Elmer L. Andersen research scholars program
The Elmer L. Andersen Research Scholars Program supports scholarly research projects using materials from the Libraries' rare and special collections.
Program description
Named for former governor and University of Minnesota regent Elmer L. Andersen, the program honors the Governor's passion for collecting and for expanding the use of the collections. The Research Scholars program is available for scholars including faculty, graduate, post-graduate, and independent researchers using the collections in the department of Archives and Special Collections. The program is not available to currently enrolled University of Minnesota graduate or undergraduate students or University of Minnesota faculty.
The program will provide support for research projects that require use of one or more of the collections. Awards range from $500 to $2,000 and provide funds for travel, housing, and other research related costs. The final research product (e.g. journal article, documentary film) must acknowledge the Libraries' support and be deposited with the University Libraries.
What nobler purpose can there be for a University than to gather up the prizes of a culture -- preserve them, propagate them, make them available so that the best of what has gone before can be preserved and built on.
Application requirements
Application should include the following:
- Cover letter that provides a detailed project description, placing the project in the context of its larger field of study and describing the anticipated result of the project (e.g. journal article, book, edited volume, etc.). The narrative should articulate the anticipated use of the University Libraries collections with reference to specific collections to be used and their relevance to the project.
- The applicant's curriculum vitae
- Two letters of recommendation
- A budget with estimates of related costs
About the collections
The University of Minnesota Libraries Archives and Special Collections contain diverse holdings from clay tablets to documentation of the history of information technology, from children's literature to University records, from the literary and performing arts to gay and lesbian culture. Complete description of the collecting areas can be found on our main ASC page.
Deadlines and submission
- Application deadline: September 29, 2023
- Award announcement: November 10, 2023
- Research must be completed by: December 29, 2024
Send application to:
Kris Kiesling, Director of Archives and Special Collections -- kiesling@umn.edu