Rubenstein Library Grants & Fellowships

Important Dates

  • Deadline: Saturday, April 30, 2022 at 6:00 pm EST.

  • Grants will be awarded for travel during June 2022-June 2023.
  • Apply now.

2022-2023 Travel Grant Cycle Information

The Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library provides travel grants of up to $1500 for researchers whose work would benefit from access to the following collections:

Other Grant Opportunities:

Timeline

  • Deadline for applications will be Saturday, April 30, 2022 at 6:00 pm EST.
  • Grants will be awarded for travel during June 2022-June 2023.
  • An information session was held on Wednesday, March 23rd.  During the information session, travel grant coordinators gave an overview of the program, including application requirements and tips for creating a successful application.  Presentation slides are available here and a recording of the information session is available here.  
  • Preview application.
  • Submit application. 

Eligibility

  • Anyone who wishes to use materials from the designated collections for research may apply, including, but not limited to students at any level of education; faculty members; visual and performing artists; writers; filmmakers; public historians; and independent researchers.
  • All applicants must be over the age of 18; reside beyond a 100-mile radius of Durham, N.C.; and may not be current Duke students or employees.

Application Materials

  • In addition to contact information, the application requires:
    • A Project Proposal (up to 4 pages total) consisting of a narrative description of your project (500 words) and an annotated list of materials you with to use (up to 3 pages).
    • Other Supporting Documentation in the form of a 1-2 page resume, CV, artists' statement, or other supporting documentation that lists or summarizes your relevant experience, education, accomplishments, or work. 
  • We recommend using the Word document version to draft your application and proposal.  You will be asked to upload separate PDFs with your Proposal and 2 page support document (CV, resume, or artists' statement).
  • Letters of reference or recommendation are no longer required.
  • Download a Word document version of the full application for full details.

Potential Projects

Rubenstein Library Research Travel Grants support projects that present creative approaches, including historical research and documentation projects resulting in dissertations, theses publications, exhibitions, educational initiatives, documentary films, or other multimedia products and artistic works. The research topic and collections identified for research must be appropriate to the individual Centers offering travel grants (see Center travel grant pages for details).

Evaluation Criteria 

Applications will be evaluated on how well they meet the following requirements: The majority of the collections identified in the proposal are unique to the Center(s) of application; Research focus clearly matches the Center grant subject(s) focus; Application demonstrates reasonable expectations for budgeting, length of stay, amount of materials to be used, and consultation with RL staff; Research project should render a tangible outcome which contributes to expanding cultural and/or intellectual bodies of knowledge.

Expenses and Reimbursement

Our Research Travel Grants are offered as reimbursement based on receipt documentation after completion of the research visit(s). Grant money may be used for: transportation expenses (including air, train or bus ticket charges; car rental; mileage using a personal vehicle; parking fees); accommodations; meals; and child care. The recipient will receive a check by mail after submission of original receipts and other required documentation. International visitors are responsible for obtaining the appropriate visa for their research travel.