Funding and Fellowship Opportunities in Historical Studies

by | Nov 27, 2020 | General | 0 comments

 

There are many funding opportunities for history researchers to apply for in the UK and internationally, including research and travel grants, and library fellowships. Funding grants and fellowship opportunities are advertised across the year, although some have deadlines in close range to one another.

The list provided is divided into sub-categories to make it easier to search for specific fellowships or grants which are appropriate to your particular level of study, such as undergraduate, early career, and there are also awards aimed at school-aged children in the UK.

The list begins with details of Research Funding and Prizes available from the Royal Historical Society, as of 2023.

 

 

Please get in touch using the contact form if there are other opportunities that should be added to this list


 

Research Funding from the Royal Historical Society

In addition to the listing below, we encourage you to review the Society’s portfolio of Research Funding which provides a range of options for historians for postgraduate, early career and later career stages. As of 2023, the Society’s portfolio includes scholarships, doctoral and teaching fellowships, research grants and funding for research workshops. For further details, please see here.

 

Prizes from the Royal Historical Society

The Society also runs three Annual Prizes for early career historians: the Society’s Gladstone and Whitfield book prizes for a first solely authored monograph, and the Alexander Prize for a research article or chapter. For further details please see here.

 


 

History Prizes for School-aged Children and Sixth-Formers

 

History of Parliament Essay Competition

The History of Parliament awards an annual monetary prize for students aged between 16 and 18 years old who write the best essay relating to the parliamentary or political history of Britain and Ireland before 1997. The competition is open to students in this age category who are in school or sixth-form college, and the essay subject is of the student’s own choice. The submissions to be considered for the competition must be done by a member of staff from the candidate’s school and not a parent or guardian.

Write on Art Prize

The Write on Art Prize is a jointly funded annual art history prize (sponsored by Art UK and the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art) which is offered to students aged between 15 and 18 years old who write the best essay on one piece of artwork featured on the Art UK website. The essay is to consider what the artwork personally means to the student, the history behind the piece, and the emotional response to viewing it. The prize is divided by two categories relating to age and where the student studies in the United Kingdom, and the winners will receive a monetary prize and their winning essays published on the Art UK and Paul Mellon Centre websites.

 

 

Conference Grants

 

BSECS Annual Conference Awards

The British Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies (BSEC) offers financial support to postgraduate scholars to attend their annual conference, normally granting twenty awards each year. The awards cover the conference fee and the cost of the conference dinner. The scheme is open to any student registered for a higher degree at a higher education institution in any country, and whose paper has been accepted for presentation at the conference. Applications are judged on merit of the proposed paper and on financial need.

Society for Renaissance Studies Conference Grants

The Society for Renaissance Studies (SRS) offers small and major conference grants to conference organisers for financial support for conferences. The small conference grants have two deadlines a year, while the major conference grant is awarded once a year for conferences and colloquia within the field of Renaissance studies held in the UK or Republic of Ireland. Grants are also available for local conferences from the SRS’s Irish, Scottish, and Welsh branches.

 

Teaching Prizes and Grants

 

Association for Art History Grants

The Association for Art History (AAH) offers financial grants to help provide support for scholarly research into art history and visual culture, develop professional practice in the field, and to further the teaching and learning of art history at all education levels. This includes grants to support the organisation of symposia, conferences and workshops; catalogues and public engagement programmes for exhibitions; teachers’ continuing professional development; formal and informal learning opportunities for students; travel to conduct research at libraries, archives, and collections; delivery of research findings to conferences; access to images held by third-parties; and participation in museum and gallery training programmes. AAH also awards bursaries for doctoral students and early career researchers to attend the Association’s annual conference.

Barringer Fellowship

The British Association for American Studies (BAAS), in conjunction with the Thomas Jefferson Foundation (TJF) and the International Center for Jefferson Studies (ICJS), offers the Barringer Fellowship to teachers who cover the American Revolution, the Constitution and related materials in their A Level or Advanced Higher teaching of history and politics. Applicants for these awards must have at least three years teaching experience and teach A Level or Advanced Higher materials relevant to the Fellowships. The award will enable the successful recipients to travel to Monticello, Virginia, and work with academic staff at ICJS and to spend time working on the development of classroom materials, lesson plans, and related materials.

BSCES Teaching Prize

The British Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies (BSECS) offers an annual monetary prize to those who teach from all disciplines in eighteenth-century studies, although considerable weight will be given to those “which combine a number of disciplines or areas of research”. The aim of the prize is to encourage developments in teaching methods and approaches to eighteenth-century studies. To be considered, applicants should provide a brief outline of their course (whether a unit in an existing course or a newly taught course), a syllabus of the course, and a consideration of the proposed course or area of study.

 

Undergraduate Prizes, Bursaries and Fellowships

 

Anthony Davies Book Collection Prize

University College London (UCL) offers a prize to any student studying an undergraduate or postgraduate degree at a London-based university “for a coherent collection of printed/and or manuscript materials.” Winners are provided with a monetary prize and an allowance to purchase a book for the UCL Special Collections in collaboration with its library staff. Additionally, winners of the prize will be offered the opportunity to talk about their collection and to display or exhibit part of their collection within UCL.

Association for Art History Dissertation Prize

The Association for Art History (AAH) awards two annual dissertation prizes for the best dissertation written by an undergraduate student and a postgraduate student (at MA level) in art history or visual culture. The undergraduate and postgraduate winners receive book tokens, AAH student membership for one year, a complimentary ticket to the AAH’s annual conference, as well as publication of an abstract on their dissertations online and in their newsletter. The prizes are formally awarded at the AAH’s annual conference and the deadlines for the undergraduate and postgraduate dissertations are held once a year. Applicants should be aware that the deadlines for the dissertation prizes are not held on the same dates.

Colin Franklin Prize for Book Collecting

The Centre for the Study of the Book at the Bodleian Library awards an annual prize (open to undergraduate and postgraduate students at the University of Oxford) for a collection of books or other printed materials. Winners will receive a monetary prize, as well as an allowance to purchase a book for the Bodleian Library’s collections.

Hakluyt Society Essay Prize

The Hakluyt Society awards an annual monetary prize for the best essay written by a student registered in a HE institution (university or equivalent), or anyone who has been awarded a graduate degree within three years. Candidates wishing to submit for the prize should write an essay based on original research in any discipline in the humanities or social sciences, “and on any aspect of the history of travel, exploration and cultural encounter or their effects.” Winners of the essay prize receive a monetary award and are invited to present a paper on the topic at the Hakluyt Society Symposium and receive a one-year membership with the society.

Historical Thesaurus Undergraduate Prizes

Historical Thesaurus awards two annual undergraduate prizes for undergraduate dissertations in the English Language & Linguistics subject area at the University of Glasgow. The monetary prizes are awarded by the Historical Thesaurus Prize Committee to Senior Honours students in English Language & Linguistics.

Gordon Duff Prize

The Gordon Duff Prize is an annual prize open to all members of University of Cambridge. The monetary prize is awarded for the best essay submitted relating to the science or art of books or manuscripts.

King’s Undergraduate Research Fellowships (KURF)

King’s College London (KCL) offers the King’s Undergraduate Research Fellowships to its undergraduates to carry out research alongside academics through its advertised fellowships. Winning recipients are awarded bursaries and the research fellowships are undertaken during the summer, normally for a four weeks duration. Winners of the fellowship are additionally required to produce an academic output for the King’s Experience Research Award.

