduate student’s role in helping to achieve these deliverables.
4. Include a plan for mentoring the graduate student to achieve demonstrably cross-disciplinary research or educational goals. Note that grant recipients and their mentees will be required to submit an end-of-year report which will be reviewed by the GAHDT faculty director. Department, center, institute or program chairs/directors who apply will serve as the graduate student’s mentor and point of contact for communications with GAHDT for the duration of the appointment.

Evaluation Criteria

1. Cross-disciplinary relevance and impact: Does the proposal identify the contributions that the position will enable for the hiring unit? Do these align with GAHDT’s mission in terms of its contributions to cross-disciplinary research and/or community engagement and education that amplify the value of arts and humanities methods and practices?
2. Imagined outcomes: Does the proposal offer a clear description of the activities the graduate student will engage in, the professional skills that will be cultivated thereby and the potential career relevance of these? For example, the student might play a role in delivering services (such as training or consultation), creating a resource or product (such as a curriculum, a catalogue or a performance) or supporting an organization (such as writing a grant, designing a community partnership or managing a journal).
3. Mentoring plan: Does the proposal envision meaningful involvement of faculty mentors and provide a clear description of the mentoring process for the graduate student?
4. Diversity and inclusion: Does the proposal encourage the engagement of diverse perspectives and audiences? 

Timeline

• Call for proposals issued: October 1, 2024
• Application deadline: March 15, 2025
• Target date for decisions: April 15, 2025

Contact

Applicants may email questions to GAHDT Associate Director, Puja Batra-Wells (batra-wells.1@osu.edu).

Download Application PDF

Apply

Apply Now

Deadline: March 15, 2025

APPLICATION WINDOW CLOSED

Faculty are invited to submit proposals for a Discovery Field School Grant. Field schools are faculty-led, interdisciplinary, experiential-learning programs. These can be offered as a one-credit undergraduate course or group independent study that takes students to domestic destinations to learn about the transformational value of the humanities and the arts. By immersing students in learning environments, field schools aim to close the gap between knowing and doing. This round of grants is for field schools implemented either during autumn 2025 or spring 2026. 

Renewable annual grants of up to $15,000 will be awarded for field schools that further the declared purposes of the Global Arts + Humanities Discovery Theme to:

• Deepen student cross-disciplinary engagement and experiential learning in arts and humanities.
• Demonstrate the value of arts and humanities methods and practices to address critical societal challenges and drive social change.
• Empower faculty and students to contribute to society as change agents.

Faculty Leaders

Discovery Field Schools are led by tenure-track faculty. Lecturers, postdoctoral researchers and staff may co-lead a field school as long as the primary leader is a tenure-track faculty member. It is expected that an approved field school will be offered two times over a period of three years. Lecturers interested in proposing a field school must be on a multi-year contract so as to fulfill this obligation. Each field school is approved with the understanding that approval is attached to the individual faculty member or pair of faculty members leading the field school. If the field school is to be offered with a different instructor(s) or for an additional cycle, it must be resubmitted for funding approval.

Faculty Compensation

Faculty leaders are provided $2,500 in cash as research funds for the initial field school offering and $1,500 in cash as research funds for the second offering. If two faculty members lead a field school, each leader will be provided $2,000 per the initial field school offering and $1,000 in research funds for the second time it is offered. This compensation is not part of the budget for the project.

Course Offering

Discovery Field Schools are offered during the autumn and spring semesters, with travel occurring during the semester the field school is offered. The immersive learning experience, including travel to and from the learning site, should last between three and seven days. Faculty are responsible for course creation with the registrar and are encouraged to schedule field schools to correspond with semester breaks to try to forestall students missing their regularly scheduled courses. However, if a field school should require students to miss their other classes, GAHDT will provide an official letter for students to share with their instructors to excuse them from classes during the field school.

Course Requirements

Discovery Field Schools have three core components: 1) A pre-travel assignment designed to prepare students for their immersive-learning experience; 2) A three-to-seven-day travel experience; and 3) A post-travel assignment designed to prompt students to reflect deeply on their immersive-learning experience. All assignments should be commensurate with a one-credit course.

Course Enrollment

A minimum enrollment of four undergraduate students is required to run a field school. The maximum enrollment is twelve undergraduate students.

Learning Site

Discovery Field Schools are reserved for immersive-learning experiences at sites within the United States.

