For more information visit slv.vic.gov.au/fellowships
Program Overview
State Library Victoria’s Fellowships Program embodies the Library’s mission of the last 170 years: to provide universal access to knowledge. Running since 2003, the Fellowships program supports Victoria’s creative and knowledge industries and facilitates exceptional scholarship, exhibitions, installations, performances and literature. To date, the program has delivered over $3 million in funding to support more than 300 fellows, with many producing career-defining works. Each fellow receives $15,000 in funding, a dedicated office in the dome annulus and access to a liaison librarian to assist research in the State Collection, for one year.
Updates in 2026
The Library’s Fellowships Program and application process has been refined for 2026, with applicants invited to submit an expression of interest to one of three streams, nominating a particular focus area. Two new fellowships are on offer in 2026: the Asian Australian Foundation Fellowship, and the UNESCO Cities of Literature Fellowship. This year’s Fellowships Program also includes a new Creative Residency, open to leading creative practitioners to develop new a site-responsive work, celebrating the Library’s spaces and role as a cultural institution. These new opportunities are on top of the 9 existing fellowships that will continue in 2026, bringing the total number of opportunities to 12.
Specifics on the Fellowships
In 2026 there will be 11 Research and Creative fellowship opportunities and one Creative Residency.
Research Fellowships are designed to support excellent mid-career and established researchers to undertake academic enquiry within the State Collection grounded in specific focus areas. The Research Fellowships stream focus areas are:
- The Special Collections and Archives of the University of Melbourne and State Library Victoria, highlighting linkages between the collections and promoting new insights on the subject or material.
- England in the early modern period, drawing on the John Emmerson Collection, one of the world’s largest collections of rare English printed works, from the 15th to the 18th century.
- Asian Australian collections, highlighting the rich collection of historical resources related to Asian Australians from the 19th century to today, works by Asian Australian writers and creative artists as well rare and extraordinary printed cultural works from Japan, China, Indonesia and Korea. Applicants may apply through either the Research or Creative Fellowships stream. One Asian Australian Fellowship will be awarded across both streams.
- UNESCO Cities of Literature, highlighting Melbourne’s strong creative and knowledge ecosystems and the collections of State Library Victoria to an international audience. Applicants may apply through either the Research or Creative Fellowships stream. One UNESCO Cities of Literature Fellowship will be awarded across both streams.
- Victoria’s colonial history, enabling research into the period during Lieutenant-Governor Charles La Trobe’s administration (1839-54), revealing new and surprising perspectives.
Creative Fellowships support established creative practitioners to interpret and reimagine the Library’s collections through artistic practice. The Creative Fellowships stream focus areas are:
- Open round, an invitation to creatives from any discipline to be inspired by the State Collection.
- Performing arts, exploring the Library’s rich archive of material including theatre, opera, ballet and musicals, as well as vaudeville, puppetry, magic, scriptwriting and production.
- Regional Victoria, supporting artists and creative practitioners based in regional Victoria, or a project that benefits regional Victorians.
- Regional performing arts, aimed at creatives who reside in regional Victoria, or a project which will benefit regional Victoria, in the field of performing arts.
- Contemporary visual arts, enabling study, experiments and fresh thinking in creative practice.
- Visual arts/printmaking, allowing an artist to access research material within the State Collection and expand their creative practice at Baldessin Studio.
- Asian Australian collections, highlighting the rich collection of historical resources related to Asian Australians from the 19th century to today, works by Asian Australian writers and creative artists as well rare and extraordinary printed cultural works from Japan, China, Indonesia and Korea. Applicants may apply through either the Research or Creative Fellowships stream. One Asian Australian Fellowship will be awarded across both streams.
- UNESCO Cities of Literature, highlighting Melbourne’s strong creative and knowledge ecosystems and the collections of State Library Victoria to an international audience. Applicants may apply through either the Research or Creative Fellowships stream. One UNESCO Cities of Literature Fellowship will be awarded across both streams.
A travel and accommodation allowance will be offered to support successful applicants from regional Victoria, who are researching within the arts and performing arts focus areas.
The State Library Victoria Creative Residency invites creative practitioners to showcase the Library’s incredible spaces and architecture as a site for experimentation, response and public engagement. In 2026 Creative Residency applicants are invited to respond one of the Library’s annual programming themes of Play or Wonder. These narratives are guiding ideas that shape the Library’s programming and storytelling each year, ensuring they connect with the Library’s purpose, collections and the communities we serve.
How to apply
Expressions of Interest (EOIs) for the 2026 Fellowships Program are open from 3 March 2026 until 9am AEDT 7 April 2026. Expressions of Interest are submitted online via SmartyGrants. Applicants may submit an expression of interest for one stream (Research/Creative/Creative Residency) per year. However, your expression of interest may relate to multiple focus areas within that stream.
For more information visit slv.vic.gov.au/fellowships
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