Pollard Prize

The Institute of Historical Research (IHR), with support of Oxford University Press (OUP), awards the annual Pollard Prize for the best paper presented at the IHR by a postgraduate student or researcher within one year of completing their PhD. Winners receive £500 of OUP books and a fast-track publication of their paper in the IHR journal Historical Research, while runners-up receive £200 of OUP books and publication in Historical Research.

Rose Book-Collecting Prize

The Rose Book-Collecting Prize is open to all University of Cambridge students by building their own book collections. Winners of the monetary prize will also be offered 10 years’ free membership of the Friends of Cambridge University Library.

 

Postgraduate Fellowships, Bursaries, Prizes and Funding Grants

 

Anthony Davis Book Collecting Prize

University College London (UCL) offers a prize to any student studying an undergraduate or postgraduate degree at a London-based university “for a coherent collection of printed/and or manuscript materials.” Winners are provided with a monetary prize and an allowance to purchase a book for the UCL Special Collections in collaboration with its library staff. Additionally, winners of the prize will be offered the opportunity to talk about their collection and to display or exhibit part of their collection within UCL.

Association for Art History Dissertation Prize

The Association for Art History (AAH) awards two annual dissertation prizes for the best dissertation written by an undergraduate student and a postgraduate student (at MA level) in art history or visual culture. The undergraduate and postgraduate winners receive book tokens, AAH student membership for one year, a complimentary ticket to the AAH’s annual conference, as well as publication of an abstract on their dissertations online and in their newsletter. The prizes are formally awarded at the AAH’s annual conference and the deadlines for the undergraduate and postgraduate dissertations are held once a year. Applicants should be aware that the deadlines for the dissertation prizes are not held on the same dates.

Association for Art History Grants

The Association for Art History (AAH) offers financial grants to help provide support for scholarly research into art history and visual culture, develop professional practice in the field, and to further the teaching and learning of art history at all education levels. This includes grants to support the organisation of symposia, conferences and workshops; catalogues and public engagement programmes for exhibitions; teachers’ continuing professional development; formal and informal learning opportunities for students; travel to conduct research at libraries, archives, and collections; delivery of research findings to conferences; access to images held by third-parties; and participation in museum and gallery training programmes. AAH also awards bursaries for doctoral students and early career researchers to attend the Association’s annual conference.

BAVS Events Funding

The British Association for Victorian Studies (BAVS) provides a financial grant to help offset the costs of an academic conference or event related to Victorian Studies. Postgraduate students are especially encouraged to apply for the grant to help with their development and “it is anticipated that two postgraduate-organised/led events will be funded each academic year.”

BAVS Research Funding Grants

The British Association for Victorian Studies (BAVS) offers research funding to help support individual research for postgraduates and early career researchers. Applicants wishing to apply must fill in an application form on the website to write down their eligible costs and activities to be considered for the grants.

BECC-BSECS Postgraduate Fellowship

The Birmingham Eighteenth Century Centre (BECC) and the British Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies (BSECS) offers a monetary fellowship to support a doctoral researcher enrolled at a UK university, or a postdoctoral researcher resident in the UK to visit and use the eighteenth-century resources of the Cadbury Research Library at the University of Birmingham. Applicants are required to submit a project proposal, and successful candidates will be asked to provide a written report on the research visit, write a blogpost for the BECC website, and to return to the University of Birmingham within the academic year to give a presentation about their research, such as an existing event or seminar series.

British Federation of Women Graduates (BFWG) Awards

BFWG provides annual awards to women graduates who are in their third year of doctoral studies or part-time equivalent, which are awarded “on the basis of academic excellence”. Shortlisted candidates will give brief presentations of their research to a panel of academics, and a financial grant is awarded to successful applicants. Women graduate applicants must be registered at a university in England, Wales or Scotland only, and an administration fee is required when submitting the application.

Colin Franklin Prize for Book Collecting

The Centre for the Study of the Book at the Bodleian Library awards an annual prize (open to undergraduate and postgraduate students at the University of Oxford) for a collection of books or other printed materials. Winners will receive a monetary prize, as well as an allowance to purchase a book for the Bodleian Library’s collections.

The Curriers’ Company London History Essay Prize

The Worshipful Company of Curriers, City of London (in association with the Institute of Historical Research (IHR) and The London Journal Trust), awards a monetary prize for the best essay written by a postgraduate student registered at a UK university, and to early careers scholar based in the UK. Essay submissions for the prize must fall within the scope of The London Journal and can be on any aspect of the history of London, from the Roman period to the present day, based on original research and not published elsewhere. Winners of the prize will normally have their essays published in The London Journal.

Eccles Prize

The French Colonial History Society (FCHS) awards the annual Eccles Prize, named after historian W. J. Eccles, to the best paper delivered by a graduate student delivered at the society’s annual meeting. Graduate presenters at the meeting wishing to be considered for the prize are required to submit an electronic copy of their paper to the editor of French Colonial History immediately following the annual meeting.

The Estella Canziani Post-Graduate Bursary for Research

The Folklore Society holds an annual bursary competition to any postgraduate (registered on a part-time or full-time research programme leading to a PhD or equivalent degree), to help towards purchasing materials or equipment, travel and maintenance costs towards researching an aspect of folklore studies.

Pamela Cox Public History Prize

The Social History Society (SHS) awards the Pamela Cox Public History Prize to a postgraduate student or early career researcher “who can demonstrate excellence in taking their research beyond the academy”, and which enhances public understanding of social and cultural history. Though there are no restrictions on the format of the activities undertaken, the activity must “demonstrate excellence and initiative on behalf of the nominee.” This includes work with museums and heritage organisations, creation of online resources, media appearances, arts based projects, organisation of events designed for non-academic audiences, co-production with community groups, and contributions to public policy. Winners of the prize receive one year’s free membership of the SHS, a full bursary to attend their annual conference, and a showcase of their work on the SHS’s Community Exchange. The prize is open to all postgraduate research students who are currently registered at a UK HEI and early career researchers within one year of their viva voce. Nominations for the prizes can come from individual postgraduates or early career researchers, their supervisors, or any member of the SHS.

Funds for Women Graduates (FfWG) Grants

FfWG (which is independent from the British Federation of Women Graduates), provides Foundation Grants and Emergency Grants to female graduates who are undertaking doctoral studies in Great Britain during their final fee-paying year or writing up year. Any subject or field of study will be eligible for consideration, evidence of ability to pay fees will be required, and part-time PhD students will be eligible to apply from their third year onwards.

German History Society Prize

The German History Society, awards a monetary prize for the best essay written on any aspect of German history, including the history of the German-speaking people both within and beyond Europe. The German History Society Prize is open to any postgraduate student registered for a Master’s degree or a doctorate at a university in the UK or Republic of Ireland with the winner announced at the society’s AGM meeting. All postgraduates who have submitted their dissertation within 12 months of the closing date for the prize are also eligible.

Gordon Duff Prize

The Gordon Duff Prize is an annual prize open to all members of University of Cambridge. The monetary prize is awarded for the best essay submitted relating to the science or art of books or manuscripts.

Gordon Forster Essay Prize

Northern History awards the annual Gordon Forster Essay Prize for the best essay written by a graduate student or early career researcher. Essays submitted for consideration must fits the scope of Northern History journal and focus on the seven northern counties of England on a variety of topics. Winners will receive a monetary prize and their winning essay will be consideration for publication in Northern History’s journal.

