The Dianne Woest Fellowship in the Arts and Humanities is an annual award from The Historic New Orleans Collection (HNOC), a research center, museum and publisher in New Orleans. Each year it selects three scholars researching the history and culture of Louisiana and the Gulf South.
Fellows choose when to visit within the April–March fellowship term; most stay at least two weeks. HNOC’s holdings should be central to the project, though fellows may also use other repositories in the New Orleans area.
Benefits & funding
- A one-time $4,000 stipend toward travel, housing and living costs.
- No housing is provided; fellows arrange their own short-term rental.
- International fellows need a J-1 visa through a State Department–approved sponsor and pay all sponsor and visa fees themselves.
- Fellows give a short Zoom presentation to HNOC staff a few weeks after the residency and credit HNOC in published work.
Eligibility
- Doctoral candidates (the About section says graduate students), academic and museum professionals, and independent scholars.
- Any nationality; US citizenship is not required, though applicants should be fluent in English.
- Projects on Louisiana and Gulf South history and culture that would benefit substantially from HNOC’s holdings; creative work (novels, plays, poetry, essays) qualifies if it has a significant research component.
- Close relatives of board members or staff of HNOC or the Kemper and Leila Williams Foundation cannot apply.
Can you apply?
Check who can apply
No nationality, residency, education, experience, gender or age limit is listed. The other conditions are under Eligibility.
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Application process
- 1Prepare a CV, a 100-word abstract and a research proposal of up to six double-spaced pages.
- 2Arrange two letters of recommendation from scholars who know your work, uploaded with the form or emailed to the committee chair.
- 3Submit the online form by November 15, 2026 (application page; the fellowship page says November 16). There is no application fee.
Program timeline
November 15, 2026
Application deadline (fellowship page says November 16)
April 1–March 31
Fellowship term for the residency (FAQ lists April 1, 2026–March 31, 2027)
A few weeks after the residency
Zoom presentation to HNOC staff