CENTRO’s Rooted & Relational Archives Fellowship will expose early career archivists to the work and projects of CENTRO’s Archives. The fellowship will present a pathway into Ethnic Studies Libraries and Archives in order to provide students and recent graduates with practical work experience in areas commonly discussed in archival scholarship such as reparatory and bilingual description, community-oriented practices and spaces, and enrichment and diversification of the archival record. 

The CENTRO Rooted & Relational Archives Fellow will develop and implement a Fellowship Project in collaboration with CENTRO’s Digital Collections Manager based on the needs of the Archives as well as the Fellow’s experience and interests. In addition to the Fellowship Project, fellows will have the opportunity to engage in a variety of projects and participate in the day-to-day activities of the Archives, which may include assisting patrons and participating in events and workshops. Through these experiences, fellows will learn collection and project management skills, immerse themselves in CENTRO’s archival collections and communities, and become familiar with digital archiving skills. Fellows will be in residence for the 2025-2026 academic year and they will receive a $20,000 stipend paid in four installments.

The ideal candidate will be an advanced graduate student or recent graduate with experience in archives or special collections, experience conducting the type of work expected for the project, or experience managing small-scale projects. Some programming knowledge and  project management experience will be considered valuable. The fellow will be expected to work 20 hours a week in person as part of the fellowship. 

The fellow will receive support and mentorship from CENTRO Archives and Library staff and will be responsible for the tracking, implementation, reporting, and dissemination of their designated project. They will also be provided with professional development support and opportunities to develop skills in various areas of interest to information professionals, independent of the fellowship project. Fellows will be encouraged to participate in professional organizations and present their work at conferences and symposia.

Potential Fellowship Projects and areas of interest include

• Collection assessment of digital materials
• Digital preservation strategies
• Development of usage and access metrics 
• Development of access and outreach tools, including LibGuides, instruction plans, and events
• Development of quality control and quality assurance processes
• Development of policies and strategies for A/V archiving
• Reparatory and bilingual description
• Community-oriented practices and spaces

Eligibility

• Current graduate student or recent graduate (within the last 2 years) with coursework in archives or digital preservation (Archives experience may substitute for coursework)
• Reading comprehension in Spanish
• Interest in working with Puerto Rican collections or Ethnic Studies Archives

Application Guidelines

• All documents below must be submitted in PDF 
• CV or  Resume 
• Submit a cover letter in English or Spanish describing your interest in working at the CENTRO Archives, the type(s) of projects you would be interested in working on, and how this fellowship will benefit your career trajectory

Overview of Submission Process

• Complete the form ensuring all mandatory fields are filled
• Review and confirm your submission
• We will email you to confirm receipt of your form
• We will email you with our decision and, if applicable, further steps

Compensation for Selected Fellow 

• $20,000 stipend (paid in four installments)

Contact Information

If you encounter any issues or have questions about the submission process, please don’t hesitate to contact Cristina Fontánez Rodríguez at cf3285@hunter.cuny.edu.

About Rooted & Relational 

Rooted & Relational, is a Mellon-funded initiative that seeks to reimagine the research agenda and scholarly and community impact of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies (CENTRO) in the US and beyond. This series of projects aims to make CENTRO a public facing, horizontal, decolonial feminist institute that opens new paths in academia and expands community-driven research that expands beyond the walls of the academy. This proposed project strategically links the center’s research agenda, data hub projects, media, arts and culture output, scholarly mentoring initiatives, and community partnerships by creating annual thematic structures that will address some of the most pressing social, political, and economic issues facing Puerto Rico and the diaspora. The goal is to create a unifying higher learning community at CENTRO that tends to the intellectual and cultural needs of our committed and diverse public.  

About CENTRO

The Center for Puerto Rican Studies (CENTRO) at Hunter College, is a university-based research institute whose mission is to produce, facilitate, and disseminate interdisciplinary research about the experiences of Puerto Ricans in the U.S. and to collect, preserve, and provide access to archival and library resources documenting the history and culture of Puerto Ricans. To complement these core activities, Centro sponsors a year-round program of educational and cultural activities.

About Hunter College

Located in the heart of Manhattan, Hunter is the largest college in the City University of New York (CUNY) system. Founded in 1870, it is also one of the oldest public colleges in the country and famous for a student body that is as diverse as the city itself. Most Hunter students are the first in their families to attend college and many go on to top professional and graduate programs, winning Rhodes and Fulbright scholarships, Mellon fellowships, National Institutes of Health grants, and other competitive honors. More than 23,000 students currently attend Hunter, pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees in more than 170 areas of study. The 1,700 full- and part-time members of Hunter’s faculty are unparalleled. They receive prestigious national grants, contribute to the world’s leading academic journals, and play major roles in cutting-edge research. They are fighting cancer, formulating public policy, expanding our culture, enhancing technology, and more.