The fellowship will not be offered in 2025.
The Fellowships in Aerospace History are offered annually by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to support significant scholarly research projects in aerospace history. These fellowships grant the opportunity to engage in significant and sustained advanced research in all aspects of the history of aerospace from the earliest human interest in flight to the present, including cultural and intellectual history, economic history, history of law and public policy, and the history of science, engineering, and management. NASA provides funds to the American Historical Association and to the History of Science Society (HSS) to allow both associations to award fellowships. Representatives from the AHA, HSS, and Society for the History of Technology comprise the review committee. Three fellowships will be offered for the 2023–24 term; applications will be entered into consideration for all three fellowships:
- AHA Fellowship in Aerospace History
- AHA Fellowship in the History of Space Technology
- HSS Fellowship in Aerospace History
Eligibility
Applicants must possess a PhD in history or in a closely related field, or be enrolled as a student (having completed all coursework) in a doctoral degree-granting program. Preference will be given to scholars at early stages in their careers. Stipends may be awarded only to US citizens or permanent residents.
Fellowship Term
The fellowship term is for a period of at least six months, but not more than nine months, and should commence no later than January of the fellowship term. The fellow will be expected to devote the term largely to the proposed research project. Residency is not required, but office space may be provided by the Kluge Center at the Library of Congress upon request for a minimum of three months. Fellows are encouraged to take advantage of resources at the National Archives, the National Academies of Science, the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, NASA Headquarters, and other collections in the Washington, DC, area.
Other Requirements
The fellow will be expected to write a report and present a public lecture on the fellowship experience. If the fellow is in residency in Washington, DC, a presentation at NASA headquarters is encouraged. The fellow shall provide to the NASA History Office a copy of any publications that might emerge from the research undertaken during the fellowship year.
Stipend
The stipend is $22,550 for a six- to nine-month fellowship, which includes travel expenses. The fellowship income is classified as stipendiary—there are no provisions for paying fringe benefits or withholding taxes—and will be disbursed in equal payments over the term of the fellowship. Funds may not be used to support tuition or fees. A fellow may not hold other major fellowships or grants during the fellowship term, except sabbatical and supplemental grants from their own institutions, and small grants from other sources for specific research expenses. Sources of anticipated support must be listed in the application form.
To Apply
Log into your MY AHA account at historians.org/myaha and click “Available Application Forms” in the AHA Awards, Grants, and Jobs section. If you don’t have an account, create one for free at historians.org/createaccount. The applicant must submit a completed application including a specific and detailed research proposal that will be the basis of the fellow’s research during the term. Completed applications are due April 1.
- Fill in the application form.
- Upload an Application Packet in a single PDF. Include the following:
- CV (up to 5 pages)
- Proposal (up to 10 pages double-spaced) describing your qualifications for a fellowship, detailing briefly the research project you propose to undertake, relating your anticipated experiences as a fellow to your goals, and indicating clearly why NASA is the appropriate place to conduct the proposed research
- Additional writings (up to 10 pages), optional
- Send email requests for two and not more than four letters of recommendation that address the historical competence of the applicant; your ability to apply historical concepts and methods to aerospace science, technology, management, or policy; and your ability to communicate both orally and in writing.
Please contact awards@historians.org with any questions.
Past Recipients
Current Recipient
Andrew Ross, Georgetown University, and Haris Durrani, Princeton University
AHA Fellowship in Aerospace History
Andrew Ross, Ranges of Empire: US Missile Ranges, Planetary Infrastructure Building, and Global Militarism, 1945-65
AHA Fellowship in the History of Space Technology
Haris Durrani, A Satellite for All: Law, Technology, and Empire in the Global Cold War, 1959-68