Cornucopia

The international scientific community have been paying close attention to Florence and its cultural heritage for more than two centuries. Despite the plentiful of initiatives related to the city’s heritage, there was a gap that our Institute aims to close: a project to attract senior researchers from foreign universities and research centers, or with an excellent scholarship qualification, who are willing to use their research skills to stimulate and enrich Florence and its citizens.

The Sangalli Institute for the religious history and cultures, in collaboration with the City of Florence and the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Center, and with the generous financial support of the Ente Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze, intends to offer the opportunity of a research stay in Florence to senior researchers of any nationality who are affiliated with a university or research center outside of Italy, or who have an equivalent record of internation scholarship. The goal of the Florence Short Term Fellowships Program is to promote productive and effective dialogue between the great cultural heritage of Florence and international researchers in the humanities specialized in the history of religions and religious studies, with special attention to interfaith dialogue and interdisciplinary approaches. The scientific coordinator of the Program is Prof. Massimo Carlo Giannini, Vice-President of the Sangalli Institute.

For the academic year 2016-2017, the Sangalli Institute offers 5 residential fellowships of 1 month of duration (worth 2,000 euro each), to help covering living expenses and accommodation. The purpose of these short term fellowships is to promote exemplary interdisciplinary research in the Humanities connected to Religious History or Religious Studies (Theology, Philosophy, Sociology, Political Sciences, Arts, Literature, Music, Interreligious Dialogue, etc.). Applicants from any field in the Humanities are invited to apply and priority will be given to candidates with a demonstrated ability to collaborate across disciplines. Applications from women and minority candidates are strongly encouraged.

Accepted fellows are required to reside in Florence for the term of the fellowship. During their stay, fellows must deliver a seminar at the Sangalli Institute. At the end of their fellowship, every fellow must give a public talk aimed at a broad Florentine audience in one of the spaces provided by the City of Florence.

The Sangalli Institute will be pleased to help with finding suitable accommodations in Florence. The stipend is intended as a supplementary award and may be held in conjunction with other research grants, stipends, or sabbatical salaries. Fellowships are tenable for one or more months (up to 2 months, according with the number of applications), from July 1, 2016 to July 30, 2017.

Candidates for the fellowships must have been awarded a doctorate at least ten years before the application due date, being affiliated with universities or research centers outside of Italy, or must have an excellent at least ten years record of international scholarship in an area relevant to the themes of Religious History or Religious Studies (Theology, Philosophy, Sociology, Political Sciences, Arts, Literature, Music, Interreligious Dialogue, etc.).

Applicants are requested to send (in PDF files):
1. a CV
2. a four-page proposal for research to be carried out during the period of the fellowship that includes:
a) the desired number of months of residency;
b) the collections, libraries, archives or other sources in Florence to be used for the research activity.

The deadline for applications is May 30, 2016 by 12.00 pm (Italian hour – CET).
Application materials must be sent by e-mail to segreteria@istitutosangalli.it.

The fellowship winners will be announced by June 15, 2016 on the Sangalli Institute’s website, www.istitutosangalli.it, on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/istitutosangalli, on our Twitter profile, twitter.com/Sangallistituto, and on the other websites of the participating institutions.