***reposted from CARAT***

Dear CAHSS faculty member,

We invite you to submit a proposal to be nominated for the 2026 Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program competition, sponsored by Carnegie Corporation of New York. Details are below.

• The purpose of the Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program is to support high-caliber scholarship in the social sciences and humanities. The 2026 program expects to provide fellowships of $200,000 to 30 exceptional scholars, journalists, and public intellectuals. The funding is for a period of either one or two years, with the anticipated result being a book or major study.

• The 2026 call for applications is on the theme of political polarization in the United States. The Corporation anticipates that the work of the Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program will explore the many ways political polarization in the United States manifests itself in society and suggest ways that it may be mitigated. Studies of polarization in other countries will be welcomed providing they offer lessons that can be applied to the United States. Projects based in disciplines across the humanities and social sciences are welcomed.

• UMBC may nominate two scholars for the competition: one tenured and one senior untenured (i.e. teaching professors and professors of the practice). Candidates must have a Ph.D. or hold a terminal degree in their field. Untenured candidates will need to become PI Eligible through the exception process, which requires a letter from the Dean or ADR explaining that the faculty has undertaken significant research during their appointment at UMBC.

• Andrew Carnegie Fellowships are open only to citizens or permanent residents of the United States.

• Previous UMBC nominees who applied for the theme of political polarization are not eligible to apply again.

Please keep in mind that Carnegie seeks projects that will be written to communicate with a broad audience. You may find it useful to browse the projects that were awarded last year and read through a study of their focus and potential impact since the theme (political polarization in the U.S.) is unchanged.

The Carnegie jury will evaluate nominations by the following criteria:

• Originality and promise of the idea
• Quality of the proposal
• Promise to offer means to reduce harmful polarization or to enhance social cohesion
• Record of the nominee
• Plans to communicate findings to a broad audience

If you are interested in being considered for the internal competition, please EMAIL the following application materials to:

Carnegi.bs0ulrhjc4r5p385@u.box.com by 5 pm EDT on Wednesday, October 15, 2025.

We urge you to contact CARAT Associate Director Rachel Brubaker (rbruba1@umbc.edu) or CARAT Director Marc Ruppel (mruppel@umbc.edu) as soon as possible to discuss your proposal.

Your application materials must include:

1)  A 3-5 page, double-spaced prospectus describing the project, including a projected work plan and approximate time frame. Fellowships will be for either 12 or 24 months and must begin on the first of the month between July and September of 2026, and no later than September 1, 2026.

Note: The Carnegie program allows flexibility in how you manage your time commitment. You may opt for a regular fellowship leave or decide to teach part-time during the semester while working full-time on your project during the summer. 

2) Curriculum vitae

3) Estimate of budgetary requirement for a one- or two-year project. Funds may support:

• Salary and fringe benefits
• Project-related travel (research, conferences)
• Research assistants (hourly or stipend)
• Other project needs (i.e., data collection, surveys, transcription, project supplies and a consultant or contractual service)

The Dean's Office will convene a panel to review the applications and select one or two scholars to recommend to the President as UMBC's nominee(s) by October 22nd. The nominee(s) will work with CARAT to complete the application process and to forward all materials to the President's Office by October 30th. A letter of nomination from President Sheares Ashby is required for the application. Applications must be submitted to the Carnegie Corporation of New York by November 07, 2025 (5:00 P.M. EST).

For additional questions, please contact Associate Dean Alan Yeakley (ayeakley@umbc.edu), Marc Ruppel, Director of CARAT (mruppel@umbc.edu), or Rachel Brubaker, Associate Director of CARAT (rbruba1@umbc.edu).

CAHSS Faculty Members are invited to submit a proposal to be nominated for the 2026 Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program competition, sponsored by Carnegie Corporation of New York. Details are below.

• The purpose of the Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program is to support high-caliber scholarship in the social sciences and humanities. The 2026 program expects to provide fellowships of $200,000 to 30 exceptional scholars, journalists, and public intellectuals. The funding is for a period of either one or two years, with the anticipated result being a book or major study.

• The 2026 call for applications is on the theme of political polarization in the United States. The Corporation anticipates that the work of the Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program will explore the many ways political polarization in the United States manifests itself in society and suggest ways that it may be mitigated. Studies of polarization in other countries will be welcomed providing they offer lessons that can be applied to the United States. Projects based in disciplines across the humanities and social sciences are welcomed.