Historical Thesaurus Postgraduate Scholarships

Historical Thesaurus offers postgraduate scholarships to pay full Home/EU tuition fees for candidates wishing to study any of the subjects covered by the University of Glasgow’s English Language & Linguistics subject area. The scholarships are not awarded annually, and preference is normally given to projects which focus on Historical Thesaurus. Applicants must be admitted to the College of Arts at the University of Glasgow and are expected to apply for other internships within the college for funding.

IHR Bursaries

The Institute of Historical Research (IHR) annually awards bursaries to enable doctoral students registered at UK universities to undertake research at the IHR. The bursaries are for students who are not registered at London-based universities and who do not live in Greater London. Applicants will be expected to use the IHR library and attend IHR seminars and conferences. Bursaries will normally be for travel, accommodation, and/or research expenses, and the bursaries are not awarded for the first of doctoral research.

IHR Doctoral Fellowships

The Institute of Historical Research (IHR) annually awards doctoral fellowships to enable PhD students to complete a doctorate. The fellowships are provided by two sources: the Royal Historical Society (RHS), which funds the Centenary Fellowship and Marshall Fellowship and open to candidates without regard to nationality or academic affiliation, and the Scouloudi Foundation which offers the equivalent of up to seven half-year fellowships, which are open to all UK citizens or candidates with a degree from a British university. Fellows will also be provided with mentorship from the Director of the IHR and staff from the School of Advanced Study (SAS), University of London.

Michael J. Kennedy Prize

The Ecclesiastical History Society (EHS) awards an annual prize for the best communication given by a postgraduate student in the society’s summer and winter conferences. Winners receive a monetary prize, a publication in Studies in Church History and are invited to provide a post based on their work for the EHS blog. Applicants should note that the prize is not awarded annually.

The Sally Ledger Memorial Travel Bursary

The British Association for Victorian Studies (BAVS) offers a bursary to support a UK postgraduate to travel to the NAVSA annual meeting to deliver a paper relevant to the conference theme. The bursary is designed to help provide postgraduates with professional experience and training.

The Olivette Otele Prize

The History Lab, in association with the Institute of Historical Research (IHR), awards the annual Olivette Otele Prize for Black PhD research students who are based in the UK for the best paper submitted at the History Lab Research Seminar. The prize is named in honour of Professor Olivette Otele for her work on the history of race and slavery and in recognition of her appointment as the first Black female history professor in UK HE Institutions. The aim of the prize “is to address intersectional challenges in academia and to diversify the early career voices in historical research today.” Eligible candidates applying for the prize must be current Black PhD research students registered at a UK HE Institution on any era and topic within the prize’s historical discipline on the history of race and slavery. Applicants should submit an abstract for giving a paper to the History Lab committee during the spring term, with shortlisted candidates invited to submit a full paper by a summer deadline. The winner receives a monetary prize and will present their paper at the History Lab’s Postgraduate conference, while runners-up will receive book prizes.

Postgraduate Paper Prize

The Social History Society (SHS) offers the Postgraduate Paper Prize for the best paper given by a postgraduate student at the society’s annual conference. Winners of the award receive a monetary prize and their paper will be recommended for publication in the SHS’s journal Cultural and Social History. For postgraduates who wish to be considered for the prize, they need to email the full text of their paper to the SHS’s Administrator by certain deadlines before the conference, and postgraduates whose papers have been accepted for the conference are also eligible for the prize.

Postgraduate Poster Prize

The Social History Society (SHS) awards the Postgraduate Poster Prize for the best poster presented at its annual conference by a postgraduate student. The posters are voted on by an open ballot during the conference, with any poster created by a postgraduate student automatically entered for the prize. The posters provide students with the opportunity to share their research findings in a creative way “and provide opportunities for dialogue that are unavailable when presenting a formal paper.”

Rose Book-Collecting Prize

The Rose Book-Collecting Prize is open to all University of Cambridge students by building their own book collections. Winners of the monetary prize will also be offered 10 years’ free membership of the Friends of Cambridge University Library.

Singer Prize

The British Society for the History of Science (BSHS) awards the biennial Singer Prize to the author of an essay which is “outstanding in research, novelty and expression, based on original research into any aspect of the history of science, technology or medicine.” The Singer Prize is awarded to those who have recently entered into the academic profession and is open to students of all nationalities who are registered in a postgraduate degree and to those who have been awarded a postgraduate within five years of the prize’s closing date. Winners will receive a monetary prize and the opportunity to give a lecture based on the essay’s contents at the BSHS’s Annual Conference or other occasion, and the essay will be considered for publication in the British Journal for the History of Science.

Society for Court Studies Essay Prize

The Society for Court Studies awards an annual monetary prize for the most outstanding essay submitted to them written by a postgraduate or early career researcher (within six years of PhD award) on any topic related to court studies. The winning essay will also be considered for publication in the society’s journal The Court Historian.

Veale-Straschnov Award for Doctoral Historical Research for Mature Students

The Institute of Historical Research (IHR) offers this award to mature doctoral students (aged 25 years and over) who seek to start a research doctoral degree at the IHR. The Veale-Statschnov Awards are intended to cover the fees of mature students, which will be made for the initial year of study in the first instance, but will be extended to cover three years of full-time academic fees or six-years of part-time fees. The electors of the award will take into account the applicant’s academic background, financial circumstances, and awards will be based on the strength of applicant’s project.

William Shorrock Travel Award

The French Colonial History Society (FCHS) offers the William Shorrock Travel Award to help graduate students defray the costs to present research papers at the FCHS’s annual meeting. When submitting their completed paper or panel proposals for the annual meeting, graduate students wishing to be considered for the award will need to provide the programme committee at the FCHS an estimated budget of travel expenses and a brief statement formally applying for the award.

 

Early Career Researchers Fellowships, Bursaries, Prizes and Grants

 

Addison Wheeler Fellowships

The Institute of Advanced Study, Durham University awards the Addison Wheeler Fellowships to early career researchers to pursue research projects of their own design for three-years away from teaching and administrative responsibilities. The Fellows are supported by mentors based at the university, specialist training, and the Fellowships have no restrictions based on residency or nationality.

AHRC Early Career Research Grants 

The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) provides grants to help support collaborative research projects, with its aim “to help new researchers at the start of their careers gain experience of managing and leading research projects.” Applicants must include a principal investigator and at least one co-investigator jointly involved in the development and management of the project, and the scheme is open to early career researchers within eight years of receiving their PhD or equivalent professional training and within six years of their first academic appointment.

Alexander Prize

The Royal Historical Society (RHS) awards the annual Alexander Prize to the best essay or article published in a journal or edited collection of essays written by a doctoral candidate or to those recently awarded their doctorate. Winners receive a monetary prize and are invited to submit another paper to the Literary Directors within nine months of their award with a view to publication in Transactions of the Royal Historical Society.

Association for Art History Grants

The Association for Art History (AAH) offers financial grants to help provide support for scholarly research into art history and visual culture, develop professional practice in the field, and to further the teaching and learning of art history at all education levels. This includes grants to support the organisation of symposia, conferences and workshops; catalogues and public engagement programmes for exhibitions; teachers’ continuing professional development; formal and informal learning opportunities for students; travel to conduct research at libraries, archives, and collections; delivery of research findings to conferences; access to images held by third-parties; and participation in museum and gallery training programmes. AAH also awards bursaries for doctoral students and early career researchers to attend the Association’s annual conference.

