Dietrich von Hildebrand Institute for Philosophy and Realist Phenomenology Spring/Summer Semester
Led by Josef Seifert, the Dietrich von Hildebrand Institute for Philosophy and Realist Phenomenology (DHIP) offers advanced philosophy courses in-person and online.
The Spring/Summer lecture course Philosophie des Geistes — Mit Geist begins April 28 and runs through July 28. The Research Seminar begins on May 4.
See the welcome letter by Professor Seifert below for more information.
Summer Grants
The Hildebrand Project is pleased to accept applications for grants of $3,000 for writing projects in May-September 2022 on any theme in the thought of Dietrich von Hildebrand or in Christian personalism (including the work of Karol Wojtyła, Max Scheler, Edith Stein, Jacques Maritain, or philosophical ways of thinking stemming from these thinkers and thinkers related to them). Eligible projects include work such as an MA thesis, PhD dissertation, scholarly article, or book chapter. The purpose of the grant is to enable a period of focused engagement with Hildebrandian and personalist ideas resulting in new writing destined for publication.
You may request a grant for work this summer or through the end of 2022, meaning the grant report would not be due until January 2023.
Up to eight grants will be awarded.
Application Guidelines
- Graduate students and faculty in any field are welcome to apply.
- Please submit the following to info@hildebrandproject.org by May 8, 2022:
- 1-3 page proposal explaining the envisioned project, its philosophical import, and what the applicant hopes to achieve during the grant period
- Short proposed bibliography
- Academic CV or resume
- Grants are intended (1) to help stimulate new work or, if not entirely new work, (2) to make it significantly easier to pursue a given project. For this reason, a project already underway and reasonably likely to be completed without additional support would not be eligible for a grant. Note also that you can apply for less than $3,000.
- In your proposal, explain how the funding will meaningfully enable your work. For example:
- The grant frees you to work on your project by replacing income from summer teaching.
- The grant supports travel for research or to present at or attend a conference.
Awards
- Applications will be reviewed and selected by a committee of scholars in Christian personalism.
- All award decisions will be communicated by May 15, 2022. All decisions are final.
- Grantees are required to submit a report on the fruits of their work by January 2023.
- Grantees who publish their work in a scholarly journal within 18 months of September 30, 2022 will receive a $250 publication incentive. Work published in a non-peer reviewed outlet (e.g., First Things, Plough, Church Life Journal) within 12 months will receive $100. To claim a publication incentive, a grantee should submit to info@hildebrandproject.org a copy of the work as published or, if still pending, a brief note from the journal editor confirming imminent publication.
For questions or more information, please email the Hildebrand Project at info@hildebrandproject.org
CALL FOR PAPERS & SCHOLARSHIP CONTEST FOR THE 1st WORLD CONGRESS ON PERSONALISM

The Hildebrand Project invites faculty and upper-level Ph.D. students to submit papers or abstracts on any theme related to philosophical personalism, for papers to be presented at the 1st World Congress on Personalism, to be held August 1-5, 2022 in Mexico City.
Up to three winners will be awarded scholarships of $750 for travel and lodging to present their papers at the congress.
Submission Guidelines
- Papers (3000 words) or abstracts (200 words) should be submitted by May 31, 2022 to the Hildebrand Project at events@hildebrandproject.org
- Papers or abstracts should be submitted in English.
- Submissions on Dietrich von Hildebrand or Christian personalism will receive preferred consideration.
- Submissions for the scholarships double as submissions for the congress; there is no need to submit a separate submission to the organizers of the congress.
Winners
- All decisions regarding congress submissions will be issued by June 15, 2022.
- Scholarship winners will also be notified by June 15, 2022.
Publication
- The papers, after review and approval for publication by the Scientific Committee, will be published as follows: (1) The highest rated (in English and Spanish) will be published in the collection of papers Pathway to the Person (Vernon Press, USA); (2) The rest will be published in two ebooks by Anahuac University, one in English and the other in Spanish.
