The Ricci Institute for Chinese-Western Cultural History
University of San Francisco (USF)

The USF Ricci Institute is a premier global resource for the study of Chinese-Western cultural exchange with a core focus on the social and cultural history of Christianity in China. Besides its more than 80,000 volumes of books in Chinese and Western languages, its library also includes (1) a digital copy of the Japonica-Sinica Manuscript Collection from the Roman Archives of the Society of Jesus (ARSI); (2) the Francis A. Rouleau Microfilm / Digital Archival Collections’ (3) the Canton Diocese Archival Collection; (4) a digital copy of the Passionist China Collection; (5) the Anthony E. Clark Collection; (6) Pre-Modern Japanese & Korean Christian Materials; and (7) other archival materials.

The Ricci Institute invites applications for Luce Post-doctoral Research Fellowships for the summer of 2021 as part of an on-going project supported by the Henry Luce Foundation in New York. For detailed information about this international research initiative, please visit: www.ricci-institute.org.

This fellowship is open to post-doctoral level applicants, including Junior Faculty members and researchers (i.e. normally within five years of having received the PhD degree). We invite research proposals primarily based on the archival collections at the Ricci Institute in preparation for research publications.

Topics of enquiry may include Chinese-Western cultural history, history of Christianity in East Asia (China, Japan, and/or Korea), comparative studies of Christianity and cultures in China, Japan, and Korea, and Vietnam. The aim of the fellowship is to offer recipients the unique opportunity to conduct research and to prepare manuscripts for publication that focus on archival, historiographical, and methodological issues that are relevant to different areas of Christianity and cultures in East Asia. Recipients are also expected to present their work and actively participate in all regularly organized research seminars at the Ricci Institute.

The entire fellowship program will be three-months long. Barring any unforeseeable circumstances due to the pandemic, both nationally and internationally, the Ricci Institute is planning to conduct this year’s fellowship in two phases. The first phase will be 4-6 weeks from June 4 to early/mid-July with virtual academic activities through the Zoom platform. The second phase, 4-5 weeks from early/mid-July to August 31, will require fellowship recipients to be physically in residence at the Ricci Institute conducting research and interacting with other scholars on site.

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Participation in all activities is mandatory throughout the program, and exceptions will require approval well in advance. The stipend is up to $4,500/month. Candidates are highly encouraged to apply for any necessary supplemental funding for their travel and stay from their home institutions.

Applicants who are not U.S. Citizens or Legal Permanent Residents will need to contact the Ricci Institute well in advance for information regarding the following: (1) proof of English proficiency for non-native speakers, (2) visa application procedures, (3) health insurance requirements, and (4) other necessary documentation, depending on the country of provenance of the applicant. Because of possible ongoing travel restrictions and other additional documentation that might be required to travel to the U.S. (i.e. pre-flight proof of a negative COVID test), recipients who are not in the U.S. are asked to allow more time than would normally be necessary to prepare for their visa application (i.e. at least three months before travel).

Applicants should submit the following by February 28, 2021:

(1) a most recent Curriculum Vitae;

(2) a 5–10-page double-spaced statement with an outline of the proposed research and related activities, the contribution the scholar hopes to make in the relevant field(s), tentative plan for the publication of the research results, and how the research is related to and enriched by resources available at the USF Ricci Institute;

(3) a proposed budget and other funding sources, if any;

(4) two up-to-date letters of recommendation. All required documents must be in English.

Successful applications will be announced by mid-March 2021.

All application documents should be submitted by email to fedulow@usfca.edu with the subject line: “2021 Summer Luce Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship Application”.  

Letters of recommendation must be submitted directly from the recommenders on institutional letterhead electronically to: fedulow@usfca.edu with the subject line: “2021 Summer Luce Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship Recommendation Letter for xxxxxx (the name of the fellowship applicant)”


[1] The Ricci Institute aims to begin the virtual part of the program with an orientation program on Friday, June 4. Ideally, we would hope that fellowship recipients would travel to the U.S. and be present at the Ricci Institute to begin the second phase at USF on Monday, July 5. These dates may need to be adjusted (e.g. a postponement until Monday, July 12) once it becomes clear (over the next few months) [1] what the new U.S. visa and travel policy will be, including COVID-related restrictions; and [2] when USF will allow on-campus activities to resume during the summer months. The USF President has announced that the feasibility of summer activities will depend on the situation with the pandemic.