BAVS Research Funding Grants

The British Association for Victorian Studies (BAVS) offers research funding to help support individual research for postgraduates and early career researchers. Applicants wishing to apply must fill in an application form on the website to write down their eligible costs and activities to be considered for the grants.

British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowships

The British Academy (BA) Postdoctoral Fellowships scheme provides funding for early career researchers within three years of completing their PhD to cover the costs of a 36 month fellowship at the Fellow’s chosen host institution. The scheme is competitive and goes through a two-stage process, and applicants are required to discuss their research proposals and application with their proposed institution at the early stages of the process. British citizens and members of the European Economic Area (EEA) are eligible, as well as scholars of any nationality who completed a PhD at a UK university.

British School at Rome Early Career Fellowships and Awards

The British School at Rome (BSR) offers Early Career Fellowships and Awards to early career scholars in the humanities and social sciences to carry out research at the British School at Rome in Italy. Recipients are provided with accommodation and with a monthly stipend during the tenure of their fellowships, which vary from three months to nine months in length. Applicants wishing to apply for the fellowship must be within three years of the award of their doctorate to submit an application, as well as be a British citizen or awarded their doctorate at a UK university.

Brotherton Short-Term Post-Doctoral Fellowships

Leeds Art and Humanities Research Institute, in collaboration with the University of Leeds Special Collections, offers one-month fellowships for early career researchers to use the Special Collections in the Brotherton Library. Successful applicants will also be given the opportunity to develop their ability to make applications for other externally funded post-doctoral positions, which would have to be held at University of Leeds. Fellows are provided with living and travel expenses and they must have passed their PhD by the deadline and awarded within a certain time limit.

Caird Research Fellowships

The Greenwich Maritime Museum, London, offers fellowships to scholars at postgraduate and equivalent level to support research projects which look at different aspects of maritime history, including patronage, migration history, art history, material culture, conservation, gender history and literature. Successful applicants are awarded fellowships for between three and twelve months in total, and they are provided with a monthly stipend with the fellowships. Fellows are also required to attend conferences and symposia on behalf of the Museum, as well as participate in its academic and public engagement programmes during the tenure of their fellowship.

Pamela Cox Public History Prize

The Social History Society (SHS) awards the Pamela Cox Public History Prize to a postgraduate student or early career researcher “who can demonstrate excellence in taking their research beyond the academy”, and which enhances public understanding of social and cultural history. Though there are no restrictions on the format of the activities undertaken, the activity must “demonstrate excellence and initiative on behalf of the nominee.” This includes work with museums and heritage organisations, creation of online resources, media appearances, arts based projects, organisation of events designed for non-academic audiences, co-production with community groups, and contributions to public policy. Winners of the prize receive one year’s free membership of the SHS, a full bursary to attend their annual conference, and a showcase of their work on the SHS’s Community Exchange. The prize is open to all postgraduate research students who are currently registered at a UK HEI and early career researchers within one year of their viva voce. Nominations for the prizes can come from individual postgraduates or early career researchers, their supervisors, or any member of the SHS.

The Curriers’ Company London History Essay Prize

The Worshipful Company of Curriers, City of London (in association with the Institute of Historical Research (IHR) and The London Journal Trust), awards a monetary prize for the best essay written by a postgraduate student registered at a UK university, and to early careers scholar based in the UK. Essay submissions for the prize must fall within the scope of The London Journal and can be on any aspect of the history of London, from the Roman period to the present day, based on original research and not published elsewhere. Winners of the prize will normally have their essays published in The London Journal.

Durham Priory Library Recreated (DPLR) Post-Doctoral Fellowships

The Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies (IMEMS), Durham University offers  DPLR Fellowships which enables scholars to conduct research for up to three months on any aspect of the collections of Durham Priory Library. The Fellows are supervised by another academic under one of the programme’s core themes: History of the Book; Community Living: Liturgy, Rules and Well-Being; Scholastic Learning and Philosophical Enquiry; Science, Knowledge and the Natural World; and Digital Recreations.

Ecclesiastical History Society Book Prize

The Ecclesiastical History Society (EHS) awards an annual monetary prize for the best first monograph on the history of Christianity published during the previous calendar year. The book prize is primarily aimed at early career researchers and must be the author’s first monograph and be based on original and scholarly academic research. Publishers are invited to nominate the books as authors cannot submit their work themselves for consideration.

Ecclesiastical History Society President’s Prize

The Ecclesiastical History Society (EHS) awards the President’s Prize for the best communication given by an early career scholar in the society’s summer and winter conferences. Winners receive a monetary prize and a publication in Studies in Church History and are invited to provide a post based on their work for the EHS blog. Applicants should note that the prize is not awarded annually.

Economic History Society Fellowships

The Economic History Society, in conjunction with the Institute of Historical Research (IHR), annually awards up to four one-year postdoctoral fellowships in economic and/or social history, which is tenable at the IHR. The fellowship is awarded to postdoctoral applicants who have recently completed a doctoral degree in economic and/or social history or who have submitted their thesis for examination by the date of taking up the fellowship. The fellowships are open to applicants who are British citizens and/or holders of a degree from a British university. Fellows will also be provided with mentorship from the Director of the IHR and staff from the School of Advanced Study (SAS), University of London.

IASH Fellowships

The Institute of Advanced Studies in the Humanities (IASH), University of Edinburgh offers a variety of junior, research and library fellowships to postdoctoral scholars (within five years of being awarded doctorate), who propose projects in any area of the arts, humanities, and social sciences, to examine material in the Special Collections held at the university. The Fellowships vary from three to ten months, and the different schemes provide several benefits including a bursary, travel allowances, and dedicated office space.

IMEMS Durham UNESCO World Heritage Site Fellowships

The Institute for Medieval and Early Modern Studies (IMEMS), Durham University provides Postdoctoral Visiting Fellowships for up to three months to study at Durham’s UNESCO World Heritage Site “and its significance in any aspect of its tangible and intangible heritage.”

The IJMH Early-Career Paper Prize

The International Journal of Military History (IJMH) awards a prize to an academic article of outstanding quality in the field of international military history written by a graduate student or an early-career scholar, which has been published within the calendar year, either in print or as an advance article online. The author of the winning article is officially announced in the journal and on the journal’s website, and the winners receive a monetary prize.

In line with IJMH’s general guidelines, submissions should be an original contribution to the field of military history that is of interest to an international readership, e.g., a topic involving more than one nation and, preferably, based on multi-archival research.

John Rylands Library Early Career Research Fellowships

The John Rylands Research Institute (JRRI) at the University of Manchester offers the opportunity for early career researchers within two years of their doctoral award the opportunity to work on an application for externally funded postdoctoral fellowships to conduct a future research project using the Rylands Library Special Collections. The fellowship is intended to enable early career scholars to identify areas of particular research they wish to pursue, and successful candidates are expected to produce an application for a postdoctoral fellowship which focuses on the library’s holdings in its Special Collections. Successful candidates will receive a monetary stipend for a maximum of three months to cover travel, accommodation, and expenses for the duration of their fellowship.

Leverhulme Early Career Fellowships

The Leverhulme Trust awards early career fellowships to help early career scholars “with a research record but who have not yet held a full-time permanent academic post, to undertake a significant piece of publishable work.” The fellowships can be held at universities or at other Higher Education institutions in the UK, and are usually tenable for three years on a full-time basis, although “the Trust will support requests to hold the award part-time over a proportionately longer period for health related reasons, disability or childcare commitments.” The fellowships are competitive and applicants are required to discuss their research proposals and application with their proposed institution at the early stages of the process.

