Global Early Modern Art Fellow: Ecology & Collaboration

UCLA Carter Fellowships 2027 Opens for Early Modern Art Scholars

A two-year postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, Los Angeles is drawing attention among art historians whose research connects early modern European art with environmental and ecological questions. The Hannah and Edward W. Carter Postdoctoral Fellowship, running from 2026 to 2028, offers early-career researchers a chance to work inside one of the United States’ most active interdisciplinary art history communities while developing globally oriented research on early modern Europe.

The Carter Postdoctoral Fellowship at UCLA is aimed at scholars who completed a PhD in early modern European art and whose research engages ecological themes, globalization, or cross-disciplinary methodologies. International applicants are eligible, and the appointment includes salary and university benefits under UCLA’s postdoctoral scholar standards, though fellows are expected to cover their own visa, housing, and relocation expenses.

A Research Fellowship Built Around Ecology and Global Art History
UCLA’s Department of Art History is not simply seeking a specialist in Renaissance or Baroque visual culture; it is specifically targeting scholars capable of situating Europe within wider global systems tied to ecology, trade, material exchange, and environmental transformation during the early modern era.

The fellowship aligns closely with the university’s broader “Making Green Worlds: Early Modern Art and Ecologies of Globalization” initiative, signaling a growing institutional interest in environmental humanities and ecological art history. Applicants whose work crosses traditional geographic or disciplinary boundaries may therefore have a strategic advantage in the selection process.

The appointment begins on October 1, 2026, and runs for two academic years. During that time, the selected fellow will contribute to UCLA’s Art History Department while also participating in research activities hosted by the Center for 17th- and 18th-Century Studies and the William Andrews Clark Memorial Library.

What the Fellowship Covers — and What It Does Not?
The Carter Fellowship includes a salaried university appointment with employee benefits tied to UCLA’s postdoctoral scholar framework. While exact salary figures are not publicly listed, compensation will reflect the candidate’s prior experience and university postdoctoral pay standards.

However, applicants should note that fellows are responsible for securing visas independently and must personally cover accommodation, travel, and day-to-day living costs in Los Angeles. For international scholars, this becomes an important practical consideration given Southern California’s high housing expenses.

The fellowship’s value therefore lies less in blanket financial coverage and more in institutional access, research visibility, mentorship opportunities, and long‑term academic positioning within North American art history networks.

Teaching, Conferences, and Intellectual Collaboration
The selected fellow will not work in isolation. UCLA expects the postdoctoral scholar to become an active intellectual participant within the department’s research ecosystem.

Teach one undergraduate course each academic year in a field related to early modern art history or the fellow’s specialization.

Collaborate with faculty mentors and participate in departmental events.

Co‑organize an interdisciplinary conference during the second year of the fellowship.

Engage in research activities hosted by the Center for 17th‑ and 18th‑Century Studies and the William Andrews Clark Memorial Library.

Eligibility and Qualifications

PhD in early modern European art earned between January 1, 2019 and June 30, 2026.

Research engages ecological themes, globalization, or cross‑disciplinary methodologies.

Evidence of innovative methodologies, publication potential, and the ability to translate research into scholarly and public‑facing formats.

International applicants acceptable; visa requirements must be met by the fellow.

Demonstrated collaborative and interdisciplinary research experience.

Benefits

Salaried appointment with university benefits for the duration of the fellowship.

Access to UCLA’s interdisciplinary art history community and research resources.

Teaching experience and conference organization opportunities.

Mentorship from senior faculty and potential long‑term academic positioning.

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