ISLAA Research Fellowship: Inaugural Call for Proposals

Submission period: April 21, 2025–May 16, 2025

The Institute for Studies on Latin American Art (ISLAA) is pleased to announce a new initiative, the ISLAA 2025 Research Fellowship Program, created to support scholars in modern and contemporary Latin American art as they advance their academic work and contribute to the field. This initiative invites emerging scholars to undertake sustained, in-depth research within the ISLAA Archival Collections & Artist Files, which preserve and provide access to a wide array of primary source materials essential to the study of modern and contemporary Latin American art.
The collections constitute a vital resource for investigating key transformations in the arts during the mid-twentieth century. They include archives of Argentine artists such as José Antonio Fernández-Muro, Sarah Grilo, Kazuya Sakai, Norah Borges, Nelia Licenziato, and César Paternosto, along with hundreds of artist files documenting Latin American artists such as Hélio Oiticica or Carlos Cruz-Diez. Fellows will also have the opportunity to explore the histories of influential cultural institutions—such as the Galería Bonino, the Instituto Torcuato Di Tella, and the Centro de Arte y Comunicación—transgressive movements, including the Brazilian Movimento de Arte Pornô, and magazines such as Mexico-published Plural and Artes Visuales.

Six fellowships will be awarded, which will be distributed as follows: 2 fellowships in Fall 2025, 2 fellowships in Spring 2026, and 2 fellowships in Summer 2026. Fellowships will last between two and four weeks, depending on the residents’ availability. It is a requirement of the fellowship that the researcher be physically present at ISLAA’s headquarters in New York City, located at 142 Franklin Street in Tribeca, for the duration of the fellowship.  

We invite applications from MA and PhD students enrolled in graduate university programs in the United States. Research must be directed toward the completion of master’s theses or doctoral dissertations, peer-reviewed journal articles, books or conference presentations. The six selected fellows will be announced before the Summer 2025.

Selected ISLAA Research Fellows will work in person with the archival collections listed on archives.islaa.org, which include all the archival collections, as well as more than 1,000 Artist Files. Access to collections marked as digitized will also be provided. The Fellows will receive support from the ISLAA Library & Archives Team, led by Agustín Díez Fischer.

Fellows will provide a brief exit report and deliver an informal presentation at ISLAA based on their selected archival collection, aligning their research with their own interests and expertise. Each selected participant will receive a $2,500 stipend to support their research. This includes all personal costs, travel, lodging, and meals. ISLAA will not be responsible for organizing these logistics and cannot issue travel permits.

A research committee will review the proposal and make a decision based on its originality, the project, the candidate’s experience, and calendar availability. Only complete applications will be considered, and individual feedback will not be provided. Once a candidate is selected, the decision will be irrevocable. ISLAA must be acknowledged in all work resulting from research in its collections. The fellowship will only take effect once the selected candidate has completed all required legal forms.

To apply, please submit the following materials as separate PDFs to applications@islaa.org

 - A cover letter including full name, contact information, institutional affiliation, and preferred time—if any—for undertaking the fellowship (Fall, Spring, or Summer).

-A research proposal abstract: 350-words

Candidates must provide a research proposal abstract in English that demonstrates their interest and research experience related to the archival collection and explains how it relates to their broader research goals. They must elaborate on how their research on this collection could help contribute toward future writing projects (please mention project title), including theses, dissertations, articles, presentations at conferences, or books.

Candidates must have knowledge of the context and background of the archival collection as well as research and writing experience on the topic. Additionally, candidates must be able to read competently in the languages of their selected archival collection.

-A CV: 1-page

Candidates must also provide a CV relates to the candidate's interests and expertise in art history.

If you have questions about the ISLAA Research Fellowship program, please email Blanca Serrano Ortiz de Solórzano, ISLAA project director, at applications@islaa.org.