- For information about the 1st World Congress on Personalism, visit: www.personalismo.org/mexico2022
- For information about the call for papers and scholarship contest, email:
- events@hildebrandproject.org
The Dietrich von Hildebrand Scholarships at Franciscan University of Steubenville
Awarded to up to two MA Philosophy students at FUS in the 2022-23 Academic Year
For the 2022-23 academic year, the Hildebrand Project (HP) will fund up to two one-year scholarships for FUS MA philosophy students interested in working on Dietrich von Hildebrand. Applications for work on personalist thinkers (e.g., Karol Wojtyla, Max Scheler, Edith Stein) or Hildebrand’s immediate traditions (e.g., personalism, phenomenology) will be considered, though work on Hildebrand will be given preference. These scholarships, an expression of the fruitful relationship between the HP and FUS, will deepen and maintain the historical connection between FUS and personalist philosophy, while advancing new scholarship on Hildebrand and carrying forth the personalist tradition.
Scholarship Amounts in 2022-23:
- $2,000 for a first-year MA student
- $3,000 for a first or second-year MA student writing a MA thesis or one of two conference papers on Hildebrand (or related thinkers/traditions).
- Funds can be used at the scholarship recipient’s discretion for expenses related to their MA studies, including for tuition, living expenses, books, laptops, and so forth.
Application:
- Statement of purpose (1-3 pages) explaining the applicant’s interest in Hildebrand (or in related thinkers/traditions), how they will pursue this interest as a student in the FUS MA program, and how the work funded by the scholarship supports their longer-term aspirations, whether in academia, teaching, ministry, or any other field.
- Personal, intellectual, and professional (if relevant) biography (1-3 pages): How did you get here? Where are you going?
- Academic letter of recommendation explaining applicant’s suitability for the scholarship.
- One academic paper of any length.
- Resume or curriculum vitae.
- Complete application submitted to info@hildebrandproject.org. Questions and letters of recommendation may be sent directly to this email.
- Submission deadline for 2022-23 academic year: May 20, 2022
Review:
- Scholarships are awarded by the HP’s grants committee to admitted MA philosophy students.
- Award decisions will be communicated by May 31, 2022.
Opportunities During and After the Scholarship Period:
- Recipients will have the chance to work with senior Hildebrand scholars, including FUS Professor Emeritus John F. Crosby.
- Recipients are expected to participate in the HP’s annual summer seminar at FUS.
- Recipients will be invited to apply for the HP’s advanced programs, including weekend colloquia (travel stipend, room and board), advanced readings groups, and so forth.
Memoirs of a Happy Failure Audiobook
Alice von Hildebrand would have turned 99 today, March 11, 2022.
To celebrate her life and mark the day, we have worked with our friends at TAN Books to produce an audiobook of Lily’s autobiography Memoirs of a Happy Failure.

Alice von Hildebrand is a household name to many who know her from her countless EWTN appearances, her books, and her extensive articles and essays. What is little known is the story of her life, notably the thirty-seven years she spent at Hunter College in New York City.
There, despite systematic opposition she left a mark on a generation of students through her defense of truth with reason, wit, and love. By showing her students how truth fulfills the deepest longings of the heart she liberated countless students from the oppressive relativism of the day, enabling many of them to find their way to God.
Now, for the first time, discover the details of Alice von Hildebrand’s life as a “Happy Failure,” including:
- her thrilling escape from Europe that was nearly halted by a Nazi sub
- her early days in America and her dedication to education and cultivating wisdom
- her marriage to the great philosopher Dietrich von Hildebrand
- her victories and defeats at Hunter where she combated a culture of relativism
- and much more…
Memoirs of a Happy Failure is a fascinating and essential glimpse into the life of one of contemporary Catholicism’s most compelling minds. It is the story of courage, faith, and the grace of God acting in the world.
Download the new audiobook or the ebook at TAN Books.