Community Partner(s)

Discovery Field Schools are conducted in coordination and collaboration with one or more community- based partners at a learning site. The extent of the coordination and the nature of the collaboration should reflect the field school’s expressed student learning outcomes. Community partners should also be willing to collaborate with the field school for at least two years so that the field school can be offered twice during a three-year period. Community partners will be compensated for the collaboration. Please note that this compensation must be allocated from awarded grant monies.

Student Application Process

Students apply for a Discovery Field School by submitting a copy of their transcript and a 250-word essay explaining their interest in the field school and their expected outcomes from participating if selected. The field school faculty leader is responsible for advertising the field school on relevant university platforms, soliciting and reviewing applications and selecting applicants. Graduating seniors must contact the course faculty leaders to verify their eligibility.

How to Apply

All applications must be submitted online, where applicants will be guided through the application process for their proposal type.

Proposal Guidelines

1. Narrative description of proposed field school (1 page), including:
   1. Learning site rationale: A description of the field school learning site, along with a rationale for the learning site as a destination for an immersive educational experience.
   2. Community partner rationale: A description of field school community partner(s), with an explanation of the partner’s relevance to the field school, commitment to coordinate and collaborate with the field school and likelihood of engaging in a sustained relationship with the field school.
2. Course plan (up to 5 pages):
   1. Student learning objectives: A description of the primary learning objectives for students who participate in the field school.
   2. Documentation: A description of the form of documentation (e.g., performance, podcasts, videos, blogs, website, publication and performance) that the field school will produce, which can be featured on the GAHDT website.
   3. Course requirements: A description of the pre- and post-travel assignments, with an explanation of how the assignments will facilitate connections between the learning site and course objectives.
   4. Faculty leader biography: A description of the field school leader’s professional background, with an explanation of what makes them uniquely qualified to lead the proposed field school.
   5. Itinerary: A draft itinerary chronicling the order of activities at the field school learning site.
3. Itemized budget (up to 2 pages): An estimated cost of transportation to, from and at the learning site; cost of food and lodging; and fees for learning experiences/excursions. The budget should also include estimated costs for associated administrative fees and/or honoraria for community partners.
4. Letter of commitment from community partner(s): A letter from community partners attesting to their willingness to coordinate and collaborate with the field school on a multi-year basis.
5. Letter of administrative support from department chairperson: A letter of support from the chairperson of the faculty leader’s department attesting to the department’s willingness to provide administrative support for the field school through the department’s course enrollment manager and fiscal officer. Field schools do not count toward a faculty member’s regular course load. The stipend constitutes compensation for the additional one-credit course with the usual semester course load maintained.

Timeline

• Call for proposals issued: October 1, 2024
• Application deadline: March 15, 2025
• Target date for decisions: April 15, 2025
• Funds to be released: June 1, 2025 (or thereafter)

Contact

Applicants may email questions to Associate Director, Puja Batra-Wells (batra-wells.1@osu.edu).

Download Application PDF

Apply

Apply Now

Deadline: March 15, 2025

APPLICATION WINDOW CLOSED

Global Arts + Humanities Faculty Fellows act as thought partners and advocates, ensuring the advancement of GAHDT’s mission and goals. GAHDT seeks to hire a faculty fellow for 2024-2025 who will help Imagined Futures develop resources that empower graduate students and their mentors to imagine and pursue diverse career paths and build collaborations that change the conversation around graduate career outcomes. The Imagined Futures Faculty Fellow will work with the director of the initiative, Professor Danielle Fosler-Lussier. 

Qualifications

The faculty fellow must be a tenured faculty member on the Columbus campus who has demonstrated interest in graduate students’ professional development; whose skills are grounded in artistic, humanistic and/or collaborative inquiry; and who is eager to develop cooperative relationships across institutional divides. Preference will be given to individuals with experience in graduate mentoring, curriculum development and/or institutional change initiatives. 

Terms of Appointment

Faculty fellows will receive a one-course buyout equivalent to 12% base salary and benefits and summer funding equivalent to an additional ninth of their base salary. GAHDT will transfer these funds to the faculty member’s TIU. TIU heads will work with the faculty member to reduce service responsibilities in accordance with college guidelines and in line with unit needs. Faculty fellows will be appointed to a nine-month term anticipated to start no later than August 15, 2025 and are expected to be on duty on campus for the duration of the 2025-26 academic year. The position includes a one-year membership in the Graduate Career Consortium and funding to attend the Consortium’s annual conference (June 2025). 

