This opportunity is geared to scholars on sabbatical or with other dedicated time for writing or editing projects. We will consider applications from advanced doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows. Groups of 2-3 applicants can apply to come jointly for collaborative work. Because this is a self-supervised stay, providing a well-developed plan for focused work is crucial for application review.

Stays are available from April through mid-November for accepted applicants. Potential visiting scholars are strongly advised to make their initial inquiry 6-12 months in advance of the earliest date for their proposed stay.  Early inquiry enables application review to be aligned with sabbatical or other research leave planning and to coordinate stays for accepted visitors with similar interests.

Applicants may apply for stays of 2-4 weeks. Stays begin and end on weekdays. The length of a stay should reflect the applicant’s work plan (see How do I apply for a stay? below). An applicant may be invited for a shorter stay than they have requested.

Visiting scholars are housed in a 3-bedroom self-catering apartment on The Hastings Center’s campus in the Hudson River Valley, a scenic rural region about 50 miles north of New York City. During their stay, visiting scholars are provided with work space, Wi-Fi access, and full use of our library, home to a major collection of bioethics material. Visiting scholars do not have private offices; the occasional use of a private office can be arranged if needed. The apartment is on the second floor and is accessible only by stairs. Because The Hastings Center is located in a rural area with no public transportation, very limited taxi or ride-share services, and no shops within walking distance, visiting scholars will find it helpful to bring or rent a car for their use in grocery shopping and exploring the area.

Visiting scholars will spend most of their time working on their own or with their collaborators. Applicants should be mindful that The Hastings Center has a hybrid work schedule; staff scholars and editors are on site on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and work remotely on other weekdays. Visiting scholars are encouraged to give a work-in-progress talk during their stay for discussion with Hastings Center staff scholars and editors.

Yes, as long as time spent at The Hastings Center will be used for focused writing or editing work.

No. We can host a scholar whose visa is sponsored by another institution.

Only if the partner is also a visiting scholar. The apartment is a shared work space and living space reserved for visiting scholars. A couple can jointly apply for a stay if each has an eligible project underway or if they are collaborators. If their applications are accepted, they can come at the same time, each paying the per-person accommodation fee (see How much does a stay cost? below) for the shared apartment. A visiting scholar cannot bring a partner (or anyone else) who is not also a visiting scholar.

Yes. Visiting scholars can find rental accommodations nearby and commute to The Hastings Center. This option is often used by visiting scholars traveling with other family members.

Visiting scholars pay a per-person accommodation fee of $250 per week. This fee covers insurance, linens, utilities, and cleaning for the apartment.  Visiting scholars are responsible for their own meals and transportation.

6-12 months in advance of your proposed stay, send an email inquiry (see below), with the subject line “Inquiry about visiting scholar stay” and a brief (150-word) description of your proposed self-supervised research. Include your name, title, affiliation, email address, when you would like to come, and for how long. (Stays should be 2-4 weeks and must start and end on a weekday.) You can provide up to 3 possible dates for a stay. Please do not include attachments with your email inquiry; you can include a link to a personal website or bio page. All inquiries will be acknowledged.

A limited number of applicants will be invited to submit a 1-page document with detail about their project and the work to be completed during their proposed stay, such as:

• drafting an article, book chapter, or other publication
• editing a special issue, book manuscript, digital resource, or other work
• other individual or collaborative work, such as developing a curriculum or a major proposal.

Following review of work plans and based on availability, a limited number of applicants will be invited for stays.

To make an email inquiry and for other questions, please contact: programs@thehastingscenter.org