Lisa Jardine Grant Scheme

The Lisa Jardine Grant Scheme is awarded by the Royal Society to offer early career scholars (within ten years of being awarded their doctorates) the opportunity to carry out research in history of science collections, and to support research in the field of intellectual history. The Grant Scheme is open to UK and international scholars. A monthly stipend is provided to successful applicants for a maximum of three months, as well as travel and living expenses while visiting the Royal Society collections, or other nearby scholarly collections. Special consideration is given to topics that interested the late Lisa Jardine, especially seventeenth-century studies, and applicants must hold permanent or fixed term contracts for the duration of their award.

Midland History Annual Essay Prize

The Midland History Journal awards an annual monetary prize for the best essay submitted to the journal on an historical subject relating to midland England. The competition is limited to candidates who have not published a book or an article to a major journal at the time of submission.

Oxford Art Journal Essay Prize for Early Career Researchers

The Oxford Art Journal awards an annual prize to the best essay written by an early career researcher (within five years of gaining their PhD), on any topic related to art history between 6,000 to 10,000 words in length. The prize winner will have their winning essay published in Oxford Art Journal, receive £500 worth of Oxford University Press books, and a year’s free subscription to Oxford Art Journal. Other entries deemed of sufficient quality may also be invited to publish their submission in the journal.

Past & Present Fellowships

The Past & Present Society and the Institute of Historical Research (IHR) annually awards up to three two-year postdoctoral fellowships in history, tenable at the IHR on social history. Preference is given to “applicants who demonstrate a broad interest in processes of social, economic, political and cultural change, as manifested in their field of study,” and which could be published in Past & Present Journal and its book series, which is published by Oxford University Press. The fellowships are open to applicants who are British citizens and/or holders of a degree from a British university. Fellows will also be provided with mentorship from the Director of the IHR and staff from the School of Advanced Study (SAS), University of London.

Paul E. Lovejoy Prize

Brill publishing house in Leiden, the Netherlands, and the Journal of Global Slavery, offer an annual monetary prize “for excellence and originality in a major work (defined as a monograph or feature documentary) on any theme related to global slavery.” Submissions for the prize must be in English (or for documentaries subtitled in English) and should be accompanied by a cover letter.

Pearsall Fellowship in Naval and Maritime History

The Institute of Historical Research (IHR) annually awards the monetary Pearsall Fellowship to early career scholars to work on any aspect of naval or maritime history. The fellowship is for 12 months and is open to doctoral students of all nationalities who have submitted their doctoral thesis for examination or by the date of taking up the fellowship, and to those who have recently received their doctorates. Fellows will also be provided with mentorship from the Director of the IHR and staff from the School of Advanced Study (SAS), University of London.

Scouloudi Historical Awards: Publication Awards

The Institute of Historical Research (IHR) offers the Scouloudi Publication Award to help applicants subsidise a portion of the cost of publishing a scholarly book, article, or an issue of a learned journal in the field of history, in either hard copy or electronic publication. Individual awards range from between £100 and £1,000 maximum, with awards normally paid when publication is well-advanced at final proof stage, which is then paid to the publisher.

Scouloudi Historical Awards: Research Awards

The Institute of Historical Research (IHR) awards the Scouloudi Research Award to pay for research, and other expenses, to be incurred in the completion of advanced historical work, which the applicant intends to publish. The award lists restrictions on the types of expenses that cannot be claimed for, but which can be applied for in their separate publication award. Individual awards range from between £100 and £1,000, and applicants must be either graduates of a UK university with an honours or postgraduate degree in history, or be British citizens with a similar qualification outside of the UK.

Singer Prize

The British Society for the History of Science (BSHS) awards the biennial Singer Prize to the author of an essay which is “outstanding in research, novelty and expression, based on original research into any aspect of the history of science, technology or medicine.” The Singer Prize is awarded to those who have recently entered into the academic profession and is open to students of all nationalities who are registered in a postgraduate degree and to those who have been awarded a postgraduate within five years of the prize’s closing date. Winners will receive a monetary prize and the opportunity to give a lecture based on the essay’s contents at the BSHS’s Annual Conference or other occasion, and the essay will be considered for publication in the British Journal for the History of Science.

Society for Court Studies Essay Prize

The Society for Court Studies awards an annual monetary prize for the most outstanding essay submitted to them written by a postgraduate or early career researcher (within six years of PhD award) on any topic related to court studies. The winning essay will also be considered for publication in the society’s journal The Court Historian.

Society for Court Studies Research and Publication Bursaries

The Society for Court Studies offers bi-annual research and publication bursaries to support postgraduate and early career researchers (within six years of PhD award) to carry out research on any aspect of court studies. The bursaries will support researchers for photograph permissions, to visit archives, and to attend conferences.

Society for Renaissance Studies Postdoctoral Fellowships

The Society for Renaissance Studies (SRS) awards two annual one-year postdoctoral fellowships to British and Irish graduates who propose research on any aspects of Renaissance studies. The fellowships are monetary and are awarded to graduates within five years of being awarded their doctorates. Successful recipients are unable to hold the fellowship in conjunction with other postdoctoral awards, fellowships, or jobs that constitute 0.5 of a full-time post.

Tunnock Prize

The Tunnock Prize, awarded through the Scottish Records Association (SRA) and sponsored by Thomas Tunnock Limited, is an annual essay prize competition open to postgraduates and early career researchers on an written essay which focuses on the use and interpretation of Scottish archives both within Scotland and further afield. The winner receives a monetary prize and the essay will be considered for publication in Scottish Archives journal, subject to peer review.

 

Mid-Career and Senior Fellowships and Prizes

 

AHRC Research, Development and Engagement Fellowships

The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) provides fellowships to allow mid-career and established career researchers “to carry out high-quality research in any area covered by the Arts and Humanities Research Council”. Applicants who are postdoctoral researchers with at least two years’ experience and have worked at least one year at an eligible organisation are also able to apply, and must have the support of your host organisation throughout the fellowship.

Balsdon Fellowship

The British School at Rome (BSR) offers the Balsdon Fellowships to senior scholars in the humanities and social sciences to study at the British School at Rome (BSR) in Italy for three months. Successful recipients are provided with accommodation and with a stipend during the tenure of their fellowship. The fellowship is open to senior scholars who are normally in a post at a UK university, British or Commonwealth citizens, and applicants must have studied at a Higher Education Institution in the UK.

British Academy Mid-Career Fellowships

The British Academy (BA) Mid-Career Fellowships scheme enables successful applicants to obtain time freed from teaching and administrative commitments to complete a major piece of research, and which promotes public engagement and understanding of the humanities and social sciences. A Mid-Career Fellowship is awarded to those normally within fifteen years’ award of their doctorate, and is eligible to those who are employed at a UK university or other UK institutions of Higher Education.

Hugh Last Fellowship

The British School at Rome (BSR) offers the three-month Hugh Last Fellowship, which provides the opportunity for senior scholars to carry out research on classical antiquity (excluding archaeological fieldwork and work on Roman Britain), at the British School at Rome (BSR) in Italy. Successful recipients are provided with accommodation and with a stipend during the tenure of their fellowship. The fellowship is open to senior scholars who are normally in a post at a UK university, British or Commonwealth citizens, and applicants must have studied at a Higher Education Institution in the UK.