Scope of Appointment

Working with the faculty director and GAHDT Advisory Committee, faculty fellows are responsible for a variety of academic, administrative and outreach duties including:  

• Advising Imagined Futures and GAHDT leadership on priorities for advancing cross-disciplinary arts and humanities initiatives, including review of Career Allies Academy applications.
• Co-facilitate meetings of the Career Allies Academy over the course of the academic year.
• Support units in the adoption of best practices in reporting graduate program outcomes.
• Communicate with faculty, directors of graduate studies, staff and other stakeholders to offer resources for program development.
• Participate in online and regional professional development opportunities of the Graduate Career Consortium and share this knowledge with others on our campus.

How to Apply

All proposals must be submitted online, where applicants will be guided through the application process for their proposal type. 

Application Guidelines

Submit electronic copies of the following materials:  

1. Letter of interest (up to two pages) summarizing the applicant’s experience in graduate advising and engagement with graduate student career development and/or community-engaged scholarship or service; reasons for interest in the position; and what the applicant might contribute in the position.
2. A current curriculum vitae that includes graduate teaching and mentorship.
3. A brief letter from applicant’s department chair indicating the unit’s support of the application.  

Timeline

• Call for applications issued: October 1, 2024
• Application deadline: March 15, 2025
• Positions announced: April 1, 2025

Download Application PDF

Apply

Apply Now

Society of Fellows 2025-26 Theme: 
Creativity | Intelligence | Automation

Application window closed

The technological advances and broad applications of artificial intelligence (AI) have profoundly impacted nearly every aspect of human society. But while AI may offer potential solutions to some of the world’s most intractable problems, it also comes with its own perils. Increasingly, the same tools that promise creative innovations, democratic access and economic growth may also reiterate structural inequities, increase corporate influence and jeopardize lives, careers and the environment. 

The Society of Fellows 2025-26 theme, Creativity | Intelligence | Automation foregrounds the challenges and opportunities of automation and alerts us to the ethical obligations arising from the simulation of human intelligence. For example: How might the history of automation inform how we reckon with this new age? How does this moment push us to reimagine the nature of intelligence? How might we hold to account the automation of biases and erasures? Are there intelligences that should not be automated? What happens to artistic life when creative labor is automated? What other intelligences might we turn to beyond doctrines of human uniqueness? 

GAHDT welcomes critical humanistic orientations that bring together an interdisciplinary cohort of scholars, artists and practitioners from a range of fields (arts, architecture, design, engineering, humanities, medicine, social sciences, etc.). The theme focuses on how creativity, intelligence and automation operate across different scales in global contexts and within wider assemblages of biomedical, communicative, cultural, educational, environmental, geopolitical, socioeconomic, carceral and technoscientific forces and relations.  

GAHDT invites Society of Fellows proposals for projects that grapple with the relationship between creativity, intelligence and automation. We welcome projects that compel new understandings of techno-human interdependencies and histories; automation and the politics of labor; theories of personhood; and forms of performativity, communication, learning and cultural expression.

Eligibility and Release Time

Associate and full professors on all Ohio State campuses are eligible to apply. Preference will be given to associate professors for whom this support would facilitate promotion to full professor. Assistant professors who will have passed their fourth-year review at the start of the fellowship period are also eligible. Faculty must commit to being in attendance on the Columbus campus during the fellowship period so that they can participate fully in the monthly seminar, build community and attend related events.

During the fellowship period, and in accordance with college policy, faculty participating in the Society of Fellows will receive a two-course buyout, equivalent to 32% base salary and benefits. GAHDT will transfer these funds to the faculty member’s TIU. TIU heads will work with the faculty member to reduce service responsibilities in accordance with college guidelines and in line with unit needs. The fellowship may be taken concurrently with an Ohio State Faculty Professional Leave (subject to OAA approval). In such cases, the 32% release funds will be used to fund a special assignment with no  teaching that may be combined with a one-semester FPL. In addition to the release funds as indicated above, fellows will also receive $4,000 in research funds to be used during the fellowship year (and no later than August 30, 2025).

Supplemental Mentoring Appointment

This year, we hope to appoint one SOF faculty fellow as a mentor to work with the SOF Graduate Team Fellows. In addition to a two-course release and $4,000 research stipend as a SOF faculty fellow, the faculty mentors will receive an additional $5,000 in supplemental pay. The faculty mentors will support graduate fellows in developing their own research and/or creative project, with administrative help from GAHDT staff.  We expect to offer seven graduate fellowships. The mentoring program requires that students meet with faculty mentors once per month for 120 minutes during the academic year.

