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Byzantine Studies

The Byzantine Studies program at Dumbarton Oaks, since its establishment in 1940, has supported a continuous program of residential fellowships and academic events to enable historical, philological, art historical, archaeological, and theological research into the civilization of the Byzantine Empire from the fourth to the fifteenth century, together with its interactions with neighboring cultures. 



Community

Fellowships and Awards

Support comes in many forms through a variety of our programs, tailored to fit the individual needs of senior scholars, midcareer researchers, dissertation writers, graduate students, and advanced undergraduates.

Fellowship Opportunities

Research Fellowships are available to scholars with a terminal degree (Fellowships); to degree candidates who have fulfilled all preliminary requirements for a terminal degree (Junior Fellowships); or to scholars beyond the first year of graduate school (Summer Fellowships). The I Tatti–Dumbarton Oaks Joint Fellowship is available to early- and mid-career scholars whose work explores cross-cultural contacts in and beyond the late medieval and early modern Mediterranean. Apply by November 1.

Short-Term Opportunities

Several opportunities are available to students and scholars at all levels, ranging from symposia travel awards, one-month research awards, and summer programs in Byzantine coins and seals, Byzantine Greek, and Syriac, Armenian, and Coptic.

Project Grants

Project grants primarily support archaeological investigation, as well as for the recovery, recording, and analysis of materials that would otherwise be lost. For Byzantine project awards, priority is given to small projects, start-up support for new projects, or for the final push for completion. Apply by November 1.


Dumbarton Oaks Byzantine Podcast

In an effort to keep moving forward, within the new parameters of COVID-19, the Byzantine Studies Program at Dumbarton Oaks has devised virtual encounters with scholars that will inform, entertain, and challenge the Byzantine scholarly community and colleagues in the arts and the humanities more broadly. Find out more, and listen to the most recent episode below.

All Episodes

 

Scholarly Activities

Byzantine Studies offers a range of scholarly programming, including annual symposia and colloquia, public lectures, workshops, and summer schools. View upcoming and past activities, and watch recordings of selected recent events

Spring Byzantine Studies Symposium

April 19–20, 2024 | Byzantine Studies symposium exploring questions of personal identity and visual representation.

Greek Summer School

July 1–26, 2024 | Alexandros Alexakis (University of Ioannina) and Stratis Papaioannou (University of Crete)

Passage Between Worlds

Exchanges Along the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean in the Middle Ages

 

Resources for Byzantinists

Discover select research projects and resources for Byzantinists below, or view all.

Kyivan Rus’ and Byzantium

Dumbarton Oaks resources relating to Ukrainian History, Art, and Cultural Heritage

Hagia Sophia Resources

Digitized resources in the Dumbarton Oaks collections related to the church of Hagia Sophia

Resources for Syriac Studies

Materials and programs supporting scholars of Syriac Studies as part of Dumbarton Oaks' broader mission of supporting Byzantine scholarship.