How to Apply to a Postgraduate Fellowship in Philadelphia

A graduate comparing several Philadelphia fellowship postings will find different deadlines and materials for each. Here is how to apply for postgraduate fellowship Philadelphia programs: build one core materials set, then follow each program’s own rules.

Quick answer: confirm the program is open, gather your cover letter, resume or CV, statements and referees, and tailor each piece to the posting’s wording. Submit exactly what is asked before the cutoff, then track interviews and decisions. If you are still choosing programs, start with the overview of postgraduate fellowships philadelphia, or read the guide to post graduate fellowships philadelphia aimed at recent college graduates.

Confirm the program is open and that you qualify

Start with the cheapest check, the program’s own page. The Library Company’s Innovation Award page, for example, states that it is not currently accepting applications and that updates will be posted when the next cycle opens. A closed program is a reason to bookmark the page, not to start drafting.

Eligibility lines are just as specific. The Penn Program in Environmental Humanities offers up to five one-year research fellowships to Penn graduate students who have completed qualifying exams, according to Penn’s fellowship funding page. If you do not meet a stated condition, move on to a program you do qualify for.

1. Find the status. Look for an open or closed notice and a named deadline on the official page.
2. Match your profile. Compare your degree stage and affiliation with the eligibility line.
3. Read for location expectations. Some Philadelphia fellowships expect you to be in the city during the appointment, so check this before you invest time.
4. Record the exact cutoff. Copy the date, the time and the time zone into one calendar.

Dated examples of application windows

Program	Dated example	Planning use
Penn Program in Environmental Humanities one-year fellowships	Deadline June 1, 2021	The latest cutoff in this set, which leaves the most drafting time.
McNeil Center fellowships	Online applications due 3 February 2020	Prepare every upload before opening the form.
APS long-term fellowships	Friday, January 31, 2020, 11:59 p.m. EST	The cutoff is late evening Eastern time, so do not leave submission to the last minutes.
APS short-term fellowships	Friday, March 6, 2020, 11:59 p.m. EST	A separate, later deadline from the long-term track. Confirm which track you are applying to.
CARGC postdoctoral fellowship (Annenberg School)	February 1, 2023, sent by email	Late or incomplete submissions are not considered.

These dates come from Penn’s fellowship funding page and the CARGC postdoctoral call. Each is a past cycle, so check the current posting.

In these examples the deadlines cluster between late January and early June, but each program sets its own. Opening dates vary too. A PHENND posting announced that applications for a community engagement fellowship’s 2014-2015 year opened Dec 9, 2013. The sensible approach is to start the core documents before a posting appears, then recheck the program page each cycle for the opening date.

Assemble the core materials

Most postings ask for a CV or resume, a written statement of your project or interests, and recommendations. The details differ by program, as the three examples below show.

Program	Materials requested	Planning use
Penn Program in Environmental Humanities	1000-word research statement, 250-word vision statement, CV, and one confidential letter	Write the longer statement first, then build the shorter one from it.
McNeil Center fellowships	CV; proposal up to 1,500 words, double-spaced; writing sample up to 7,500 words; two letters of recommendation	Pick a writing sample that fits the cap before the deadline week.
CARGC postdoctoral fellowship	Cover letter on fit with CARGC’s mission and research themes; research statement up to three double-spaced pages; CV up to three pages; one published peer-reviewed article or chapter; three references including the dissertation supervisor	This is the longest list, so start it first.

The requirements above are reported on Penn’s fellowship funding page and in the CARGC call.

Most of the posted caps are length limits, so check them before you write a word. These are research fellowships. Service-oriented and nonprofit postings may list other items, so build your checklist from each posting’s own list. Keep one master folder with a current resume or CV and reusable paragraphs, then cut a version for each program.

Tailor the cover letter and statements

A tailored cover letter names the program’s own priorities and connects your work to them. The CARGC call asks applicants to include a section in the cover letter explaining how their research aligns with CARGC’s mission and research themes. A generic letter cannot do that.

The same call says its staff are unable to read drafts because of the volume of applications. Expect to get feedback from your own advisors, peers or a campus career office before you submit.

