The UCI Libraries will offer two $500 research awards, one for a UCI undergraduate and one for a UCI graduate student, to promote original archival research in the UCI Libraries' Special Collections and Archives.
As the intellectual crossroads of the UCI campus, the Libraries inspire UCI's students to discover, create, and share new knowledge. The Libraries collect archives from significant individuals and organizations in order to support the conduct of original research in the humanities and social sciences. These archives contain one-of-a-kind primary sources and are only available in the UCI Libraries Special Collections and Archives.
To apply for the fellowship award, students must submit a completed research paper that is based on extensive archival research in the UCI Libraries Special Collections and Archives' collections. Winning papers will be published online in eScholarship.
Areas of research may include:
- Critical theory (including the papers of Jacques Derrida, Paul de Man, and Richard Rorty)
- Orange County, California (such as on the history of planning and development, women in the public sphere, the LGBT community, and environmental issues)
- Southeast Asian Americans (particularly the refugee and immigrant experience)
- Dance and performing arts (including the papers of Robert Cohen, Donald MacKayle, and Eugene Loring)
- UC Irvine history
- The work of UCI's Nobel Laureates (Frederick Reines and F. Sherwood Rowland)
Winning papers will:
- Use archival sources in the UCI Libraries Special Collections and Archives as the basis of research,
- Show creativity and originality in interpreting and using archival sources,
- Demonstrate an understanding of the context of the archival sources,
- Advance knowledge in their field,
- Include accurate citations, and
- Be well written and organized.
Deadline: By the end of the day on Friday, June 14, 2013. Winners will be announced by Friday, June 21, 2013.
Send your application, including your paper, a statement about your experiences using our archival collections (including a list of collections used) and a short biographical statement, to spcoll@uci.edu.
UC Irvine undergraduate and graduate students of any level are encouraged to apply. We especially encourage undergraduates who are involved in the first-year integrated program or who are writing an honors thesis to participate. Fall quarter is a great time to investigate potential paper topics in Special Collections and Archives, and we are eager to help students plan their archival research projects.
For more information about this award or to get help with doing research in Special Collections and Archives, email us at spcoll@uci.edu, visit our website, or come in to Langson Library Room 525. We encourage you to make an appointment to speak with a librarian in Special Collections and Archives about your archival research proposal.