University of Illinois at Chicago Library Special Collections Short-Term Fellowships

The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Library is offering Short-Term Travel Fellowships to further research using the holdings of Special Collections and University Archives.

Special Collections at the Richard J. Daley Library houses manuscripts, rare books, photographs, and artifacts on the social, political, and cultural history of Chicago. The Library of the Health Sciences-Chicago Special Collections documents the city’s rich history as a center for the education and practice of the medical arts. Premier collections include the papers of Richard J. Daley, the Chicago Urban League, the Century of Progress, exemplars of 21st century design, and the Chicago settlement house movement.

An interdisciplinary committee will review the applications, and selections will be announced in early May 2018.  Up to three Fellowships will be awarded.

Award cycle

The UIC academic year begins August 16 and ends August 15. For this awards cycle, projects may begin any time after acceptance in May 2018 and end by August 15, 2019.

Eligibility

The award is open to individual researchers, teachers, and writers of any nationality, in any academic discipline. Preference is given to applicants who plan to use UIC political manuscript collections. Applicants must live outside of the Chicago metropolitan area and more than 100 miles from the UIC campus. Past UIC Special Collections fellows are eligible.

Award

$4,000, paid in one installment when the Fellow’s travel itinerary is finalized.

Reporting requirements

Fellows are required to submit a midterm report and final report. Fellows may be invited to give a presentation on their research.

Applications

A completed application consists of the following components:

• A cover letter that includes a title and description of your research project and preferred dates of the Fellowship, June 2018 – August 15, 2019.
• Statement of purpose (300-500 words): Explain the nature of your project and the sources you expect to use in the UIC Library’s Special Collections and University Archives.
• Proposed outcome of research, such as a paper, chapter, course, etc. (100 to 200 words): Briefly explain how this fellowship will aid in the completion of your project.
• Curriculum vitae.
• Letter of recommendation evaluating your proposed project. (The letter may be sent separately, but in your application please include the name, email address, and affiliation of the person who will be writing the recommendation.)