The CUNY Dominican Studies Institute is now accepting applications for the 2021 Research Fellowships program. The CUNY DSI Research Fellowships enable the Institute to fulfill its mission of producing, stimulating, and disseminating innovative academic research that contributes to the expansion of knowledge about people of Dominican ancestry. Through its fellowships program, CUNY DSI also seeks to expose researchers to a unique hands-on-experience in our archives and library, two entities with no equal in the United States, headed by an elite team of experts who work closely with fellows. The CUNY DSI Research Fellowships program is the first program in the nation devoted exclusively to the advancement of scholarship in Dominican studies.
This year, CUNY DSI will offer five (5) unique research grant opportunities:
- Four research grants of $10,000;
- One research grant of $10,000 for a NSA Fellow [1]
All awardees except for the NSA Fellow must organize an event that is open to the public, in collaboration with an organization of their choosing. The NSA Fellow is required to write a scholarly biography of at least 1000 words of a NSA-member-owner of their choice.
Researchers may start immediately after receiving the Official Award Letter from CUNY DSI.
Awards will be granted to researchers who either:
- Contribute to current CUNY DSI research projects;
- Are interested in writing about collections found in the Dominican Archives and Library; or
- Want to explore CUNY DSI’s quantitative survey data for research purposes. [2]
Selected Research Projects at the CUNY DSI:
- Barriers/challenges to commercial agricultural imports from the Dominican Republic to the U.S.
- Community activism among Dominicans in the U.S.
- Climate change and sustainable economic growth in the Dominican Republic
- Deborah Pacini Hernandez’s Collection on Bachata [3]
- Deportation from the U.S. to the Dominican Republic since 1966
- Dominican electoral politics in the U.S.
- Dominican entrepreneurs in the U.S.
- Dominican landmarks in the U.S. [4]
- Dominican musical presence and innovations in the U.S.
- Dominican women’s resistance to patriarchal domination
- Dominican writers in the U.S. before the rise of Trujillo
- Enslaved African Blacks in La Española [5]
- Formation of Dominican communities in the South and West in the U.S.
- Incarceration of Dominicans in the U.S.
- Intermarriage among Dominicans in the U.S.
- Internal migration of Dominicans in the U.S.
- Labor market outcomes and Dominican skin color
- Resistance of African Black legacy in the Dominican Republic
- Return to education among Dominicans in the U.S.
- State regulation of migratory flows
- The art of Tito Cánepa [6]
- The art of Dominican York Proyecto GRAFICA [7]
- The art of Julia Santos Solomón [8]
- The relationship between U.S. born Dominicans and the Dominican Republic
- U.S. cultural penetration of Dominican society
- U.S. Dominicans in the military/veterans
Application Deadline:
Application closes on March 31, 2021.
Notification: Applicants will be informed of the decision by email on Monday, April 19, 2021.
Within a week of notification, awardees must provide CUNY DSI with a formal photograph to be used in publicity related to the fellowship.
Should CUNY DSI continue to be remote for the rest of 2021, award winners should be prepared to work remotely with the Dominican Library and the Dominican Archives, under the understanding that a limited amount of resources may be accessed online.
Who is Eligible?
(1) Faculty from colleges and universities, irrespective of rank;
(2) Established independent scholars;
(3) Ph.D. students;
(4) International applicants, provided they will not request a letter of support from CUNY to obtain authorization to travel to the U.S. to complete the research associated with this grant.
Application Process
- Complete online application
- Supplemental documents (uploaded through the online application):
- Statement of Research Interest: Includes title of research, methodological approach, and a brief literature review. Up to 1,500 words.
- Updated CV
Winners of past CUNY DSI Archives and Library Research Awards may re-apply three full years after receiving an award from CUNY DSI.
For questions, email CUNY DSI Chief Librarian, Professor Sarah Aponte at aponte@ccny.cuny.edu
Frequently Asked Questions
Past CUNY DSI and NSA award winners
These grants are made possible through private and public funding.
[1] Click here for information about the NSA
[2] Click here for information about the surveys
[3] Collection at the CUNY DSI Library.
[4] http://www.dominicanlandmarks.com
[6] Collection in the CUNY DSI Archives.
[7] Collection in the CUNY DSI Archives.
[8] Collection in the CUNY DSI Archives.