Applicants interested in a supplemental student mentoring appointment should indicate interest by checking the appropriate box on the application form.

How to Apply

All applications must be submitted online, where applicants will be guided through the application process for their proposal type.

Submit electronic copies of the following materials:

1. A current curriculum vitae.
2. A list of the leaves and fellowships held in the past three years.
3. A 100-word abstract describing the project (research, creative, public-facing) the applicant will pursue during the term of the fellowship.
4. A brief statement (1,000-1,500 words) describing how your project engages the annual theme, your interest in participating in a multi-disciplinary research community and the specific contributions you would hope to bring to the cohort. The statement should also describe the cross-disciplinary dimensions of your project.
5. A sample of professional achievement (or scholarship or creative activity) related to the fellowship theme (one published article, book chapter or multimedia/video documentation of artistic practice).
6. A brief supporting letter from the department chair committing to adjust the applicant’s teaching  and service responsibilities during the fellowship period. This letter should be submitted as part of application materials through via the application webform.
7. Applicants interested in a supplemental student-mentoring appointment should indicate interest by checking the appropriate box on the application webform.

Evaluation Process

Proposals will be evaluated by a sub-committee of tenured faculty from the GAHDT Advisory Committee.

Timeline

• Call for proposals issued: October 1, 2024
• Application deadline: February 17, 2025
• Fellowships announced: April 1, 2025
• Research funds released: August 1, 2025
• Fellowship appointment begins: August 15, 2025

Contact

Applicants may email questions to GAHDT Associate Director, Puja Batra-Wells (batra-wells.1@osu.edu).

Download Application PDF

Society of Fellows 2025-26 Theme: 
Creativity | Intelligence | Automation

Application window closed

Society of Fellows 2025-26 Theme

The technological advances and broad applications of artificial intelligence (AI) have profoundly impacted nearly every aspect of human society. But while AI may offer potential solutions to some of the world’s most intractable problems, it also comes with its own perils. Increasingly, the same tools that promise creative innovations, democratic access and economic growth may also reiterate structural inequities, increase corporate influence and jeopardize lives, careers and the environment. 

The Society of Fellows 2025-26 theme, Creativity | Intelligence | Automation foregrounds the challenges and opportunities of automation and alerts us to the ethical obligations arising from the simulation of human intelligence. For example: How might the history of automation inform how we reckon with this new age? How does this moment push us to reimagine the nature of intelligence? How might we hold to account the automation of biases and erasures? Are there intelligences that should not be automated? What happens to artistic life when creative labor is automated? What other intelligences might we turn to beyond doctrines of human uniqueness? 

GAHDT welcomes critical humanistic orientations that bring together an interdisciplinary cohort of scholars, artists and practitioners from a range of fields (arts, architecture, design, engineering, humanities, medicine, social sciences, etc.). The theme focuses on how creativity, intelligence and automation operate across different scales in global contexts and within wider assemblages of biomedical, communicative, cultural, educational, environmental, geopolitical, socioeconomic, carceral and technoscientific forces and relations.  

GAHDT invites Society of Fellows proposals for projects that grapple with the relationship between creativity, intelligence and automation. We welcome projects that compel new understandings of techno-human interdependencies and histories; automation and the politics of labor; theories of personhood; and forms of performativity, communication, learning and cultural expression.

Salary and Benefits

Society of Fellows 2025-26 Theme:
Creativity | Intelligence | Automation

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The Graduate Team Society of Fellows Fellowship is a financial award given by the Global Arts + Humanities Discovery Theme to recognize the cross-disciplinary aspirations and academic accomplishments of graduate students in the Division of Arts and Humanities in the College of Arts and Sciences. This program brings together a cohort of graduate students whose projects align with our Society of Fellows’ annual theme of Creativity | Intelligence | Automation, and it awards each student a year-long fellowship. The fellowship is open to students whose projects engage cross-disciplinary critical and/or creative practices as well as students who seek to foster the development of participatory networks with local Columbus communities. Graduate Team Fellows may be at any phase of their dissertation research or terminal degree project.

Society of Fellows 2025-26 Theme

The technological advances and broad applications of artificial intelligence (AI) have profoundly impacted nearly every aspect of human society. But while AI may offer potential solutions to some of the world’s most intractable problems, it also comes with its own perils. Increasingly, the same tools that promise creative innovations, democratic access and economic growth may also reiterate structural inequities, increase corporate influence and jeopardize lives, careers and the environment. 