• UMBC may nominate two scholars for the competition: one tenured and one senior untenured (i.e. teaching professors and professors of the practice). Candidates must have a Ph.D. or hold a terminal degree in their field. Untenured candidates will need to become PI Eligible through the exception process, which requires a letter from the Dean or ADR explaining that the faculty has undertaken significant research during their appointment at UMBC.

• Andrew Carnegie Fellowships are open only to citizens or permanent residents of the United States.

• Previous UMBC nominees who applied for the theme of political polarization are not eligible to apply again.

Please keep in mind that Carnegie seeks projects that will be written to communicate with a broad audience. You may find it useful to browse the projects that were awarded last year and read through a study of their focus and potential impact since the theme (political polarization in the U.S.) is unchanged.

The Carnegie jury will evaluate nominations by the following criteria:

• Originality and promise of the idea
• Quality of the proposal
• Promise to offer means to reduce harmful polarization or to enhance social cohesion
• Record of the nominee
• Plans to communicate findings to a broad audience

If you are interested in being considered for the internal competition, please EMAIL the following application materials to:

Carnegi.bs0ulrhjc4r5p385@u.box.com by 5 pm EDT on Wednesday, October 15, 2025.

We urge you to contact CARAT Associate Director Rachel Brubaker (rbruba1@umbc.edu) or CARAT Director Marc Ruppel (mruppel@umbc.edu) as soon as possible to discuss your proposal.

Your application materials must include:

1)  A 3-5 page, double-spaced prospectus describing the project, including a projected work plan and approximate time frame. Fellowships will be for either 12 or 24 months and must begin on the first of the month between July and September of 2026, and no later than September 1, 2026.

Note: The Carnegie program allows flexibility in how you manage your time commitment. You may opt for a regular fellowship leave or decide to teach part-time during the semester while working full-time on your project during the summer. 

2) Curriculum vitae

3) Estimate of budgetary requirement for a one- or two-year project. Funds may support:

• Salary and fringe benefits
• Project-related travel (research, conferences)
• Research assistants (hourly or stipend)
• Other project needs (i.e., data collection, surveys, transcription, project supplies and a consultant or contractual service)

The Dean's Office will convene a panel to review the applications and select one or two scholars to recommend to the President as UMBC's nominee(s) by October 22nd. The nominee(s) will work with CARAT to complete the application process and to forward all materials to the President's Office by October 30th. A letter of nomination from President Sheares Ashby is required for the application. Applications must be submitted to the Carnegie Corporation of New York by November 07, 2025 (5:00 P.M. EST).

For additional questions, please contact Associate Dean Alan Yeakley (ayeakley@umbc.edu), Marc Ruppel, Director of CARAT (mruppel@umbc.edu), or Rachel Brubaker, Associate Director of CARAT (rbruba1@umbc.edu).

Have questions, ideas, or concerns about graduate student life at UMBC? Want to learn more about upcoming initiatives or share your feedback directly with GSA leadership?

Join the GSA President during weekly office hours! This is your opportunity to:

• Ask questions about GSA policies, events, and funding.

• Share your experiences and suggestions.

• Connect with leadership in an open, welcoming space.

Your voice matters—stop by, even if it's just to say hello!

Commons 308
Every Wednesday, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

The John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Higher Education (Gardner Institute) is looking for an Intern for Spring 2026!

For the past 25 years, the Gardner Institute has worked with institutions to improve their student success. We are seeking an intern for the Spring 2026 term a Graduate Intern who is interested in working with the Gardner Institute's engagements with college and university partners.

Interns are given the opportunity to collaborate alongside the Gardner Institute staff on work related to student success. Each intern is expected to work 10-15 hours per week and complete a project by the end of their term. 

Qualifications:

Interested candidates should be pursuing degrees in higher education administration or a related field, and be interested in working with college and university administrators, faculty, staff and students in support of institutional transformation that advances student success.

The work will include the intern's participation in professional learning environments offered in the Gardner Institute academies. Depending on areas of interest, the intern will also have the chance to be involved in our partnerships with institutions redesigning their first-year or transfer experiences, academic advising, retention or curriculum.

Interns will receive a stipend of $1,500 per semester and academic credit may also be available.

To apply for our internship, please complete the Internship Form.

Notifications on decisions will occur 6 weeks after deadline.

The application is due November 14, 2025.

Feel free to share this opportunity with students and colleagues!

For questions, please contact internships@gardnerinstitute.org.

Gardner Institute | internships@gardnerinstitute.org | gardnerinstitute.org