Sydney Brenner Research Fellowship
The Sydney Brenner Research Fellowship is one of three opportunities offered by the CSHL Center for Humanities & History of Modern Biology. This fellowship supports significant research projects in the history of the life sciences.
📜 About Sydney Brenner Research Fellowship
The Sydney Brenner Research Fellowship, endowed by the Francis Goelet Charitable Trust in 2006, provides stipends of up to $5,000 (USD) to fund travel and other expenses associated with research projects.
Ideal projects should:
- Be advanced and broad in scope.
- Have some relevance to the collections in the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) Archives.
The CSHL collections are extensive, encompassing activities worldwide as well as at CSHL and its precursor institutions. For more information, consult the CSHL ArchivesSpace.
Opportunity Details
- Date Published: June 13, 2025
- Application Deadline: August 01, 2025
- Category: Fellowship
- Location: United States
- Sponsor Organization: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
🎁 Benefits of Sydney Brenner Research Fellowship
Recipients of the fellowship will receive:
- Up to $5,000 (USD) to support direct costs of completing the proposed project.
- A workspace in the Carnegie Library during their residency at CSHL.
- Full access to CSHL collections and support from archivists, librarians, and historians.
- Opportunity to rent on-campus accommodation (subject to availability).
✅ Eligibility Criteria
The fellowship is open to:
- Scholars (at any career stage)
- Journalists
- Writers
- Filmmakers
- Creative artists
Applicants must be undertaking substantial research into the history of the life sciences.
📅 Application Date and Process
Required Documents
Applicants must submit the following:
- A completed application form, including names and contact information for two individuals who can provide letters of recommendation upon request.
- A research proposal (see details below).
- A selected bibliography of titles or collections in the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Library and Archives relevant to the research proposal.
- A brief budget statement showing the expenses for which support is requested.
- A curriculum vitae (CV), including:
- Education and employment history
- Dates and areas of study
- Previous publications
- Previous or current fellowships, grants, and awards
Submission Instructions
- Submit applications electronically via email to SydneyBrennerScholarship@cshl.edu.
- Attach all documents in .pdf, .doc, or .docx formats.
- Include a brief covering letter in the body of the email.
- Format the email subject line as:
“Sydney Brenner Research Fellowship application [Year] – [Your Name]”
📝 About the Research Proposal
The research proposal should:
- Be a maximum of 1,000 words.
- Explain the research question or objective.
- Specify the sources to be used (both at CSHL and elsewhere).
- Highlight the significance of the research to your scholarly trajectory and discipline.
- Identify items or record groups to be used at the CSHL Library and Archives.
- Include a tentative schedule for project completion.
Formatting Requirements:
- Double-spaced
- 12-point font
🎯 Selection Criteria
The Brenner Fellowship Committee evaluates proposals based on:
- Sophistication, detail, and originality.
- Relevance of CSHL collections to the project.
- Overall quality and significance of the project.
If your project is in its initial stages, consider applying for one of CSHL’s travel grants instead.
📢 Announcement of Recipients
Recipients will be notified in August 2025.
📌 Application Deadline
- August 01, 2025
📂 Application Form
- Download the application form here.
For more details, visit the official Sydney Brenner Research Fellowship page.
Good luck with your application!
- Awards up to $5,000 (USD) to each recipient
- Support for direct costs of completing the proposed project
- Work space in the Carnegie Library
- Complete access to collections
- Support from archivists, librarians, and historians
- Opportunity to rent accommodation on campus during their stay
