Does the Rubenstein Library provide funding for research trips?

Duke University’s Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library provides travel grants of up to $1,500 for researchers whose work would benefit from access to the collections held at Duke. Currently, travel grants are available for the following research centers and collections:

• Sallie Bingham Center for Women's History and Culture (Mary Lily Research Grants)
• John Hope Franklin Research Center for African and African American History and Culture
• John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing History
• History of Medicine
• Human Rights Archive
• Harry H. Harkins T’73 Travel Grants for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History
• Photographic Research Grants Co-Sponsored by the Archive of Documentary Arts (New for 2019!)
• Jewish Studies and the Hebrew Bible Research Fellowships (The Jewish Studies Fellowship has a separate application process and is administered by Rachel Ariel, Librarian for Judaica/Hebraica, with support from the Center for Jewish Studies)

Who is eligible?

• Anyone who wishes to use materials from the designated collections for historical research may apply, regardless of academic status.
• Visual and performing artists, writers, and filmmakers are encouraged to apply for the research travel grants.
• All applicants must reside beyond a 100-mile radius of Durham, N.C., and may not be current Duke students or employees.

What projects are supported?

Research Travel Grants 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. 

What expenses does the grant cover?

Grant money may be used for the following:

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

Expenses will be reimbursed once the grant recipient has completed the research visit(s) and has submitted original receipts.

How do I apply?

Research topics should be strongly supported by the collections of the research center. We encourage each prospective grant applicant to discuss the research project and the collections that might support it with each Center's reference archivist before submitting an application.

• Complete the online application form, which includes uploading a CV. (You may start the form and return to it later, but it must be completed within a week from the same computer and browser.)
• A sample application form is available as a Word document and PDF for reference purposes only. This version of the form is available so you can use it to save and edit your application before copying and pasting responses into the online form.
• Graduate students must ask a faculty advisor to write them a letter of recommendation. We will not consider an application complete until we receive the recommendation. Advisors may submit a letter of recommendation as an e-mail attachment to Sierra Moore.

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