Leverhulme Research Fellowships

The Leverhulme Trust awards research fellowships to enable experienced researchers to complete a programme of original research. The fellowships are tenable for between three and twenty-four months and applicants must hold a post in a UK institution of Higher Education, or in a museum, art gallery or comparable institution that will extend beyond the duration of the fellowship.

Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) Visiting Professorships

The Georgian Papers Programme, King’s College London offers SAR Visiting Professorships for senior scholars who study the Atlantic world in the long-eighteenth century. Expressions of interest are opened to academics of international standing drawn from any relevant discipline.

SHS Book Prize

The Social History Society (SHS) awards its Book Prize in recognition of innovative scholarship in the field of social and cultural history. The Book Prize is given to the author whose book is judged to be the best original work of historical research that has been been published in the preceding calendar year. To be considered for the prize, the book must be nominated by the publisher, be written in English by a scholar normally resident in the UK, and must be at least the author’s second history book.

 

Fellowships, Bursaries, Prizes and Grants open to all career levels

 

Association for Art History Grants

The Association for Art History (AAH) offers financial grants to help provide support for scholarly research into art history and visual culture, develop professional practice in the field, and to further the teaching and learning of art history at all education levels. This includes grants to support the organisation of symposia, conferences and workshops; catalogues and public engagement programmes for exhibitions; teachers’ continuing professional development; formal and informal learning opportunities for students; travel to conduct research at libraries, archives, and collections; delivery of research findings to conferences; access to images held by third-parties; and participation in museum and gallery training programmes. AAH also awards bursaries for doctoral students and early career researchers to attend the Association’s annual conference.

Bodleian Library Visiting Fellowships

The Centre for the Study of the Book, Bodleian Libaries, University of Oxford offers various library fellowships to scholars to carry out research at its libraries, especially within its Special Collections. The fellowships vary from one month to six months in length and include the Humfrey Wanley Fellowships, Sassoon Visiting Fellowships, Sassoon Visiting Fellowships in South Asian and Black History, Bahari Visiting Fellowships in the Persian Arts of the Book, Byrne-Bussey Marconi Fellowships, the David Walker Memorial Fellowships in Early Modern History, the Albi Rosenthal Visiting Fellowship in Music, as well as collaborative fellowships with the Renaissance Society of America (RSA), the British Society of Eighteenth-Century Studies (BSECS) and the Georgian Group.

Mary Alice and Philip Boucher Prize

The French Colonial History Society (FCHS) awards the annual Boucher Book Prize, named after long-time supporters Mary Alice and Philip Boucher, to the best volume published within the preceding year which deals with French colonial experience from the sixteenth-century to 1815. The prize is open to books in any academic discipline which deals with this topic from a historical perspective.

British Catholic History Best Article Prize

The British Catholic History Journal awards a monetary prize for the “most outstanding article” published in the journal in each calendar year on any aspect of the history of British Catholicism from the fifteenth-century to present day.

British Records Association: Janette Harley Prize

The British Records Association (BRA) awards the annual Janette Harley Prize for the best/most original piece of work published in a monograph, journal, magazine, or blog post within three years of the date of prize which has promoted “the preservation, understanding, accessibility or study of archives”. The successful winner will receive a monetary prize and the opportunity to contribute an article to BRA’s academic journal Archives.

British Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies Fellowship

The British Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies Fellowship, supported by the Georgian Papers Programme, King’s College London, provides a fellowship for successful applicants to carry out research in the Georgian papers held at the Royal Archives, Windsor Castle. The fellowship provides financial assistance towards travel costs, accommodation, research costs, and subsistence, and is open to researchers at any stage of their academic career, including PhD students. Applicants must be members of the British Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies (BSEC) or any other International Society of Eighteenth-Century Studies (ISECS) affiliate society at the time of submitting their application.

BSHS Hughes Prize

The British Society for the History of Science (BSHS) awards the biennial Hughes Prize (formerly known as Dingle Prize, now named in memory of the late Jeff Hughes) to the best book written in the history of science in English which is accessible to a wide audience of non-specialists. The winning entry “should present some aspect of the field in an engaging or comprehensive manner and should also show proper regard for historical methods and the results of historical research.” The winner of the Hughes Prize receives a monetary prize and is offered the opportunity by the BSHS to give a public lecture or presentation on the subject of their book.

BSHS Pickstone Prize

The British Society for the History of Science (BSHS) awards the biennial Pickstone Prize to the best scholarly book written in the history of science in English, named after the late Professor John Pickstone. The Pickstone Prize “aims to recognize pioneering works that advance the scholarly understanding and interpretation of the scientific past. Single-authored and co-authored books are eligible, though not edited collections, and the author/s of the winning book may be asked to give a lecture based on the book at the BSHS Annual Conference or other occasion.

Durham Residential Research Library (DRRL) Fellowships

The Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies (IMEMS), Durham University, offers DRRL Fellowships, which enables successful applicants to study and research at Durham University’s historic collections and archives, including Durham Cathedral, Ushaw College, Palace Green Library, and the Oriental Museum for one to three months.

English Catholic History Association Research Grants

The English Catholic History Association (ECHA) provides research grants to students and researchers to help defray costs incurred in the pursuit of their research in the study of English and Welsh Catholic history. The grants are awarded to researchers who are researching Catholic history in England and Wales “to advance the education of the public in English Catholic history”, which includes research towards a publication pursuit of an academic qualification.  Applicants must be members of the ECHA, or applying for membership, to submit a grant application.

Gladstone’s Library Bursaries

Gladstone’s Library in Hawarden, Flintshire, offers bursaries to researchers and scholars interested in consulting material for their academic research project at its residential library. The bursaries offer a subsidised rate to stay and use the library as a resident, which includes accommodation and breakfast. Researchers wishing to apply must provide an outline of their research project and purposes to visit the library as well as the names and addresses of two academic referees.

Gladstone’s Library Scholarship

Gladstone’s Library in Hawarden, Flintshire, offers a scholarship for researchers and scholars interested in consulting material at its residential library, which is the “only Prime Ministerial library” in the country. The scholarships are available for up to a maximum of one week to help defray the costs of visiting and staying at the residential library, including accommodation and breakfast. Applications will be considered based on the library’s core subject areas (theology and religious studies; history, politics and current affairs; and Classical nineteenth century and contemporary literary culture) and research subjects of interest to the benefactors of the scholarship.

Hakluyt Society Research Grant

The Hakluyt Society provides a research grant to scholars to carry out research on projects which “meet and promote the objects of the Hakluyt Society”. Applicants must be a member of the Hakluyt Society at the time of the application.

The Alf Andrew Heggoy Book Prize

The French Colonial History Society (FCHS) awards the annual Heggoy Book Prize, named after founding member Alf Andrew Heggoy, to the best volume published within the preceding year which deals with French colonial experience from 1815 to the present day. The prize is open to books in any academic discipline which deals with this topic from a historical perspective.

Joint BME Events and Activities Small Grants

The Social History Society (SHS), in partnership with the Economic History Society, History UK, History of Education Society (UK), History Workshop Journal, Royal Historical Society (RHS), Society for the Study of Labour History (SSLH) and Women’s History Network, offer a joint scheme designed to support BME history in the UK.  The joint scheme provides small grants to help support activities and events run by BME historians who are working in the UK or to support events and activities which explore the histories of BME people. The grants are open at all levels, including professional historians working in universities, museums, libraries and galleries; independent scholars; students; and retired staff. Applicants should be members (or willing to become members) of one of the societies who are in partnership with the scheme, or if they are employed in a permanent post in a university history department, for their department to be a subscriber (or willing to become a subscriber) to History UK. Financial grants are also available to help support workshops, conferences, symposia and research, as well as other public history activities as part of the scheme.

