The Munby Fellowship offers support for bibliographical research at the Cambridge University Library. The Munby Fellowship is open to graduates in any discipline, of any university or nationality. Preference will be given to scholars at post-doctoral or an equivalent level.

The Munby Fellow will be given a work space in the University Library and will enjoy access to the Library’s collections on the same terms as the members of its permanent staff. A modest amount of help with research expenses is available.It is expected that the Munby Fellow will be offered a non-stipendiary college fellowship at Darwin College co-terminous with their appointment. 

The Fellow will be free to pursue research of their choosing in any area that brings together the wide fields of Bibliography/History of the Book and Natural History Humanities. Proposals working across Cambridge collections, and which make connections between library/archival collections and those in galleries, museums or the Botanic Garden, are especially welcomed.

Of particular interest to our Network’s members will be the fellowship’s preference for research on or using the collections of: Ecology in the twentieth century, using papers at the UL of Arthur Tansley, Alexander Watt, Peter Scott and others at the UL and Oliver Rackham (Corpus Christi College, digitised collection available on Cambridge Digital Library); Alfred Newton (zoologist); William Swainson (naturalist and artist); and Hugh Strickland (ornithologist and geologist).

For more information, or to apply, see here. The Fellowship for 2025-27, beginning in October 2025, is now open for applications. The closing date for applications is 17 January 2025. Any informal queries about the role should be directed to Dr Suzanne Paul, Keeper of Rare Books and Early Manuscripts (sp510@cam.ac.uk).