Special Collections Research Stipends

Short-term Research Stipends

The Special Collections Libraries and its research centers provide travel grants of up to $1,000 for researchers whose work would benefit from access to the collections held at the Libraries. Currently, travel grants are available for the following areas:

  • Hargrett Library Signature Research Stipend

    Encouraging research in the primary collecting areas documented at the Hargrett Library including, but not limited to, Colonial Georgia and Revolutionary War, the Native American experience, the Civil War and Reconstruction in Georgia, private press and fine printing, Georgia music culture, and University history.

  • Russell Library Signature Research Stipend

    Encouraging research in the primary collecting areas documented in the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies. Collections document subjects including, but not limited to, campaigns and elections; public infrastructure and economic development; land use and environmental issues; social relations (race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, disability, class, and incarceration) and civil rights; foreign policy and international trade; military affairs and national defense; and political journalism.

  • James W. Woodruff, Sr. Center for Natural History

    Established in honor of James W. Woodruff, Sr. (1879-1963), best known as the Father of the Chattahoochee, to support scholarly research on natural history in the areas of geography, geology, meteorology, botany, zoology, ecology, and archaeology.

  • Stephen E. Draper Center and Archives for the Study of Water Law and Policy

    The Center encourages scholarship focused on the history, development, and management of rivers, aquifers, and wetlands of the State of Georgia and the southeast.

  • Lucy Hargrett Draper Center and Archives for the Study of the Rights of Women

    The Center supports scholarship related to the history of women and gender, especially regarding protest movements, gender equality, and legal equity.

  • Freddy Wittop Center for the Study of Performing Arts

    Established to honor the work and lifetime achievements of internationally acclaimed costume designer, Freddy Wittop (1911-2001), the Center supports scholarship in the performing arts including costume and set design, theater, film, music, dance, and circus arts.

  • George Horace Lorimer Center for Print Media

    Named in honor of George Horace Lorimer (1868-1937), who served as editor of The Saturday Evening Post, the Center supports scholarship in print media, journalism, and photojournalism.

  • Georgia Writers Hall of Fame

    Encouraging research in the collections documenting Georgia writers including Georgiana Collection featuring works by and about Georgians and the papers of journalists, poets, novelists, and non-fiction authors.

  • John Wharton Lowe, III Research Stipend

    Supports research in American, Southern American or Multicultural (Ethnic) American Literatures defined as United States American South (18th-21st centuries), including circum-Caribbean literature, or literature that emerges out of the involvement of Mexico, Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, Barbados and the regions around the Caribbean Sea such as Panama and Belize in transatlantic slavery, the United States slave trade, and/or United States colonialism.  This stipend also shall support research in 18th-21st century African American (including Gullah), Native American, Asian American (including South Asian and Pacific Islander), American immigrant, and Latinx written and/or oral literatures, defined as Multicultural American Literatures or Ethnic American Literatures.

    Eligibility

  • United States citizens and permanent residents with the legal right to work in the U.S. who are engaged in graduate-level, post-doctoral, academic faculty, or independent research may apply.  
  • Independent researchers include writers, historians, creative and performing artists, filmmakers, curators, librarians, and journalists.
  • All applicants must reside beyond a 100-mile radius of Athens, GA and may not be current University of Georgia students or employees.
  • Applicants are welcome to apply each year.  However, if awarded a stipend a period of 3 years must elapse before reapplying.

  • We particularly welcome applications from scholars from underrepresented groups in academia.

    Types of Projects

    Short-term Research Stipends support projects that present creative approaches, including historical research and documentation projects resulting in dissertations, publications, exhibitions, educational initiatives, documentary films, or other multimedia products and artistic works.  The research topic must be appropriate to the individual Centers offering travel grants.

    Application Process

    Research topics should be strongly supported by the collections of the research center.  We encourage each prospective grant applicant to discuss their research project and the collections that might support it with the Library research staff before submitting an application.  The application package includes:

  • Cover letter with contact information, including full name, mailing and physical address, telephone and email.
  • Project Proposal (may not exceed 2 pages), outlining the area of research, list of Library resources that support the research, budget, and expected product of research.
  • Resume or Curriculum Vita

Please send application package to sclib@uga.edu or mail to 300 South Hull Street, Special Collections Libraries, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602.  Applications are due by October 1st for stipend requests for the subsequent calendar year.

Stipend Award

Use of the stipend may be for the following:

  • transportation expenses (including air, train or bus ticket charges; car rental; mileage using a personal vehicle; parking fees)
  • accommodations
  • meals

Reimbursement of expenses occur once the recipient has completed their research visit and has submitted original receipts.