Schoenberg Institute and CSMC Launch Joint Fellowship Programme

20 February 2026

Photo: SIMS/CSMC

The Schoenberg Institute for Manuscript Studies (SIMS) at the University of Pennsylvania and the CSMC are launching a new joint fellowship that gives researchers the chance to work intensively with manuscript collections in both Philadelphia and Hamburg.

The fellowship is designed to bring together the complementary strengths of the two institutions and to encourage cross-disciplinary approaches to the study of manuscripts. Both institutions offer an ideal environment for doing research in this field: At SIMS, fellows will benefit from access to rich manuscript holdings, including the Lawrence J. Schoenberg Collection, and from engagement with an active of specialists on medieval and early modern manuscripts. At the CSMC, they will be able to draw on a unique research infrastructure that includes an extensive research library, an Artefact Lab, Computer Science Labs, and to engage with a vibrant international community focused on manuscript cultures across time and space.

Fellows will spend one month at SIMS exploring premodern manuscripts at Penn Libraries and other collections in the Philadelphia area, followed by up to three months at the CSMC working on the same manuscript or set of manuscripts. The SIMS residency carries a stipend of 5,000 USD and must take place between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027. The stay at CSMC can be scheduled for one to three months between 1 January and 31 December 2027 and is funded with a monthly stipend in the range of 2,590–4,463 USD (depending on years after the PhD), plus return travel costs to Hamburg. During the fellowship, short research trips to nearby institutions are possible, and fellows will also get the opportunity to present their work in a hybrid lecture held in person in Hamburg.

The fellowship is open to scholars who live outside the greater Philadelphia area and are not affiliated with the University of Hamburg; applicants must hold a PhD or equivalent professional degree by the start of the fellowship, although independent scholars with a strong track record are also encouraged to apply. Applications are due by Friday, 1 May 2026. More information on the fellowship and how to apply is available here.