About the fellowhsip
The James Ford Bell Library offers short-term fellowships to facilitate research in its premier collection of rare books, maps, manuscripts, and archival collections documenting the history and impact of international trade prior to ca. 1800. The Bell Library Short-Term Fellowship, and The William Reese Company Fellowship in the Print Culture of the Americas. All fellowships use the same application process and evaluation criteria. Specific eligibility criteria are listed below in the fellowship descriptions.
The Bell Library Short-Term Fellowship
Description
Each year, one fellowship will be awarded to a visiting scholar from outside Minnesota; the stipend of $1,000 will be awarded to defray costs of travel, room and board, digital scans, and other expenses related to research in our collection. There are no subject restrictions to this fellowship; any topic for which materials can be found in the Bell collection is eligible.
Requirements
The fellowship is open to all scholars, including independent scholars, who have been awarded an M.A. prior to the application deadline. Current Minnesota residents are ineligible. A minimum residency of two weeks is required. The final research product (e.g., journal article, book, documentary film, etc.) must acknowledge the Library's support and be deposited with the University Libraries. A brief report on your research must be submitted within 30 days of completion of your residency.
The William Reese Company Fellowship
Description
One award of $2,500 is given each year to a scholar interested in researching any topic in the Bell collection related to print culture in any part of the Western Hemisphere, or in investigating the history of the book in the Americas. Projects may investigate any printed genre (e.g., books, prints, newspapers, magazines, pamphlets, illustrations intended for publication, broadsides, etc.). They may address any issues of ownership, readership, or use of printed materials or be purely bibliographical. Subject areas might include religion, popular culture, political life, science, music, or specialized forms of printing. Support for work in manuscript collections will be limited to projects related to printed materials (e.g. annotations in books, publishers' business archives, personal papers related to publication or readership). This fellowship is not intended to support the editing of an author's papers. The stipend will be awarded to defray costs of travel, room and board, digital scans, and other expenses related to research in our collection.
Requirements
This fellowship is open to all researchers who have an MA, MLIS, or an equivalent or higher degree or have been accepted as a Ph.D. candidate at the time of application. An academic affiliation is not required, but the project must be intended for publication or to complete the requirements for a Ph.D. or its equivalent. Current Minnesota residents are ineligible. A minimum residency of one month is required. The final research project (dissertation, journal article, book) must acknowledge support from the William Reese Company Fellowship at the James Ford Bell Library, and be deposited with the University Libraries. A brief report on your research must be submitted within 30 days of completion of your residency to the James Ford Bell Library; it will be shared with the William Reese Company.
NOTE: The Reese Company Fellowship has been filled for 2017. Applications for 2018 research will be accepted in November.
Application Information
Research period: July 2, 2017 through December 10, 2018.
Application deadlines: Round 1: March 1, 2017; Round 2: November 1, 2017;
There is no formal application form. To apply, please submit:
- A letter of application
- A curriculum vitae of no more than 5 pages
- A one- to two-page description of your research project that includes how research in the Bell Library collection will advance the project and your intended length of stay
- A one-page budget that details total costs for the research trip to the Bell Library in Minneapolis
- A letter of recommendation from a faculty adviser, department chair, or professional colleague who can attest to the quality of your work. Letter writers should submit recommendations directly to the Bell Library
IMPORTANT: Submission to these fellowships grants the University of Minnesota and other sponsors the right to announce you as the recipient of the award in their promotional literature and on their Web sites.
APPLICATION MATERIALS SHOULD BE SUBMITTED TO: Dr. Marguerite Ragnow, Curator, Attn: Fellowship Applications (if submitting by e-mail this should be the subject line], James Ford Bell Library, University of Minnesota, 309-19th Avenue S, 472 OMWL, Minneapolis, MN 55455. By e-mail to: ragn0001@umn.edu
Contact Dr. Ragnow with questions at ragn0001@umn.edu or 612-624-6895.
Evaluation Criteria
- Project must be relevant to the Bell collection
- Project description articulates well why the collection is necessary for the project
- Project is well defined, with clearly articulated goals and outcome
- Project represents original research and demonstrates originality/creativity
- Budget is complete and clear
Note: Research during visit must be based primarily in the Bell collection.
For more information click "Further official information" below.
This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:
https://www.lib.umn.edu/bell/fellowships