King’s College London Mount Vernon Fellowship

The King’s College London Mount Vernon Fellowship provides researchers, employed at King’s College London or a current PhD student there, with the opportunity to study, research, and write in the Washington Library at Mount Vernon, Virginia for a period of one month, and for exceptional cases, two months. The fellowship will support the travel and living expenses of the successful recipients, and the recipients will reside in the Washington Library’s scholars’ residence at Mount Vernon for the duration of the fellowship.

King’s College London Royal Archives Summer Fellowship

King’s College London, in conjunction with the Georgian Papers Programme, provides two annual bursaries to support applicants who wish to carry out original research at the Royal Archives, Windsor Castle for up to a month. Applications are open to scholars in any field, and they also welcome applications which focus on digital humanities approaches to the material.

Munby Fellowship

The Munby Fellowship enables successful applicants to conduct bibliographical research based on the collections held in the libraries of Cambridge University. The Fellowship is not restricted by research subject, and the projects can focus on manuscript or printed material in any language.

Omohundro Institute Fellowships

The Omohundro Institute of Early American History & Culture provides fellowship opportunities for up to eight scholars a year (who are UK or US citizens), to carry out research on transatlantic and early American topics in the Georgian Papers held at the Royal Archives, Windsor Castle. The fellowships are a month long, with a stipend and financial support for travel provided, and successful applicants are provided with collegial exchange from the relevant departments and faculty at King’s College London.

Paul Mellon Centre Rome Fellowship

The Paul Mellon Centre provides a funded three months’ Rome fellowship for researchers to conduct research in British-Italian art-historical topics in any period, from the medieval period to the present day. The fellowship, based at the British School at Rome (BSR), is open to researchers, scholars, curators and GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums) professionals at all levels, although applicants must have been awarded their doctorate by the closing date of applications. For full-time university employees, successful recipients will be provided funding during their fellowship, as well as financial cover towards teaching replacement at the Fellow’s home institution.

Renaissance Studies Article Prize

The Society for Renaissance Studies (SRS) awards an annual prize to the best article published in Renaissance Studies Journal. All articles published within the calendar year are eligible for consideration of the prize.

The Sir Julian Corbett Prize in Modern Naval History

The Academic Trust Funds Committee awards an annual monetary prize to recognise original research in the field of history, upon the recommendation of the Institute of Historical Research (IHR). The Sir Julian Corbett Prize is open to all researchers in modern naval history (from end of fifth-century AD to the present day), and without regard of nationality or academic affiliation, though no prize will be awarded to work which is already published or which has received this prize or any other prize.

Society for Renaissance Studies Biennial Book Prize

The Society for Renaissance Studies (SRS) Book Prize is awarded biennially on a book written in English on any aspect of Renaissance history, c. 1300-1650. The prize is only eligible to those who are members of the SRS prior to submission in the competition.

Slater Fellowship

The Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies (IMEMS), Durham University, offers the Slater Fellowship, which provides successful post holders with free board and accommodation for one academic term, as well as travel expenses, to carry out academic work, participate in college life, and deliver a public lecture or seminar that is organised jointly with the Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies (IMEMS).

Solway Fellowship

The Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies (IMEMS), Durham University, offers the Solway Fellowship to candidates wishing to study any aspect of the history of Christianity between c. 400 and c. 1800 for 12 months of research.

 

Public Engagement and Digital History

 

Association for Art History Grants

The Association for Art History (AAH) offers financial grants to help provide support for scholarly research into art history and visual culture, develop professional practice in the field, and to further the teaching and learning of art history at all education levels. This includes grants to support the organisation of symposia, conferences and workshops; catalogues and public engagement programmes for exhibitions; teachers’ continuing professional development; formal and informal learning opportunities for students; travel to conduct research at libraries, archives, and collections; delivery of research findings to conferences; access to images held by third-parties; and participation in museum and gallery training programmes. AAH also awards bursaries for doctoral students and early career researchers to attend the Association’s annual conference.

BAVS Events Funding

The British Association for Victorian Studies (BAVS) provides a financial grant to help offset the costs of an academic conference or event related to Victorian Studies. Postgraduate students are especially encouraged to apply for the grant to help with their development and “it is anticipated that two postgraduate-organised/led events will be funded each academic year.”

BAVS Public Engagement Funding

The British Association for Victorian Studies (BAVS) offers public engagement funding to help offset the costs of public engagement activities. The funding is available to members at all stages of career.

BSHS Ayrton Prize

The British Society for the History of Science (BSHS) awards a biennial prize to the most outstanding web projects and digital engagement in the history of science, technology and medicine. Eligible projects for consideration of the Ayrton Prize include smartphone apps, virtual reality environments, podcasts, video and audio projects, publicly accessible websites, digital tools and social media initiatives.

BSHS Exhibiting Excellence Prize

The British Society for the History of Science (BSHS) awards a biennial prize recognising ‘excellence in public exhibitions that address topics in the history of science, history of technology or history of medicine.’ The Great Exhibition Prize is divided into two categories, one for large exhibitions and the other for small exhibitions, for which the winner in the latter category is awarded a monetary prize. The prize is open to entries from institutions in any country and permanent and temporary exhibits are eligible.

Pamela Cox Public History Prize

The Social History Society (SHS) awards the Pamela Cox Public History Prize to a postgraduate student or early career researcher “who can demonstrate excellence in taking their research beyond the academy”, and which enhances public understanding of social and cultural history. Though there are no restrictions on the format of the activities undertaken, the activity must “demonstrate excellence and initiative on behalf of the nominee.” This includes work with museums and heritage organisations, creation of online resources, media appearances, arts based projects, organisation of events designed for non-academic audiences, co-production with community groups, and contributions to public policy. Winners of the prize receive one year’s free membership of the SHS, a full bursary to attend their annual conference, and a showcase of their work on the SHS’s Community Exchange. The prize is open to all postgraduate research students who are currently registered at a UK HEI and early career researchers within one year of their viva voce. Nominations for the prizes can come from individual postgraduates or early career researchers, their supervisors, or any member of the SHS.

SHS Events and Activities Grants

The Social History Society (SHS) provides grants to help fund conferences, workshops and other specialist meetings which are run by members of the Society. The SHS gives priority to activities “that would otherwise remain unfunded and that will lead to further dissemination” which could lead to publication in their journal Cultural and Social History, or their book series, or to provide sessions at their annual conference. The SHS holds two deadlines per year for applicants wishing to apply for the grants, with applicants clearly stating what the grant will be used for, with acknowledgement of the Society’s support in any publicity, meeting materials, or resulting publications.

Society for Renaissance Studies Museums and Galleries Research Award

The Society for Renaissance Studies (SRS) awards an annual bursary for scholars wishing to develop advanced research into the history of art and related disciplines within and outside their country of residence during the period of the Renaissance (c. 1300-1700). The Museums and Galleries Research Award are offered to provide financial assistance to undertake original research which will inform a publication, exhibition, or display. Applicants can apply for travel, accommodation, and subsistence expenses, photographic reproduction rights, and other related expenses.

Society for Renaissance Studies Public Engagement Scheme

The Society for Renaissance Studies (SRS) provides an annual funding scheme for public engagement activities related to Renaissance studies that communicates research to a wide public audience that does not consist primarily of academics. Applicants are open to all members of the SRS, including full-time academics and early career researchers.

