Bourses : Fellowships and Grants Programme, Louvre Abu Dhabi

About Louvre Abu Dhabi

Created by an exceptional agreement between the governments of United Arab Emirates and France, Louvre Abu Dhabi opened on Saadiyat Island in November 2017, as part of its Cultural District. The museum is inspired by traditional Islamic architecture and its monumental dome creates a rain of light effect and a unique social space that brings people together. Louvre Abu Dhabi celebrates the universal creativity of mankind and invites audiences to see humanity in a new light. Through its innovative curatorial approach, the museum focuses on building understanding across cultures: through stories of human creativity that transcend civilisations, geographies, and times.

The museum’s growing collection is unparalleled in the region and spans thousands of years of human history, including
prehistoric tools, artifacts, religious texts, iconic paintings, and contemporary artworks. The permanent collection is
supplemented by rotating loans from 13 French partner institutions, regional and international museums.

Programme Brief

Louvre Abu Dhabi’s Research Programme focuses on transversal areas such as art history, museum studies, collection studies, and heritage science, with the aim of fostering groundbreaking research in collaboration with scholars and institutions both regionally and globally.

Structured around three thematic axes—Global History of Museums and Collections, Circulation of Styles, Images and
Texts and Precious Materials and Routes of Exchange—the program will address key topics of art historical scholarship,
while also advancing and cooperating with research initiatives beyond the museum’s walls.

At the core of this programme are Louvre Abu Dhabi’s research facilities, which include the museum’s Resource Center, the Library, the Conservation Center, and a Scientific Laboratory allowing for the material analysis of artworks—the first of its kind in the Gulf region. The activities planned for the first five years of operation encompass symposiums, workshops, and publications aimed at stimulating dialogue and disseminating knowledge around Louvre Abu Dhabi’s collections and related themes.

To start the Programme in 2024, Louvre Abu Dhabi is launching a comprehensive fellowship initiative to support research endeavors for scholars and museum professionals. This encompasses short and long-term fellowships, along with future initiatives with partner institutions.

How to apply?

Researchers and scholars specializing in Art History, Archeology, Museum Studies, Heritage Science, Conservation, and associated domains are encouraged to submit proposals aligned with one of the three thematic axes outlined in the following page. Each application should entail significant research activity and must remain feasible throughout the project period. Please read specific application requirements, according to the grant category for which you are sending your project to (Short-term Fellowships or Long-term Fellowship).

Resources to aid in application preparation are available at the following links:

• Collection Online Portal
• Library Catalog

Selection criteria:

Prospective fellows will be evaluated based on their research background and their ability to demonstrate the quality and originality of their proposals. Assessments will also consider how well the proposals align with the program’s mission and the museum’s collections. Furthermore, candidates will be assessed on the feasibility of their research projects, ensuring they encompass the methodology to engage effectively with Louvre Abu Dhabi’s resources and facilities.

Thematic Axis

Axis 1. Global History of Museums and Collections

This research axis explores the establishment of collections and museums on a global scale. Taking Louvre Abu Dhabi as a ground of analysis, it delves into the diverse experiences of curating, audience-building, and displaying art in the Arab world and across all five continents. Central topics include the understanding of how the concept of the “universal museum” is conceived, perceived, and expressed globally, as well as manifestations of interconnected museum histories and collections.

Axis 2. Circulation of Styles, Images and Texts

This research axis investigates the circulation of objects, artistic styles, images, and texts from the 2nd millennium onwards. It explores the transformation and proliferation of forms, techniques, and themes, as well as the outcomes of horizontal encounters in the dissemination of artworks in diverse cultural contexts. Projects are expected to challenge ideas of cultural hierarchies, and may include cultural transfers in art history, transnational routes for artistic circulation, the notion of multiple modernities, among others.

Axis 3. Precious Materials and Routes of Exchange

This research axis centers on the materiality of artworks related to Louvre Abu Dhabi’s collection, which encompasses influences from both East and West, testifying to the significance of trade routes such as the Silk Road, terrestrial and maritime exchanges throughout history. Projects within this axis should investigate how trade and cultural interactions have shaped the use of precious materials over time, aiming to recontextualize artworks across different temporalities and cultures, and shed light on evolving notions of rarity, beauty, wealth, and value.

Grant Categories

Short-term Fellowships

Short-term fellowships are open to scholars interested in conducting projects aligned with one of the three thematic axes of Louvre Abu Dhabi’s Fellowship and Grants Programme. These grants provide recipients with 85,000 AED in support, including a return ticket to Abu Dhabi, allowing them to conduct research at the museum for a duration of 3 months. During their fellowship, scholars are expected to deliver a lecture, engage in the museum’s activities, and produce a paper for potential publication in one of the museum’s editorial initiatives.

Application Requirements:

1. A CV (up to three pages) including a summary of education, research experience, previous grants and awards, and a selection of the candidate’s main publications.
2. A project proposal (up to 1,500 words) outlining the proposed research and its alignment with the chosen research axis. This should include a summary, objectives, methodology, expected outcomes, and a selected bibliography, along with a planned schedule of work to be completed during the 3-month fellowship period.
3. One writing sample (published paper or book chapter).

Please ensure that all three documents are submitted in the specified order (1.cv, 2.project proposal, 3.writing sample) and combined into one single PDF file, named using the candidate’s name. For example: CandidateName_Application.pdf

Long-term Fellowships

Long-term grants are available to scholars seeking to conduct projects aligned with one of the three thematic axes of Louvre Abu Dhabi’sFellowship and Grants Programme. These grants provide recipients with support of 245,000 AED, including a return ticket to Abu Dhabi, to undertake research at the museum for a period of one academic year (9 months). Throughout their fellowship, scholars are expected to deliver a lecture, engage in the museum’s activities and produce a paper for potential publication in one of the museum’s editorial initiatives.

Application Requirements:

1. A CV (up to three pages) including a summary of education, research experience, previous grants and awards, and a selection of the candidate’s main publications.
2. A project proposal (up to 2,500 words) outlining the proposed research and its alignment with the chosen research axis. This should include a summary, objectives, methodology, expected outcomes, and a selected bibliography, along with a planned schedule of work to be completed during the 9-month fellowship period.
3. One writing sample (published paper or book chapter).

Please ensure that all three documents are submitted in the specified order (1.cv, 2.project proposal, 3.writing sample) and combined into one single PDF file, named using the candidate’s name. For example: CandidateName_Application.pdf

Applications are open until January 10th, 2025. All applicants will be notified of the results by March 2025. The selection process will be conducted by a committee composed of museum representatives anexperts who will evaluate the applicants’ materials, with potential interviews scheduled during the process.

All proposals must be submitted online through this link: www.louvreabudhabi.ae/en/louvre-abudhabi-fellowships-call-for-proposal

For further inquiries about the application process, please contact research@louvreabudhabi.ae