1. Collect the program’s language. Copy the mission, themes and stated outcomes from the posting into a notes page.
2. Write the alignment paragraph first. Say specifically how your work connects to those themes, then build the rest of the letter around it.
3. Fit each statement to its stated limit. Cut material rather than shrinking formatting.
4. Match the placement. When the fellowship sits in the nonprofit sector, say what you would contribute and learn. PHENND describes the outcome of its fellowship as a broad understanding of civic engagement in the nonprofit sector, which is a useful frame for a nonprofit organization placement.

Line up letters of recommendation

Letters of recommendation are handled differently by each program, so ask referees early and tell them exactly how theirs will be collected. The posted mechanics below come from Penn’s fellowship funding page and the CARGC call.

• Letter emailed by your advisor. The Penn Program in Environmental Humanities takes one confidential letter, emailed by the dissertation advisor or graduate chair.
• Letters uploaded by referees. McNeil Center letters go through Interfolio or by email, and they must address the specifics of the application. Choose referees who can speak to your proposal, not only to your general record.
• Referees named by you. CARGC asks you to provide names and contact information for three references, including your dissertation supervisor. If you are shortlisted, it contacts them in mid-February 2023.

Send each referee the posting, your statement and the deadline, so what they write fits the application you are submitting.

Submit the application

Submit in the exact format the program requests, before the cutoff. CARGC states that incomplete or late applications will not be considered, and it asks for all materials as a single PDF emailed to [email protected], per its posted call. Treat a missing item as a reason to delay only if there is still time before the deadline.

1. Run your checklist against the posting. Confirm every item and every length cap.
2. Prepare files in the requested format. Name them clearly and check that nothing is cut off.
3. Confirm your referees. Make sure letters are sent, or that named referees know to expect contact.
4. Submit early. Do not leave it to the posted cutoff time, especially a late-evening one.
5. Save your records. Keep a copy of what you sent and any confirmation.

After you submit: interviews and decisions

After submission, expect a quiet stretch followed by shortlist contact. One posted timeline shows how this can run. CARGC says that if you are shortlisted it contacts referees in mid-February 2023, that it expects to contact finalists for Zoom interviews by the end of February, and that final decisions follow shortly thereafter, per its call for applications. In that example, interviews came in the same month as the deadline.

1. Wait for the shortlist. Use the time to alert your referees that they may be contacted.
2. Prepare for interviews. Reread your statements and cover letter, and rehearse your answers with a mentor.
3. Log the dates. Write every stated interview and decision date in your calendar.

Decide on an offer

Compare an offer on stipend, term and extras together, not on the headline figure alone. Posted amounts vary widely with the type of program, as the examples below show.

Program	Stipend and support	Term and conditions
Penn Program in Environmental Humanities	$2,000-4,000 stipend per project	Paid per project, so it is not comparable with a full-year salary.
McNeil Center nine-month fellowship (2020-2021 cycle)	$25,000 stipend plus office space	Nine months.
APS Mellon NASI predoctoral fellowship	$25,000 stipend plus travel and research funds	12 months.
CARGC postdoctoral fellowship	$60,000 stipend plus $3,000 research fund	One year, renewable for a second year based on performance; typically starts August 15.

Figures are from Penn’s fellowship funding page and the CARGC call, and they describe past cycles.

A per-project stipend suits someone combining the fellowship with other work, while a longer stipended term suits someone who needs the main source of support. Check start dates, renewal conditions and any location expectations in the offer itself before you accept. To weigh an offer against what comes next, read about careers after nonprofit fellowship experiences.

Frequently asked questions

Does one application cover several fellowships?

That depends on the program. The McNeil Center states that a single online application suffices for all of its fellowships, according to Penn’s fellowship funding page. Other programs run separate applications, so read each posting.

Do I have to live in Philadelphia during a fellowship?

Some programs expect it. McNeil Center fellows are expected to be in residence in Philadelphia during their appointment terms, and CARGC describes a residential fellowship rooted in Penn’s Annenberg School and the city, per its call. Check the posting for the specific requirement.

Do fellowships cover tuition?

Only some do. A 2013 PHENND posting for a Merrimack College community engagement fellowship said its year-long fellowships covered all tuition costs. That was specific to that program, so check what each posting covers.