 

 

International Fellowships

 

Boston College Fellowships

The Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies at Boston College, Massachusetts, offers in-residence fellowships to enable scholars to carry out research, to write, and to complete academic works for publication which are related to the Society of Jesus. Applicants can apply for semester-long and year-long fellowships, with Fellows receiving a stipend and are offered housing to stay in while in residence at the college, as well as office space and access to the collections at the University’s libraries.

Brill Fellowship

Brill publishing house in Leiden, the Netherlands, offers the Brill Fellowship (in conjunction with the Scaliger Institute), to fund accommodation for up to two scholars to carry out research in the Special Collections library at the University of Leiden within one of the two publishing areas of Brill in the Humanities. Brill Fellows are expected to contribute to the activities of the Scaliger Institute and to give a public lecture, which can lead to a potential publication of the lecture by Brill, in co-operation with the institute.

Clark Library Fellowships

The Center for 17th and 18th Century Studies at the William Clark Memorial Library, University of California, Los Angeles, offers graduate and postdoctoral fellowships for domestic and international researchers to explore their humanities collections. This includes research projects Tudor and Stuart materials, early modern social history, reading and book ownership, early modern music, print and visual culture. Fellowships vary from a month’s residency to a year, and successful applicants are provided with a stipend during their fellowship.

Edward Worth Library Research Fellowship

The Edward Worth Library in Dublin annually awards two research fellowships for scholars wishing to carry out research relevant to its collection holdings. The Worth Library’s collection holds 4,300 books that was left to Dr Steevens’ Hospital by eighteenth century Dublin physician Edward Worth. The main topics in the collections include early modern medicine, early modern history of medicine, and the history of the book.

Folger Shakespeare Library Fellowships

The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington D.C. offers short-term and long-term fellowships for domestic and international scholars to consult their manuscript and printed materials from the early modern period until the present day on topics subjects including literature, Shakespeare, religion, politics, drama, and material culture. Successful applicants are offered residential accommodation and are provided a stipend during their fellowships.

Harry Ransom Center Fellowships

The Harry Ransom Center in Austin, Texas, offers one to three months residential fellowships for domestic and international scholars to research in all areas of the humanities within their collections, including literature, photography, film, art, performing arts, music, and cultural history. Fellows are provided with travel stipends and dissertation fellowships, while international fellows are given additional funds to go towards visa and travel costs.

HCAS Core Fellowship

The Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies (HCAS), University of Helsinki, Finland, offers the HCAS Core Fellowship to researchers in the humanities, social sciences, theology, law, and behavioural sciences for up to three years to carry out research free from administrative duties and reduced teaching responsibilities. The fellowship is open to domestic and international scholars at all career levels (with relocation assistance provided for international scholars), and research and travel allowances on top of the salaried position. Successful applicants are expected to be physically present at the University of Helsinki for 80% of the time during the fellowship period, as well as to participate in its fellowship seminars and presentations.

Herzog August Bibliothek Library Scholarships

The Herzog August Bibliothek (HAB) offers short-term library scholarships for researchers at doctorate and emeritus level to undertake research in their collections in Wolfenbüttel, Lower Saxony, Germany. Scholarships are between one month and three months in length, and a monthly stipend is provided for the duration of the fellowships, as well as a travel allowance to help offset costs. Longer term fellowships are offered to post-doctoral scholars (within six years of submission of doctorate) to study in the library for six to ten months, with travel costs, as well as child supplements offered to recipients. “Van Runset Voltaire Scholarships” are offered to senior scholars who have specialised into the long 18th century, with a special focus on the French Enlightenment and France, which can be held for a maximum of three months, with a stipend and travel costs provided, though residence is required throughout the duration of the fellowship.

Houghton Library Visiting Fellowships

The Houghton Library, Harvard University, Boston, awards the Houghton Library Visiting Fellowships to academics at all stages of their careers to pursue research on the library’s holdings and to participate in the academic community at Harvard. Fellows are provided a stipend and are expected to be in residence for at least four weeks within the fellowship year.

Huntington Library Fellowships

The Huntington Library in Pasadena, California, awards over a hundred fellowships annually to humanities scholars to research in all areas of the humanities within its library and art collections, including American history, British history, medieval manuscripts, photography, history of science, literature, and architecture. Applicants can apply for short-term and long-term fellowships, which vary between a month and a year in length, and fellows are provided with a stipend during their fellowships.

Klassik-Stiftung Weimar Fellowships

The Klassik-Stiftung Weimar in Germany offers research grants and fellowships to research scholars and scientists to use their collections at the Klassik-Stiftung Weimar (particularly the Goethe and Schiller Archive, the Duchess Anna Amalia Library and the museums) for research projects related to European cultural history from the early modern period to the present day. The fellowships include the Klassik-Stiftung Weimar Awards for graduate, post-doctoral researchers, and habliitated scientists to use their collections for up to six months; the Pogswisch House Bursaries to allow scientists of all disciplines to reside in Pogswisch House for up to two months; and the Shakespeare Scholarship for doctoral candidates who need to carry out their research projects in order to complete their doctoral dissertations. Successful recipients are provided with stipends during their fellowships, and are provided with assistance for accommodation during their residences.

Lisa Jardine Fellowship

The Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIAS-KNAW), Amsterdam, awards the Lisa Jardine Fellowship to any female early career researchers (within five years of being awarded their PhD) and based at a UK university to pursue research on Anglo-Dutch cultural studies related to history, especially topics which bridges both arts and sciences. The Fellowships are non-stipendiary, although they will be given a short period of residence at the NIAS-KNAW for two to six weeks, subsidised accommodation, and access to computer facilities and a fully-equipped office. Fellows will be expected to give a public lecture on their research and to be willing to be a future ambassador for the fellowship.

Maddock Research Fellowships

Marsh’s Library in Dublin awards short-term library fellowships to come and research in their library. The fellowships are between one week and one month in length and are open to scholars at any stage of their career. The library also welcomes applicants with specialist language skills or technical knowledge who wish “to conduct preliminary research for a public exhibition” based on their holdings. A stipend is provided in the duration of the fellowship, and a written report is required on their progress upon completion of the fellowship.

Dr Bríd McGrath Fellowship for Independent Scholars

The Dr Bríd McGrath Fellowship provides research fellowships for up to one month to enable independent scholars, early career researchers, and adjunct or part-time teachers to carry out research in the collections at Marsh’s Library and the Edward Worth Library, both in Dublin. Research proposals are to be based on materials dated, or related to, the period before 1800, and a stipend is provided to successful applicants. Additionally, applications are especially welcome from those wishing to work on Irish language material.

Newberry Library Fellowships

The Newberry Library in Chicago offers short-term and long-term fellowships for researchers from across the world to consult their manuscript and printed materials from the medieval period until modern times. Successful applicants are offered residential accommodation and are provided with a stipend during their fellowships.

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (MSCA) Fellowships 

MSCA offers European and Global Fellowships to researchers who want the opportunity to work and research abroad. The European Fellowships are open to researchers moving within Europe or those coming into Europe from other parts of the world, those who wish to restart their research career after a break, and to help researchers who are returning to Europe find a new position. Global Fellowships help fund positions outside of Europe for researchers based in the EU or associated countries which last for two to three years, though recipients of the award are expected to return back for one year to an organisation based in the EU or associated countries. The Fellowhips are open to anyone with a doctoral degree or at least four-years’ full-time research experience.

 

 

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