Funding Opportunities 

Emerging Archival Scholars Program (top)

About the Program

Program Committee Members:

Kelvin White, Ph.D. (Chair), Assistant Professor
School of Library and Information Studies, University of Oklahoma

Denise Anthony, Ph.D., Clinical Assistant Professor
Library and Information Science, University of Denver

Amy Greer, Ph.D. Student
Simmons College

Dalena Hunter, Ph.D. Student
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

The Archival Education and Research Institute (AERI) is pleased to announce a recruitment and outreach scholarship program to encourage minority students at the undergraduate and graduate levels to consider undertaking doctoral education focusing in Archival Studies, a multidisciplinary field that examines the social, cultural, political, and technological imperatives and professional practices of record keeping and remembering in society. The program, which is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, is designed to introduce students to the nature of doctoral education and the rewards and demands of a research-oriented career, e.g., as a professor, in the archives field. Our goal is to stimulate and begin to nurture the growth of a new and more diverse generation of scholars who are versed in interdisciplinary research that addresses issues in Archival Studies, broadly conceived.

Up to six Emerging Archival Scholars will be selected and awarded a scholarship that will cover round-trip travel, accommodation, and most meals to attend the annual weeklong Archival Education and Research Institute, attended by faculty and doctoral students from the U.S. and around the globe. The next Institute, AERI 2012, will be held at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) from 9-13 July 2012. 

During the Institute, each scholarship recipient will be assigned both a faculty researcher and a Ph.D. student mentor who will help Scholars navigate the Institute and the intellectual and social environments. In addition to mentors, scholarship recipients will participate in a workshop discussing application processes and expectations for Ph.D. programs in the U.S. and internationally as well as the nature and scope of future possible careers. They will also participate with other AERI attendees in workshops, seminars, and field trips. For Scholars who indicate an interest in pursuing a Ph.D. in this field after attending AERI, mentors will be selected for them to work with on a continuing basis and they will be alerted to other possible opportunities, such as bridge programs, additional scholarships and research opportunities that might be available through AERI or at different academic institutions. 

Scholars may also be selected or volunteer for fuller immersion into the research process and be assigned (with their agreement) to a research team that will involve the student in a supervised research project that will last no longer than a year. In this case, participants may be invited and funded to present their research results in a poster session at AERI in 2013.

Eligibility

American citizens and lawful permanent residents are eligible including, but not limited to, persons who are African American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian/Pacific Islander, Native American, or Puerto Rican, as well as other individuals who will add diversity to the field of Archival Studies. 

Applications will be considered only from undergraduate students who have completed their junior year, and students who have completed their first year of a Master’s degree program, but have not received a Master’s degree by the time AERI 2012 begins. Applicants must have a grade point average of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) and be successfully moving toward an academic major in any field.


Application Process

Students interested in applying for one of the available scholarships must provide the information below: 

• A resume (no more than 2 pages) 
• A completed application form (.doc) 
• A personal statement (no more than 2 pages, single-space) that addresses all of the following questions 

1) What research interests might you like to pursue in graduate school, and why? 
2) What research or scholarly experience do you have in your field? 
3) How do you plan to use the degree that you are currently seeking? 

• Official transcripts of all academic courses completed a your current academic institution at the time of application 
• Two letters of recommendation from faculty members familiar with the student's work 

Completed applications are due no later than March 1, 2012. Awards will be announced by March 30, 2012. Resumes, application forms, personal statements, and letters of recommendation should be submitted electronically to kwhite [at] ou.edu Official transcripts should be postmarked by March 1, 2012 and mailed to 

Dr. Kelvin White
School of Library and Information Studies
University of Oklahoma
401 W. Brooks, Bizzell Library, Room 120
Norman, OK 73019-6032

AERI Scholarships for Doctoral Students and Un-tenured Ladder Faculty to Attend the 2012 Institute (top)

For each summer institute, 20 doctoral scholarships will be awarded. Each scholarship will cover all travel, accommodation, and living expenses incurred while attending an institute.

In order to be eligible to apply for the scholarship, you must be a doctoral student or an un-tenured ladder faculty attending a U.S. college or university. Students and faculty attending a school outside of the United States are not eligible to apply for the scholarship, but are still welcome and encouraged to apply to attend the Institute.

Interested applicants must provide a full curriculum vitae and a personal statement in addition to the completed application form. Guidelines for this statement may be found in the application form located on the AERI website.

 

2009-2010 Doctoral Fellowships in Archival Studies (top)

About the Fellowship

Doctoral Fellowships were available through a new eight-campus initiative for individuals interested in pursuing careers as educators and scholars in the field of Archival Studies and who entered a doctoral program in Fall 2011.  The Archival Education and Research Fellowships aimed to strengthen doctoral-level education in Archival Studies, build the cohort of archival educators and increase its diversity, and promote a broad base of rigorous archival scholarship.

Before applying for the Fellowship, applicants were encouraged to review the scope of the eight participating programs and to apply only to those that best matched their personal intellectual interests. Information about the participating institutions and their specializations in Archival Studies, including links to their program's homepage, can be found here.

Eligibility

Applications are no longer being accepted.  The Doctoral Fellowships were open to all citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. who exhibited interest in the field of Archival Studies, broadly defined, and evidenced the ability to excel as a scholar and educator in the field. Applications were particularly encouraged from individuals who are of American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino or Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander heritage.

Applicants did not need a master's degree in an Archival Studies, LIS or other field, unless it was required by any of the participating programs to which they are applying. However, applications were ranked based on evidence of the applicant's commitment to Archival Studies education, potential to make a strong scholarly contribution to the field of Archival Studies, and commitment to diversity within Archival Studies education and scholarship.