Penn Faculty

Questions? Please email or call Sara Varney (215.745.5940), the Center's Associate Director.

Penn Faculty Fellowships

The Wolf Humanities Center offers fellowships each year to standing faculty at Penn in the humanities and allied departments. The fellowships are for research that relates to the Center's theme for the year in which the award is granted.

  • Junior scholars receive a $5000 research fund stipend (paid in two installments). 

  • Senior scholars are invited to apply for either a $5000 research fund stipend OR one to two course reliefs. The Wolf Humanities Center provides course replacement money for up to two courses, to be paid to the fellow’s department at Penn’s LPS instructor rate and to be used solely for course replacement. Advance written approval of any course relief request is required from the applicant’s department chair. Scholars who have already had one semester of course relief not given as compensation for service between Fall 2017 and Spring 2020 may only apply for a $5000 research fund stipend or a single course relief.

Fellows are required to attend the Wolf Humanities Center's weekly Mellon seminars (Tuesdays, noon–1:50pm)* and present their research at one of the sessions during the year. In addition to Penn faculty, seminar members include Mellon Postdoctoral Fellows, regional faculty, the Center's director and topic director, and others.

*NOTE: Interested applicants are advised to check well ahead with their department/s to avoid conflicts in scheduling classes and other obligations.

Call for Applications, 2020–2021

Research Topic: Choice
Application deadline: March 22, 2020

Applications are now being accepted for research on the topic of Choice, the Center's topic for 2020–21. Please apply via the Interfolio application portal.

Applicants are required to submit an up-to-date CV and a single PDF including the following:

  • Project Title
  • Project Abstract (125 words maximum)
  • Project Proposal (approx. 1000 words)

Senior Faculty Applicants: if you are applying for course relief, please ask your department chair to email Sara Varney by March 22, 2020 with their written approval of your application and course relief request.

Penn Faculty Fellows

The University of Pennsylvania values diversity and seeks talented students, faculty and staff from diverse backgrounds. The University of Pennsylvania does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected class status in the administration of its admissions, financial aid, educational or athletic programs, or other University-administered programs or in its employment practices.