Scholarly Residencies

Each year, Casa Herrera selects a number of distinguished academics (Visiting Scholars) who wish to spend time at the Casa working on their own research and writing projects. The Casa invites applications to its Visiting Scholars Program for year 2010.

Scholars-in-residence at the Casa Herrera are able to pursue disciplined work, individual reflection, critical thinking, and a collegial engagement uninterrupted by professional and personal demands. While at the Casa Herrera, the combination of private time for work and reflection and informal gatherings with cohort scholars and members of the community is an important part of life. The Casa Herrera seeks applicants who are able to demonstrate a strong commitment to their respective fields; scholars who are pursuing interdisciplinary research; and scholars whose research would benefit from a residence in Antigua, Guatemala.

We offer three residency programs:

Student Visiting Researcher
Student Visiting Researchers are degree candidates who at the time of application have fulfilled all preliminary requirements for a Master’s degree and will be working on a thesis or final project under the direction of a faculty member at their own university.

Junior Visiting Scholar
Junior Visiting Scholars are degree candidates who at the time of application have fulfilled all preliminary requirements for a Ph.D. and will be working on a dissertation or final project under the direction of a faculty member at their own university.

Senior Visiting Scholar
Senior Visiting Scholars are those who hold a doctorate or comparative degree or have established themselves in their field and wish to pursue their own research.

All residencies are for a duration of time of your choosing, between one (1) week and three (3) months, to be scheduled during the fall or spring appointment periods. Fall term appointments run from September 1 to December 15. Spring appointments run from January 15 to May 1.* Applications for both appointment periods must be submitted by November 15, 2009. Acceptances will be announced by December 10, 2009 and must be accepted by January 1, 2010.

* Please note that the Casa Herrera will be hosting the Maya Meetings from March 10 to March 21 and during this time, Visiting Scholars must seek private accomodations.

Selection Process and Criteria

Visiting Scholars and Student Researchers are selected competitively on the basis of the applicant’s qualifications, the quality of the applicant’s research plans, and the relevance of both to the Mesoamerica Center and Casa Herrera’s mission and objectives.

Decisions are based on:

• the quality of the proposed project
• the benefits of working on the project in Antigua, Guatemala
• the potential scholarly impact of the project
• the professional qualifications and achievements of the applicant

Applications are reviewed by a rotating panel of scholars which makes recommendations that are finalized by the Chair of the Department of Art and Art History and the Director of the Mesoamerica Center.

How to Apply

The application materials listed below must be completed in English or Spanish and submitted by email. The Casa Herrera does not accept incomplete applications or applications submitted past the deadline. Applicants who have trouble accessing the application form may contact Paola Bueché to discuss alternative ways to submit the application.

Applications must be submitted by November 15, 2009. Acceptances will be announced by December 10, 2009 and must be accepted by January 1, 2010.

1) Download and complete the Residency Program Application Form (PDF).

The Application Form is an Adobe Fillable Form and must be completed in the Adobe Reader. Once the form has been completed, please save your data in the document and name the file according to the convention below.

LastName_FirstName-Application.pdf

2) Complete all supporting application documents below.

All supporting documents must be composed in English or Spanish and submitted as Microsoft Word files or Adobe PDF documents according to the following file-naming conventions.

• One-page summary stating the purposes and goals of a residency at the Casa Herrera, and the scholarly context of this research. The summary should also state the specific output of your residency, and the planned outcome of your project.
  LastName_FirstName-Summary.xxx (.doc or .pdf)
• Three-page project proposal. Please address:
  • the importance and potential impact of your project
  • a timeline of your research project and the planned means of dissemination
  • a general work plan for your time at the Casa Herrera
  • a statement indicating the suitability of the Casa Herera for your research
  LastName_FirstName-Proposal.xxx
• Abbreviated CV with career highlights, including publications and awards
  LastName_FirstName-CV.xxx
• Writing sample: one published chapter or article. If none of your previous work has been published, please provide a writing sample not to exceed 20 pages.
  LastName_FirstName-Sample.xxx
• Two reference letters from individuals who have knowledge of you and your project
  LastName_FirstName-Reference1.xxx
LastName_FirstName-Reference2.xxx

3) Submit all application materials by email.

Send all seven (7) application documents as email attachments to:

Paola Bueché
Senior Program Coordinator
p.bueche@austin.utexas.edu

Amenities

The Casa Herrera offers:

• 1-week to 3-month residencies for scholars
• Comfortable on-site housing accommodations
• Office and research project spaces
• 24-hour security guards
• Access to University of Texas at Austin online library resources
• Modern amenities including wireless internet, kitchen and laundry facilities
• Academic library
  (Please note that the on-site Casa Herrera Library is currently in development, and reference resources are therefore limited at present. The focus of the library is the art, history and archaeology of Mesoamerica.)
• Meals cannot be provided for residential scholars. However, a large and newly-remodeled kitchen is available for use.

Accomodations
Scholars-in-Residence live in restored apartments located inside the Casa Herrera. Rooms are simply furnished. Complete linen service is provided, but residents are responsible for linen and personal laundry. Laundry facilities are located in the Casa Herrera. Accommodations are not available for children and family members other than spouses/life partners, nor for friends or pets. All facilities are non-smoking, including open courtyard areas. For overnight guest accommodation options, please refer to a list of local hotels on Enjoy Guatemala

Meals
Meals are not provided, but a newly remodeled kitchen is available for use by scholars at the Casa Herrera.