Program Description

The Cuban Heritage Collection (CHC) of the University of Miami Libraries invites applications for the 2025-2026 Roberto C. Goizueta Distinguished Presidential Residence program. Inaugurated in 2023, the program welcomes senior scholars and public intellectuals from around the world to spend either one semester (5 months) or a full academic year (10 months) in residence at the Cuban Heritage Collection to take advantage of its vast repository of materials on Cuba and the global Cuban diaspora.

Fellows’ main charge is to advance in-depth research and writing toward a project of intellectual significance that relates to a particular area of the collection and the study of Cuba and/or the Cuban diaspora, broadly defined. As part of their residency, fellows will also deliver a public lecture open to the university and South Florida communities.

Distinguished Fellows for the 2025-2026 cycle will begin their residence at CHC no earlier than August 1, 2025 and conclude no later than May 31, 2026. The CHC will award one two-semester fellowship or two one-semester fellowships, depending on applicant preferences and a thorough review of the applicant pool. Applications are reviewed by CHC faculty and members of the CHC’s Academic Advisory Committee.

By providing time, resources, and space for writing and research, the program seeks to strengthen the CHC’s reputation as a premier destination for interdisciplinary research in Cuban studies.

 

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Fellows will advance in-depth research and writing toward a project of scholarly merit or broad public interest based on a particular area of the Collection and related to Cuba and/or the Cuban diaspora, broadly defined.
• Drawing on their research at the collection, fellows will deliver a public lecture open to UM faculty, students, and the greater South Florida community toward the end of their residencies. In consultation with CHC faculty and staff, year-long fellows may opt to develop and participate in a larger public program related to their research, such as a panel discussion, symposium, and/or performance.
• Fellows will be expected to be in residence at the Cuban Heritage Collection during the fellowship period. This means a minimum of three full days a week conducting research in or writing from the collection. (Allowances will be made for absences for short-term travel, illness, and holidays.) Fellows are also highly encouraged to attend CHC public and academic events during their stay.
• While this is not a teaching position, Fellows are expected to be open to engaging with University of Miami faculty, patrons of the CHC, and students in the UM’s Program in Cuban Studies, whether through class visits or individual consultations. The CHC is a close partner of the undergraduate Program in Cuban Studies.

 

Eligibility and Qualifications

Senior faculty, independent scholars, journalists, curators, and other non-fiction authors who are recognized leaders in their fields are eligible to serve as Distinguished Fellows. Applicants must demonstrate excellence and exceptional capacity in their areas of expertise. They must also clearly indicate how materials held at the CHC are relevant to the work they wish to develop while in residence and appropriate to the time frame of the residency they request.

 

Compensation / Financial Details

Stipend: $7,500 per month

Housing supplement: $1,000 per month

Disclaimer: For U.S. nationals and residents, the stipend and housing supplement will be paid as miscellaneous income, meaning taxes are not ordinarily withheld, even though the income is generally taxable. (Taxes may be withheld for candidates from outside the United States.) Healthcare and retirement benefits are not included in the base fellowship award. U.S.-based applicants are expected to maintain enrollment in benefits programs with their home institutions/employers and are encouraged to request top-up pay, as relevant, when requesting research leaves. We will work with candidates from outside the United States and the University of Miami’s Office of International Student and Scholar Services to support J-1 visa applications, cover visa application costs, and provide an additional stipend for healthcare coverage. The Cuban Heritage Collection abides by all U.S. federal laws in administering this fellowship program.

Fellows will be provided with an office within the Otto G. Richter Library on the University of Miami’s Coral Gables campus.

 

Application Process

Application

Applications will be submitted via Interfolio and must include the following:

• Completed application form
• Curriculum Vitae
• A 2- to 3-page cover letter outlining the scope of the proposed research and writing project
• An annotated list of Cuban Heritage Collection materials—including books, periodicals, archives, and/or manuscripts—to be consulted during the residency period. The list need not be exhaustive; however, applicants are encouraged to identify potential resources using the CHC catalog, archival collection descriptions, Digital Collections and research guides.

Applications are due November 15, 2024.

We accept applications in English or Spanish.

 

Questions?

Please contact:

Michael J. Bustamante, Ph.D.
Emilio Bacardí Moreau Chair in Cuban and Cuban-American Studies
Director of Academic Programs, Cuban Heritage Collection
m.bustamante@miami.edu

Annie Sansone-Martínez
Manager, Academic and Community Programs, Cuban Heritage Collection
a.sansone@umiami.edu