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The Howard Mayer Brown Fellowship was established by friends of the late Howard Mayer Brown on the occasion of his sixtieth birthday. Intended to increase the presence of minority scholars and teachers in musicology, the fellowship supports one year of graduate work for a student at a U.S. or Canadian university who is a member of a historically underrepresented group, including, in the U.S., African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Asian Americans, and, in Canada, aboriginal peoples and visible minorities (as defined by Canadian legislation). The fellowship carries a twelve-month stipend, currently set at $25,000. The recipient may also elect to accept the award on a non-stipendiary basis (thus freeing scarce resources for another). The fellowship is intended for full-time study. There are no provisions for the payment of tuition: it is hoped that graduate schools will provide tuition fellowships or waivers. The AMS encourages the institution at which the recipient is pursuing his or her degree to offer continuing financial support. Fellows are selected in the spring and announced in the summer.
Application
Please see the application form for additional details about required materials and submission guidelines. Applications to the Howard Mayer Brown Fellowship must include:
- A personal statement (not to exceed 1,000 words) summarizing the applicant’s musical and academic background and stating why they wish to pursue an advanced degree in music studies. Areas of research or specific topics that the applicant would pursue if supported by a Howard Mayer Brown Fellowship should be identified and discussed.
- A curriculum vitae.
- A sample or samples of the applicant’s work (not to exceed 30 pages total), such as term paper(s), thesis chapter(s), or any published material.
- One letter of support from a faculty member. The letter should address the applicant’s general intellectual and musical ability and how these might contribute to a successful career in scholarship and teaching.
Eligibility
Students at a U.S. or Canadian university who are a member of a historically underrepresented group, including, in the U.S., African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Asian Americans, and, in Canada, aboriginal peoples and visible minorities (as defined by Canadian legislation) are encouraged to apply. Preference will normally be given to candidates who are citizens or permanent residents of a North American country — defined as all 23 countries on the North American continent. There are no restrictions as to research area, age, or sex.
Eligible students must have completed at least one year of full-time graduate work, intend to pursue a Ph.D., and are in good standing at their home institution. They should show evidence of academic excellence and promise of continuing achievement in music scholarship. Students in any stage of the degree are welcome to apply, but those in the earlier stages are particularly encouraged to apply.
An equivalent major award from another source may not be held concurrently or consecutively unless the AMS award is accepted without a stipend. Fellowships are for one year and are not deferrable or renewable; Fellows are expected to focus on completing their dissertations and not to undertake more than twenty (20) hours each week of paid or unpaid employment during the fellowship term. The award will not be made to those who already have full funding roughly equivalent to the amount of the Howard Mayer Brown Fellowship, regardless of whether it includes a teaching assignment, except on a non-stipendiary basis.
Frequently Asked Questions
The AMS uses the Submittable platform for fellowship and grant applications. To access the application form, please follow the application link and create a Submittable account. All application materials must be uploaded to Submittable. Start your application process early. You may save an incomplete form and continue later. You MUST click the ‘Submit’ button at the end of the form to submit your application. Applications not submitted by the deadline cannot be considered. Upon submission of your application form you will receive an email confirmation. You may also check the status of your application by signing into your Submittable account and clicking “My Submissions”. If you have any questions, please contact ams@amsmusicology.org.
Graduate students enrolled at universities in the United States or Canada are eligible for the Howard Mayer Brown Fellowship. Eligibility is determined according to the location of the university where you are currently enrolled, not by your citizenship or the location of your current residence.
In order to accept a Howard Mayer Brown Fellowship while holding a similar major award from another source, you must accept the fellowship on a non-stipendary basis. Recipients who receive the Howard Mayer Brown Fellowship with the accompanying stipend may not concurrently hold an equivalent award.
There are no provisions for the payment of tuition: it is hoped that graduate schools will provide tuition fellowships or waivers. The AMS encourages the institution at which the recipient is pursuing his or her degree to offer continuing financial support.
Funding News
Stay abreast of recent AMS grant and fellowship awards on our News & Updates page. The AMS funds a wide variety of individuals and projects, and keeping up with them can give you insight into future disciplinary trends and conversations.
Past Recipients
The AMS has been a major provider of dissertation fellowships in music studies for decades. Peruse our searchable table of Past Recipients to see the extraordinary individuals the Society has supported over the years.
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