The Marian Library and the International Marian Research Institute are pleased to announce that applications are being accepted through Jan. 15 for summer 2027 Marian fellowships. These three short-term fellowships support research and artistic creation using the Marian Library’s distinctive collections and expertise. Given the breadth of the collections these fellowships can advance scholarship in Marian theology and a wide range of other disciplines.
VISITING SCHOLAR FELLOWSHIP
Open to postdoctoral scholars, academics, independent scholars, artists, curators and professionals in libraries, archives and museum fields, this fellowship comes with an award of $3,000 plus $1,000 toward travel, living and/or research expenses for those traveling more than 100 miles. The award must be used between May 17 and Aug. 13, 2027, and the fellow must reside in the Dayton area during their fellowship for two to four weeks. The fellow will also be asked to document their experience working with the collection for the Marian Library blog.
GRADUATE STUDENT FELLOWSHIP
The graduate student fellowship is open to master’s and doctoral students from the University of Dayton or other academic institutions. It comes with an award of $3,000 plus $1,000 toward travel, living and/or research expenses for those traveling more than 100 miles to use for two to four weeks between May 17 and Aug. 13, 2027.
RESIDENT SCHOLAR FELLOWSHIP
Open to any University of Dayton faculty, this four- to eight-week residency carries a stipend of $3,000 and supports research or artistic creation with the Marian Library’s collections between May 17 and Aug. 13, 2027. The Marian Library collections can be of value for many disciplines and, in addition to supporting research and artistic creation, may also inspire pedagogical design.
PAST FELLOWSHIP PROJECTS
Past fellows have conducted research using the Marian Library’s collections for a variety of disciplines such as art history, disability studies, language and culture, music and theology. This research has supported doctoral dissertations such as Austin Cruz’s research at the University of Notre Dame examining Juan Diego’s journey to sainthood, and Giovanna Sarto’s work at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora in Brazil on Black Virgins in Latin America. Fellowship research has resulted in publications, such as “‘To win back for Our Lady the flowers of the field’: Ecology, Stewardship, and Prayer in the Mary’s Gardens Apostolate” by Elizabeth Groppe in U.S. Catholic Historian. Other projects have supported pedagogical innovation in the classroom, such as Teresa Saxton’s use of Marian Library collections in first-year humanities seminars, and Liz Hutter’s research that shaped a semester-long collaboration with a student curated exhibit.
ABOUT THE MARIAN LIBRARY AND THE INTERNATIONAL MARIAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE
Founded in 1943 by the Society of Mary, the Marian Library is an internationally recognized collection of materials connected to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Serving the research needs of students and faculty at the University of Dayton and scholars around the world, the collections include books, periodicals, archival material, artworks and religious artifacts.
The International Marian Research Institute was launched in 1974 to promote Marian scholarship and utilize the resources of the Marian Library. IMRI is part of the College of Arts and Sciences and honors the commitment of the University and the Marianists to advancing Marian studies.
HOW TO APPLY
Application materials and more information about Marian Library resources can be found at go.udayton.edu/marian-fellowships. Applicants are encouraged to email marianfellowships@udayton.edu to discuss collections and resources that may support their proposed projects.
— Kayla Harris is a professor, associate dean for special collections and executive director of the Marian Library.