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).

Retriever Integrated Health invites all UMBC students, faculty, and staff to participate in a Free Community Acupuncture event. A licensed acupuncturist will provide sessions, answer questions, and share information about this ancient healing practice.

Event Details:

• Date: Thursday, September 25, 2025
• Time: 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
• Location: Center for Well-Being, Room 118
• Open to: All students, faculty, and staff
• Cost: Free. No appointment is necessary. Walk-ins are welcome.

Light refreshments and wellness giveaways will be available.

For more information, please contact Retriever Integrated Health at (410) 455-2542 or visit https://health.umbc.edu.

Take a break from your busy schedule and relax with free community acupuncture at UMBC. Licensed acupuncturists will be on site to guide you through a calming, restorative experience.

Date : Thursday, September 25, 2025
Time : 11 AM – 1 PM
Location : Center for Well-Being, Room 118

Retriever Integrated Health invites all UMBC students, faculty, and staff to enjoy free acupuncture sessions with a licensed acupuncturist. It's the perfect chance to relax, ask questions, and experience this ancient healing practice.

Bonus: Free refreshments and wellness goodies available while you wait.

No appointment needed — just walk in.
Open to all students, faculty, and staff.
Completely free!!

If you need any accommodations to participate in this event, please contact Retriever Integrated Health at rih@umbc.edu or call +1 (410) 455-2542 as soon as possible.

Come by, recharge, and take care of yourself today. We hope to see you there!

The Language, Literacy, and Culture Program just announced that Zareen Taj of LLC Cohort 22 successfully and skillfully presented her dissertation research proposal on September 12, 2025.

Zareen's project is titled, Hazara Women's Resistance and Resilience: An Autoethnographic Study.

After her presentation, Zareen had a substantive discussion with her committee about the next stages of her work. The committee agreed that the project is worthy of doctoral research and helped Zareen consider some key issues as she moves forward into the research and writing.

Many thanks to Zareen's committee members:

Co-Chairs:

Tania Lizarazo, MA/Global Studies

Joby Taylor, Shriver Center

Members:

Tanya Saunders, Language, Literacy, and Culture

Sally Scott, Shriver Center

Melissa Skye Kerr Chiovenda, George Mason University 

Shriver Center friends and colleagues are so proud of Zareen!