Call for applications, upcoming events, new webinars, and more.

Franco Faculty Fellowships Application Deadline - February 1

Beginning fall 2026, the Franco Institute will offer not only humanities fellowships (launched in 2025), but also two new types of fellowships for Arts & Letters faculty: public fellowships and course relief fellowships for tenured faculty to enroll in coursework in a new field. Although distinct in focus, each of these fellowships offers teaching relief and funding to support faculty development and research.

Franco Humanities Fellowships support full-time research in the humanities by individual faculty in Arts & Letters. Each humanities fellow will receive relief from teaching and service responsibilities for one semester, up to $5,000 in research funds, and funds to cover travel and honorarium for an external manuscript reviewer who will participate in a workshop for the fellow.

Franco Public Fellowships support publicly engaged scholarship by individual faculty working in any discipline in Arts & Letters. Each public fellow will receive a course release to be taken during the fellowship year and up to $5,000 in research funds.

Franco Mid-Career Fellowships support associate and full professors in any discipline in Arts & Letters aiming to develop new skills for a future research project. This program is offered in collaboration with the Office of the Dean of Arts & Letters. Each fellow will receive teaching relief for one semester, the opportunity to enroll in University of Notre Dame courses to acquire new skills, and the option to apply for additional training-related funding from the Franco Institute as needed. Fellows will remain in residence on campus and active in department service throughout the fellowship period.

Application deadline: February 1, 2026

Franco Institute & Raclin Murphy to host Jason Farago

Join the Franco Institute and the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art for a lecture by Jason Farago on the theme of "Attention" titled "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Distraction."

Jason Farago is a critic at large for The New York Times, writing about culture and its place in the wider world. He is an art critic and columnist who regularly contributes to The Guardian, The New Yorker, and The New Republic. In 2023, he was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for criticism.

Explore Jason's work on van Gogh's Starry Night and his interactive art series "Close Read."

The lecture will take place in the Raclin Murphy Museum's atrium on Tuesday, February 24, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

This event is free to attend and open to all.

Ticket registration opens January 20 for N. K. Jemisin Event

On Tuesday, March 3, 5:00-7:00 p.m., the Franco Institute will host a free but ticketed event with writer N. K. Jemisin at Stockroom East (625 E Jefferson Blvd., Suite C, South Bend, IN 46617).

Jemisin is a bestselling author and MacArthur Fellow whose works, including the Broken Earth trilogy, have won multiple awards and sold over two million copies. The full list of her works can be found at nkjemisin.com. She lives and writes in Brooklyn, with her son and two cats.

Space for this event is limited. Registration will open January 20, 2026, through Eventbrite.

This event is co-sponsored by the John and Patrice Kelly Endowment for Excellence.

Franco Institute accepting applications for National Humanities Center summer workshop

The Franco Institute is running an internal application process for choosing two nominees to apply for the National Humanities Center's Scholarly Writing Institute (SWI).

The SWI is an intensive, 10-day workshop (July 2-10, 2026) that offers dedicated space for focused writing and consultations with highly acclaimed writing coach Helen Betya Rubinstein. Participants will also have the opportunity to learn more about the NHC's other programs, including the Residential Fellowship.

Apply to the Franco Institute by January 19, 2026.

For questions, contact Kevin Gallin (kgallin@nd.edu), Assistant Director of Research Development for the Franco Institute.

Upcoming student grant writing webinar

On Friday, February 6, 2026 (12:00 - 1:00 p.m.), the Franco Institute will host a webinar for graduate and undergraduate students. This virtual session will provide information on application strategies and best practices for internal research and creative arts funding at Notre Dame.

Speakers will include:

Lindsay Paturalski (moderator), Student Grants Program Manager, Franco Institute

Mathilda Nassar, Assistant Director of National Fellowships, Flatley Center for Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement

Michael Skalski, Associate Program Director, Office of Grants and Fellowships, the Graduate School

Rebecca Struch, Managing Director, Arts Initiative

Contact Lindsay Paturalski (lpatura2@nd.edu) with questions.

Research Innovation Collaboratives informational webinar

On Friday, February 13, 2026 (12:00 - 12:45 p.m.), the Franco Institute will host a virtual information session webinar on the Institute's Research Innovation Collaboratives.

We will discuss the program's mission to foster interdisciplinary collaborative research, new partnerships with the Arts Initiative and Global Catholic Research Initiative, and methods for faculty to best position their projects for successful applications.

A question-and-answer session will follow a brief presentation.

Franco Institute accepting applications for
Faculty Global Micro-Residencies

In line with the goal to “advance the College as an international leader in scholarship,” the Franco Institute will sponsor scholarly micro-residencies abroad for tenure-line faculty in the College of Arts & Letters.

Grants of up to $7,000 will support one-to-two-week stays for Arts & Letters faculty at institutions outside the 50 United States, with an additional $3,000 available to support a graduate student research assistant or a visit to Notre Dame for a scholar from the host institution.

Application deadline: February 10, 2026.