The RISD Museum and the Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology invite interested RISD and Brown University faculty to apply for one-year Teaching Fellowships as part of a collaborative project, Assemblages, funded by the Mellon Foundation, focusing on the evolving field of object-based teaching and research. Two fellowships are available (one from each institution) in this cycle (for Fellows in academic year 2017-18).

There is an increasing appreciation in the academy of the power and efficacy of object-based teaching. Teaching with objects, whether they are art objects or ethnographic artifacts, can make abstract concepts material in ways that engage the senses. This “hands on experience” can provide students with a form of knowledge that they might not otherwise acquire. Objects can also be used to inspire discussion, group/team work and lateral thinking, all of which are valuable, transferable skills.

The RISD Teaching Fellow will be affiliated with a curatorial department in the Haffenreffer Museum and the Brown Teaching Fellow will be affiliated with a curatorial department in the RISD Museum, with the expectation of using the relevant collection and conducting research and teaching related to it and their area of expertise. The Fellows will receive one course teaching release (in consultation with their Department chairs) (or a stipend for part-time faculty) to enable them to develop courses and course components that make use of museum objects in their instructional pedagogy. Each Fellow will also provide a written report on the results of the fellowship. Fellows will each receive a research and travel fund of $1,000. During the one-year appointment, Fellows are expected to engage audiences in the academic and museum communities and beyond, to both broaden and deepen access to the collections by sharing their work through articles, blog posts or other forms of dissemination. Fellows will collaborate with staff to select objects for their classroom use, lead a workshop, and participate with their students in an annual seminar.

Full-time and part-time faculty members with a demonstrated interest in teaching and learning with objects are eligible to apply. An Advisory Board composed of members from RISD and Brown will select two Teaching Fellows for 2017-18.

Application Requirements

1.  A statement of interest (750 words maximum) describing:  - The qualifications and experiences that will enable you to participate in the mission of the selected department, including evidence of your interest in teaching and learning with and from objects;               -  How the Mellon Teaching Fellowship will support your work and teaching practice, and the kind of research you envision during the Fellowship period;                  - What you intend to offer to the curatorial department, the academic community and the public.
2. A letter from your Dean supporting the application. *Please consult with your Dean and Department Head in advance of submitting an application so that departmental course tables can be adjusted accordingly.

Applications for Mellon Teaching Fellowships will be due the first Wednesday in November for fellowships in academic year 2017-2018.

Please submit an Intent to Apply form several days in advance of the deadline so that a Google site may be set up for your application.

For more information for the Teaching Fellowship with the Haffenreffer Museum, RISD faculty should contact:

Tracie Costantino, Dean of Faculty
tcostant@risd.edu
401.709.8586

For more information or to submit applications for the RISD Museum, Brown Faculty should contact:

Robert Preucel, Director of the Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology
robert_preucel@brown.edu
401.863.1294