Grant-in-Aid Awards

About the award

The Immigration History Research Center Archives at the University of Minnesota Libraries invites applications for the Grant-in-Aid Award. This award will prioritize applicants who identify as people of color, as well as those who identify as members of groups historically marginalized in academia and archives. This call for applications is open to all, through September 1, 2022.

The Immigration History Research Center Archives (IHRCA) offers Grant-in-Aid (GIA) Awards to support a visit to Andersen Library in order to conduct research in the IHRCA collections. Awards are available through co-sponsorship by the Immigration History Research Center and the IHRCA through the ethnic and general funds. The award is for travel and research-related expenses.

This award is open to researchers of all disciplines, backgrounds, and levels of training, and is intended to support a research visit of 5 days. Awards are for $2,000.00, and four such awards are given each year. Grant-in-Aid Awards are intended to help support the expenses of people who are based outside of the Minneapolis-St. Paul (Minnesota, USA) metro area, and to be used within 12 months.

Awards are made on a competitive basis, and for research specific to the IHRCA’s collections.

The Immigration History Research Center Archives collaborates with campus partner Immigration History Research Center (IHRC), and is an internationally-known archives focused on im/migration to the United States with strengths in material dating from the late 19th century to current refugee migrations. Key areas include European and Near Eastern immigrants (1880-1930) and 20th-century refugees, such as Displaced Persons after World War II and more recent Southeast Asian, African, and more. The IHRCA provides access to immigrant and refugee assistance organization records, ethnic identity and fraternal organization records, personal papers, and print collections of periodicals and rare books. The IHRCA is part of Archives and Special Collections of the University of Minnesota Libraries.

Also awarded through this competition cycle is the Michael G. Karni Scholarship. Funded by the IHRC, this award supports visiting scholar/s utilizing the Immigration History Research Center Archives, with preference on projects using the Finnish American collections, or the Baltic American collections. Please refer to the Karni Scholarship webpage for complete details.

Back to top

Details, availability, and terms

Prior to submitting a GIA application, consult the IHRCA website to learn about collections, AND consult with staff via ihrca@umn.edu to confirm material availability and discuss relevance to proposed projects; pertinent IHRCA material are a required element of the application.

Researchers receiving an IHRCA Grant-in-Aid Award will be expected to:

• be in residence for 5 working days or more
• acknowledge the IHRCA and receipt of the award in any resulting presentations and publications
• donate a copy of resulting print publications
• and allow publicity regarding the visit, unless privacy is requested
• A photo, brief biography, and project description for promotional purposes will be required upon acceptance of the award, unless privacy is requested.

The award is open to international applicants. We are not able to provide visa assistance to our international awardees.

Please note that the award is payable in US funds only; funds are distributed post-visit, based upon receipts provided. The Archives is not able to provide travel or accommodation recommendations; all such arrangements are to be made by the award recipient.

Back to top

Who may apply

Those who live outside the Minneapolis - St. Paul (Minnesota, USA) metro area and who wish to make use of the IHRCA collections.

Back to top

Selection criteria

Applicants who choose to identify as a person of color, or as a member of a group historically and presently marginalized in academia and archival research, will receive priority in consideration. Following that, selection will be based upon demonstrated connection between the research project and specific collections at the IHRCA, and reading language proficiency of the languages found in the identified collections (consult archivist for details on source languages).

Back to top

Application materials

• Completed IHRCA consultation (see above)
• Application letter of 1-2 pages. Letter should include the following:
  • Description of research project including goals, framework and preliminary thesis
  • Specific IHRCA collections to be consulted (if collection is more than a few boxes, series and/or box numbers should be included)
  • Estimated dates of residency
  • Estimated budget
• Current curriculum vitae (CV), résumé, portfolio, or similar

Applications must be received by September 1, 2022 to ihrca@umn.edu, Attn: Grant-in-Aid Committee OR received at the IHRCA office via postal mail by September 1, 2022 (mail to postal address: IHRCA Grant-in-Aid Committee, Immigration History Research Center Archives, University of Minnesota, 311 Andersen Library, 222 - 21st Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA).

Back to top