Sydney Brenner Research Fellowship 2026 | Paid Fellowship

The Sydney Brenner Research Fellowship is a funding opportunity for journalists, writers, filmmakers, creative artists, and scholars undertaking substantial research into the history of the life sciences. Established by the Francis Goelet Charitable Trust in 2006, it is offered by the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) Center for Humanities & History of Modern Biology in the USA. The fellowship aims to support ambitious, original projects in the history of life sciences, with ideal projects having some relevance to the CSHL Archives.

This fellowship provides a stipend of up to $5,000 (USD) to each recipient. This amount is intended to support the direct costs of completing the proposed project, which should include a period of residence at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in the USA. Fellows will receive full access to CSHL's collections, a dedicated workspace in the Carnegie Library, and assistance from CSHL's staff of historians, librarians, and archivists during their stay. If space permits, fellows may also have the option to rent accommodation on campus. The funds can also support travel, transportation, daily expenses, archival research, and other project-related costs. Recipients will have the opportunity to present their research findings to the CSHL community.

The fellowship is open to scholars at any career stage, journalists, writers, and creative artists who are undertaking a substantial research project into the history of the life sciences. Applicants should have a strong, detailed, sophisticated, and original research project related to the history of biology or life sciences. The project proposal should demonstrate relevance to the CSHL collections. Ethiopian students are eligible as there are no nationality restrictions mentioned; it is open to international applicants.

The application package must include: * A completed application form (available for download from the official website). * A research proposal, maximum 1000 words, explaining the research objective, sources, significance of the proposed research, items or record groups planned for use at the CSHL Library and Archives, and a tentative schedule for project completion. * A selected bibliography of titles or collections relevant to the research proposal. * A brief budget statement showing the expenses for which support is requested. * A comprehensive CV (curriculum vitae) including education and employment history, areas of study, dates of study, previous publications, and previous or current grants, awards, and fellowships. * Details of two referees (typically included in the application form). All documents must be in .pdf, .doc, or .docx formats.

Applicants must submit their complete application package electronically via email to [email protected]. A brief covering letter should be included in the body of the email. The subject line of the email must be formatted as “Sydney Brenner Research Fellowship application [Year] – [Your Name]”. The application form can be downloaded from the official Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory website.

Applications must be received by August 31st each year. Selected applicants will typically be notified in September. The fellowship supports activities for the academic year following the award notification.