The Society of Fellows 2025-26 theme, Creativity | Intelligence | Automation, foregrounds the challenges and opportunities of automation and alerts us to the ethical obligations arising from the simulation of human intelligence. For example: How might the history of automation inform how we reckon with this new age? How does this moment push us to reimagine the nature of intelligence? How might we hold to account the automation of biases and erasures? Are there intelligences that should not be automated? What happens to artistic life when creative labor is automated? What other intelligences might we turn to beyond doctrines of human uniqueness? 

The Global Arts + Humanities Discovery Theme invites Society of Fellows graduate applicants whose projects grapple with the relationship between creativity, intelligence and automation. We welcome projects that compel new understandings of techno-human interdependencies and histories; automation and the politics of labor; theories of personhood; and forms of performativity, communication, learning and cultural expression. The theme focuses on how creativity, intelligence and automation operate across different scales in global contexts and within wider assemblages of biomedical, communicative, cultural, educational, environmental, geopolitical, socioeconomic, carceral and technoscientific forces and relations.  

What Does it Mean to Be a Graduate Team Fellow?

In addition to focusing on their own research (as mentored by their department faculty advisor), Graduate Team Fellows convene as a cohort to support each other’s evolving research and develop cross-disciplinary methodologies and understandings in their work. Graduate Team Fellows will be mentored by one a GAHDT Faculty Fellow with expertise in cross-disciplinary arts and humanities methods and practices.

Award Conditions

The Graduate Team Fellowship offers three consecutive semesters (autumn, spring, summer) of tuition and fees and a monthly stipend of $2,535. The award includes travel and research support up to $500. Support also includes payment of general/instructional fees, tuition and any learning/technology fee. Special fees, such as COTA, recreational facility, Student Union and study activity fees are not included. Graduate Team Fellows may not hold any other type of employment or appointment during the time of the fellowship.

Eligibility

1. Must be a doctoral student or student in a three-year terminal degree program (e.g., MFA) in the Division of Arts and Humanities of the College of Arts and Sciences.
2. Must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.6 for all Ohio State graduate courses.
3. This is a residential fellowship. Fellows must maintain residency in Columbus, Ohio, for the duration of the award and attend all in-person meetings as scheduled.

Fellowship Obligations

The Graduate Team Fellowship Program requires fellows to meet with each other and an assigned faculty mentor for 2 hours once per month during the semester to help advance cross-disciplinary understandings, build community and attend related events.

How to Apply

All proposals must be submitted online, where applicants will be guided through the submission process for their proposal type.

Submit electronic copies of the following materials:

1. A complete curriculum vitae.
2. A brief statement (two single-spaced pages) that:
   1. Describes your creative or scholarly project.
   2. Specifies how much of the project you have already completed.
   3. Describes how the project engages in cross-disciplinary dialogue relevant to our Society of Fellows’ annual theme: Creativity | Intelligence | Automation.
   4. Describes the work that the fellowship will allow you to complete.
3. A letter of support from your advisor that conveys the advisor’s appraisal of the project’s progress and cross-disciplinary significance, relevance of the project to the field of study, your unique contribution and value of the fellowship to the your overall graduate pursuits. Advisors should email the letters directly to GAHDT Associate Director Puja Batra-Wells (batra-wells.1@osu.edu).
4. If your project involves a community partnership, it is highly recommended that you provide an additional letter of support from the community partner.
5. A current transcript and/or academic advising report.

NOTE: No ancillary materials, such as DVDs or CDs, will be accepted. Web addresses linking to ancillary materials may be included as appropriate in the research statement.

Evaluation Process + Criteria

1. Applications will be evaluated by a sub-committee of the GAHDT Advisory Committee, which is comprised of senior members of the graduate faculty.
2. The advisory committee will consider all the required information presented in support of the application. Evaluation will focus on the cross-disciplinary reach and quality of the research or creative project proposed; the project’s potential to link with the Society of Fellows annual theme: Creativity | Intelligence | Automation; and the student’s ability to undertake the dissertation or degree project within the fellowship tenure as evaluated primarily by scholars outside the nominee’s area of study.

Timeline

• Fellowship call issued: October 1, 2024
• Application deadline: February 17, 2025
• Fellowships announced: April 1, 2025
• Fellowship award period: Begins autumn 2025

Contact

Applicants may email questions to GAHDT Associate Director, Puja Batra-Wells (batra-wells.1@osu.edu).

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