Stacy Lloyd Fellowship
Stacy Lloyd III Fellowship for Bibliographic Study
Purpose
The Stacy Lloyd III Fellowship for Bibliographic Study is awarded annually to one outstanding early-career scholar, working in some area related to the history, art, and culture of plants, gardens and landscapes. This is our most prestigious award for early career researchers and scholars in the humanities. The award includes a $10,000 individual grant and requires a 2 - 5 week stay at Oak Spring. While at OSGF, the Fellow will be able to meet with staff, explore our 700-acre landscape and our efforts in sustainable land management, and visit our rare book library that holds over 19,000 objects, including many examples of botanical art. The Fellowship is well suited for individuals working on dissertations, or writing projects that require dedicated time and minimal distractions.
OSGF intends to award the Fellowship to an exceptional researcher who is developing a new body of research that would especially benefit from access to Oak Spring’s library. The Fellow will be scheduled to visit when there are other Interdisciplinary Residents or Fellows on-site. This scheduling will allow the Fellow to join in communal meals, and optional activities and field trips with other artists, ecologists, researchers, or scholars working on projects related to OSGF’s mission. Beyond the time devoted to their projects, a Fellow’s typical day at Oak Spring might include a walk to enjoy the landscape or birds; an appointment to visit the Oak Spring Library; and/or a morning spent volunteering at the BCCF or in the formal garden. These optional activities provide Fellows time to learn from, and interact with our staff. None of these activities are required, and we understand that some Fellows might want to spend most of their time in their writing or working independently. We support and enable Fellows to use their time as they best see fit. At the culmination of their stay, we encourage, but don’t require, Fellows to give a 20 – 30 minute presentation with time for questions, to Oak Spring staff and any other Fellows, Residents, or program participants who might be on site.
Application Process
The application portal is now open and will close May 31st, 2024. Please note that there is one application for all of our 2024 Residency and Fellowship programs, and you will be prompted to select which programs you would like to be considered for. You will be asked to submit:
a resume/curriculum vitae (not to exceed two pages),
a 200–300-word statement on your current research or scholarship,
a 200 - 300 word statement on how your work relates to Oak Spring Garden Foundation’s mission to “perpetuate and share the gifts of Rachel (“Bunny”) Lambert Mellon, including her residence, garden, estate and the Oak Spring Garden Library, to serve the public interest. OSGF is dedicated to inspiring and facilitating scholarship and public dialogue on the history and future of plants, including the culture of gardens and landscapes and the importance of plants for human well-being,”
any and all relevant links/up to 10 pages of writing that demonstrates your research outputs and current scholarly interests.
NOTE: When applying to this Fellowship, you will be asked if you are interested in being considered for one of our other Residencies, if you are not selected for the Fellowship. To learn more about our Residencies, visit www.osgf.org/residencies.
Eligibility
Eligible applicants must be early-career researchers completing a terminal degree, or who have completed a terminal degree within the past five years. The selected early-career researcher must be self-directed and able to work independently while on site. Applicants are expected to show exceptional promise with an ability to state how use of Oak Spring’s library will contribute to their research objectives, exceptional promise, good communication skills and excellence in what they have accomplished or plan to accomplish.
Dates
Fellows should arrive on the same start date of an Interdisciplinary Residency, or Botanical Artist Residency. The Fellows will complete the introductory tours with these cohorts. In 2025, these dates are:
Monday, March 3, 2025
Sunday, April 13, 2025 (only available for a 3-week residency)
Monday, May 19, 2025
Monday, June 30, 2025
Sunday, August 10, 2025
Monday, September 8, 2025
Award
The $10,000 individual grant associated with this award can be put towards travel to and from OSGF, materials and supplies purchased for their Residency, and other items that will support their work, before or after their stay at OSGF.
The selected Fellow should make travel arrangements to Dulles International Airport, where Oak Spring will arrange ground transportation for them to our estate in Upperville, VA. The Fellow will be housed in nicely appointed shared accommodations. The Fellow will have a private bedroom and bathroom, and share a living room and kitchen with 1 – 3 other Residents or Fellows.
Selection
Fellows are carefully selected through a multi-round review process in which OSGF staff, Residency alumni, and external jurors review and score applications. Fellows are ultimately selected by panels of external reviewers who are established and working in fields or practices relevant to OSGF’s mission. The primary criteria for scoring applicants include: an applicant’s current work’s relationship to the OSGF mission; potential of applicant; and quality of work samples.
Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we are unfortunately not able to provide individualized feedback to applicants who are not selected for a Residency.
Oak Spring Garden Foundation supports individuals regardless of race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, creed, abilities/disabilities, or socio-economic status.