Instructions for Applicants

There are two possible ways to submit an application for membership.  You can either fill out the online application by creating an account and following the procedures posted on the web at https://applications.ias.edu, or you can complete and submit a paper application according to the instructions at the bottom of this page.  If you submit an online application you will be asked to upload your research proposal and CV in PDF format.   Please note that the research proposal should include a one page bibliography, as the last page of the research proposal document.   If you are unfamiliar with creating PDF files there are online services that will convert Word documents into PDF files for you. Go to http://www.fastpdf.com or http://www.primopdf.com for further information.

Please note, whether you submit the application online or in paper form, it is recommended (but not required) that you send a small selection of publications to us by post (one set only) as a supplement to your application.  Offprints or photocopies of articles are appropriate, with emphasis on current interests.  Send the sample publications by post to:

Administrative Officer
School of Historical Studies
Institute for Advanced Study
Einstein Drive
Princeton, NJ 08540

Sample publications must be postmarked by the application deadline to be considered.  Publications submitted cannot be returned.  Printed copies are required.  Online or electronic copies of publications will not be considered.

To submit a paper application:

Paper applications sent by mail must be submitted in 11 sets.  Applications should include the following materials in the order listed:

• A completed application form
• An outline of your intended research, not to exceed 2,000 words.
• A separate bibliography for the research proposal (maximum 1 page, font at least 11 point.)

• Regarding Accent Marks:  

    If text that you enter on the application form includes accent marks or diacritics we suggest that you first type the text in a document in Microsoft Word.  Copying the text from M.S. Word and pasting it onto the appropriate space on the form should preserve the accent marks.

• Under "Salutation" please indicate your preferred form of address, such as "Dr." or "Professor"

•  In the boxes by "Applying for:" please mark the space or spaces to indicate if you wish to be considered for membership, or for the Mellon Fellowships for Assistant Professors, or for both. Details regarding program provisions appear separately on the Announcement of Memberships and the Announcement of Mellon Fellowships for Assistant Professors. To be eligible for membership you must have a Ph.D. or equivalent at the time of application and a substantial list of publications. For the Mellon Fellowship for Assistant Professors you must have held the title "Assistant Professor" or "Visiting Assistant Professor" at a U.S. or Canadian institution for at least two, and not more than four years at the time you propose to arrive at the Institute.  Mellon Fellows must also have their current institution's agreement to return there following the period of membership.

• In the section marked "Current or most recent professional position" please indicate your formal title (for example, "Associate Professor"  "Lecturer" "Senior Research Fellow").  If you are unaffiliated at present you may put “independent scholar” and if you are applying online you should also mark the “unaffiliated” box in the section for institutional address.  (Page two includes a section regarding former positions.)

• We have provided three address fields on the application form, in case they are needed, but you are only required to fill in one.  If you provide more than one address please be sure to indicate your preferred address for correspondence in the space provided below the third address.  This is the address that will be used to mail the decision on your application in late January.   The other addresses will be kept for our records, and may be used if we need to contact you at a later time.
• Regarding Letters of recommendation:  References should not submit letters of support unless they are contacted by Institute personnel and requested to do so. Unsolicited letters of support will not be considered. It is the applicants' responsibility to inform references about research plans.

All paper application materials must be received at the address below by November 1, 2009:

Administrative Officer
School of Historical Studies
Institute for Advanced Study
Einstein Drive
Princeton, NJ 08540

For additional information  please see the Announcement of Memberships, the Supplementary Information for Members, or the Faculty and Members Brochure.

Former Members: Please note that former members may re-apply only after a 5-year waiting period (3 years for one-term members), and preference will be given to the selection of first-time members.  No scholar can be a Member in the School more than twice in a lifetime.

Princeton University Faculty should contact the Administrative Officer for further information before completing an application.

Questions regarding application materials or procedures should be directed to Marian Zelazny by E-mail at mzelazny@ias.edu, or by phone at (609) 734-8300 or in writing at the above address.

If your application form or package is incomplete the application will not be considered.