Theodore N. Romanoff Prize
The Theodore N. Romanoff Prize is open to doctoral candidates (ABD) and recent Ph.D. recipients (degree granted between 2018-2023) conducting research on the language or historical texts of ancient Egypt, including the Coptic language. American scholars worldwide and non-American scholars studying or teaching at an American university in the United States are eligible to apply. Research must be conducted in Egypt. Applicants may apply for this funding as a stand-alone fellowship or combine it with other funding sources.
The Prize is additionally open to non-American scholars affiliated with American colleges and universities in the US. As a condition of the award, the recipient will be required to present their research to the New York ARCE Chapter following the completion of the fellowship.
The Prize was created in tribute to Theodore Romanoff who received his M.A. from The Artemis A.W. and Martha Sharp Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World at Brown University. His thesis concerned hieroglyphic writing; he additionally studied Demotic and Coptic with dedication and passion.
- One $4,000 fellowship will be funded annually.
Eligibility:
- American citizens worldwide and non-American scholars studying or teaching at American colleges or universities in the United States
- Doctoral candidates (ABD) and recent Ph.D. recipients (degree granted between 2018-2023)
- Research limited to the language or historical texts of ancient Egypt, including the Coptic language as the final stage of historic Egyptian languages
- Research must be conducted in Egypt
Important: If you are applying for an ARCE Research Fellowship in addition to the Romanoff Prize, use the ARCE Research Fellowship application and under Section 5 check the box indicating you are applying for the Romanoff Prize. If you are applying for the Romanoff Prize ONLY, use the Theodore Romanoff Prize application.
The Application: A completed Romanoff Prize application consists of the following components:
- An online application form
- Two letters of recommendation are required for all applicants. All applicants will be best served by referrers who are fully aware of your knowledge, experience, and capacity to successfully engage in research in Egypt.
- If you are a dissertation scholar, your proposed project should be addressed by both referrers, one of whom is preferably your advisor, as the scholar who presumably knows your project the best; additionally, at least one referrer should specifically address your language skills.
- Graduate transcripts are required for pre-doctoral applicants, only. Please remove all password protections from transcripts prior to submission.
A 1500-word research proposal that:
- Describes your intended research
- Describes your research methodology(ies)
- Demonstrates the need to consult sources in Egypt
- Explains the scholarly significance of your research and your qualifications to undertake the research
- Assesses the feasibility of completing your research within the proposed timeframe
- Describes the final publication format (dissertation, book, chapter, etc.) of your research
Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities Security Forms:
- Ministry of Tourism Antiquities security form (all applicants)
- Passport style photograph with white background (all applicants)
- One-page CV (all applicants)
- 100–200-words Arabic abstract describing the proposed research (uploaded as a PDF document). Keep the language simple and do not use academic jargon.
Application Submission Deadline: January 12th, 2025 11:59 PM EST.