Applications are currently being accepted for the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation Fellowships 2026. Interested applicants are encouraged to click here to learn more about this opportunity and apply for it.
About Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation Fellowships
The Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation awards predoctoral and postdoctoral fellowships annually for research that advances the study of art of the Spanish Americas. It is the only unrestricted research funding in the United States devoted exclusively to this field.
Applicants may come from any discipline, but projects must pertain to the history of art and visual culture of colonial South America and the Spanish Caribbean. Exceptionally accomplished scholars holding an MA may also apply, and international scholars, particularly from Latin America, are strongly encouraged to apply.
Proposals should show original scholarship and/or make a significant contribution to the understanding of the art of the Spanish Americas and its history. Fellowships range in duration from one to two years and culminate in major measurable outcomes, including museum exhibitions, dissertations, book publications, scholarly essays, and lecture series.
Benefits of Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation Fellowships
- Predoctoral Dissertation Research Fellowship: $50,000 (one-year award)
- Postdoctoral Research Fellowship*: $65,000 (one- to two-year award; indicate project length in application)
Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation Fellowships Requirements
Pre-doctoral fellowship applicants must be:
- At least 21 years old
- Enrolled in an accredited doctoral program in the field of Art History, History, Architectural History, Religion, or a related field
Additionally, post-doctoral applicants must:
- Hold a PhD conferred between 2016 and 2026
Applicants for both awards must:
- Be able to communicate and conduct research in both English and Spanish
- Propose a project that focuses on the art of colonial South America, including the Spanish Caribbean, particularly with reference to painting or sculpture
- Projects that focus exclusively on decorative arts, manuscripts, or maps and that focus exclusively on the art of Mexico, Central America, or North America will not be considered
Applicants may not:
- Apply on behalf of an organization
- Hold a board or staff position that conflicts with the Thoma Foundation
Application Date and Process
- Completed application form via Salesforce
- Project abstract (limit 300 words)
- Project proposal (limit five double-spaced pages, plus up to two optional pages of images) outlining the goals of the project and the progress made to date, its engagement with current debates within the field and relevant scholarship, its methodology or theoretical approach, the significance for the field, and the measurable outcome (product). Project proposals need not only result in scholarly monographs; other possible outcomes include museum exhibitions, dissertations, scholarly essays, or lecture series.
- CV (limit five pages)
- Work plan timeline, including any travel and projected milestones
- Bibliography (limit one page) of sources that the scholar will draw from in framing and carrying out the project
- Transcripts (pre-doctoral fellows only)
- Detailed budget outlining the anticipated expenditures related to the project and research activities
- Two letters of reference (pre-doctoral applicants must include a letter of reference from their dissertation advisor)
Application Deadline
15 December, 2026
Opportunity Application
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Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation Fellowships
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