Dr. Ernst Crone Fellowship – Het Scheepvaartmuseum

The Dr. Ernst Crone Fellowship supports maritime historical research relating to historical objects in the collection of the National Maritime Museum in Amsterdam. The fellowship allows for a one-time stipend of up to €25,000, including travel expenses. This sum may be dispensed directly to the applicant or to their employer. The fellowship is open to academics holding a PhD. The fellowship may last a maximum of twelve months, the earliest starting date is 1 September 2024. It is possible to postpone the start of the fellowship, in consultation, up to 1 December 2024. The closing date for applications is 30 April 2024.

Subjects

The selection committee welcomes original and groundbreaking research proposals. A key precondition is always that the museum collection forms the basis for the research. Proposals which, besides the collection of the National Maritime Museum in Amsterdam, also include the use of collections of other (maritime) museums, archives, libraries or heritage institutions, are especially encouraged. Applicants may find descriptions of previously conducted research projects on the ‘Research & Fellowships’ webpage. To prepare their research proposal, applicants are invited to search the museum collection online via the National Maritime Museum’s website (collectie.hetscheepvaartmuseum.nl).

Using the Maritiem Digitaal website (www.maritiemdigitaal.nl) is also warmly recommended. This website contains information regarding the maritime collections of 23 museums in the Netherlands and Belgium. For more information, applicants can contact the museum’s curators (fellowships@hetscheepvaartmuseum.nl) and information specialists (bibliotheek@hetscheepvaartmuseum.nl). An online information meeting will take place on 7 March 2024 (for more information see below under ‘Information meeting and questions’).

Process

1. You can only apply for a fellowship at the National Maritime Museum in Amsterdam by submitting the following documents:
2. A motivation letter
3. A curriculum vitae with a list of the applicant’s publications;
4. A letter of recommendation from an academic familiar with the applicant’s research – to be sent by the referrer themselves separately from the applicant’s own dossier;
5. A brief summary of the applicant’s research proposal (c. 1,000 words) which should include:

• Introduction of the subject;
• Historiographical context;
• The central research question;
• Collection item or items on which the research focuses – including inventory numbers and your motivation for selecting these objects;
• Relevance and urgency of the research;
• Planning strategy;
• Bibliography containing 10 titles (these titles are not included in the total word count).

All documents must be sent by email to fellowships@hetscheepvaartmuseum.nl no later than 30 April 2024.

Timeframe

• 7 March 2024 Online information meeting;
• 30 April 2024 Application deadline;
• June 2024 Announcement of fellows;
• 1 September 2024 Earliest starting date of research.

Candidates may be invited to expand verbally on their proposal.

Selection criteria

1. Study of objects in the collection of the National Maritime Museum in Amsterdam is central to the fellowship programme; applicants should indicate specifically in their application which objects and/or parts of the collection form the basis of their research;
2. The applicant has convincingly demonstrated the academic significance of their research proposal;
3. The applicant demonstrably has academic skills;
4. It must be possible to complete the proposed research in the available period of no more than twelve months.

Further information and requirements

Application proposals will be considered by a selection committee chaired by Leiden University’s professor of maritime history. The selection committee will issue its advice to the board of the Fellowship Foundation, Stichting Fellowships Scheepvaartmuseum.

Fellows are required to have sufficient command of the Dutch language to carry out their proposed research. Applicants are responsible for organising their own visa (when applicable), accommodation and other practical matters, although the museum can provide assistance if possible.

Fellows are expected to spend part of their time in the museum, to work with the museum’s research staff and to be prepared to actively take part in meetings with curators and other fellows. Their presence will be coordinated in consultation. It is not possible to conduct all research for this fellowship remotely. The museum advises applicants to expect to be present weekly in the museum for twelve months to conduct research within the collection and to join meetings (meetings are generally held on Tuesdays and Thursdays). Completing the fellowship in a shorter period is an option that can be discussed.

Academic supervision of the research is performed in close coordination with museum curators and colleagues at universities and other museums.

Dr. Ernst Crone Fellows have to complete their fellowship by providing at least one article and ensure that this is published within two years in a (peer-reviewed, preferably international) academic journal. Fellows also have to provide a popular science text (of around 10,000 words in Dutch or English) about their research during the course of the fellowship. They furthermore have to give a public lecture outlining the results of their fellowship research. This lecture is generally given at the Fellowship symposium in the National Maritime Museum in Amsterdam in the February following the start of the fellowship. Finally, the museum also offers an option to organise a presentation programme for a wider public about the research.

Fellows are obliged to mention the fellowship in all publications, lectures and other public statements regarding the research undertaken, both during and after the completion of the research period. The museum will be pleased to receive a copy of each publication for the library collection.

Information meeting and questions

An online information meeting will be held on 7 March 2024 at 15:00 (CET) regarding this call. Fellowships coordinator Suze Zijlstra will explain the research possibilities and the application process. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions. Please send an email to fellowships@hetscheepvaartmuseum.nl to receive a Teams link for
this meeting.

Please contact Suze Zijlstra directly by e-mail at fellowships@hetscheepvaartmuseum.nl for questions regarding the application process. Feel free also to ask for a separate meeting by phone or online with her to discuss your research ideas further.

The fellowship programme of the National Maritime Museum in Amsterdam is made possible with support from Vaderlandsch Fonds ter Aanmoediging van ’s Lands Zeedienst, Directie der Oostersche Handel en Reederijen, Admiraal van Kinsbergenfonds, Stichting Ondersteuningsfonds NISS, Vereeniging de Prins Hendrik Stichting and Vereeniging Nederlandsch Historisch. Scheepvaart Museum