Research Fellowships & Travel Grants
The Robert & Elizabeth Dole Archives & Special Collections is the official repository for the personal papers of former U.S. Senators Bob and Elizabeth Dole. In addition to significant national and international events, the collections provide a window into the inner workings of congressional leadership, the U.S. government, and policy development in wide-ranging areas like disability rights, agriculture, nutrition, veterans, U.S. foreign policy, and transportation safety.
Established in 2010, these funding programs intend to foster archival research in the Dole Archives. All scholars are encouraged to apply. Historians, political scientists, biographers, journalists, and scholars of American studies or public administration are among those who may be interested.
Support for Research Fellowships and travel grants is generously provided by the Friends of the Dole Institute.
Research Fellowship
The Research Fellowship is one $3,000 award given annually to support substantial research projects requiring the use of the Dole Archives.
The deadline for 2024 Research Fellowship applications is June 3, 2024. Applicants will be notified by July 3, 2024.
Travel Grant
Multiple travel grants are awarded each year to reimburse costs up to $1,000 for researchers traveling to use the Dole Archives.
Applications are considered on a rolling basis until funds are exhausted. Applying by June 3 is recommended for 2024-25 funding cycle.
Funding is still available for 2023-24. Travel must be completed by June 30, 2024.
Applications
Complete applications for the Research Fellowship or a travel grant include:
- Letter of interest including your name, contact information, project title, and which funding opportunity you want to be considered for (can be considered for both)
- Research proposal not to exceed five pages describing your topic, its significance to the current body of research in your discipline, how the Dole Archives will support your research, and possible project outcomes
- Preliminary list of specific boxes and folders within the Dole Archives that you would like to consult
- Example: Robert J. Dole Senate Papers – Legislative Relations, Boxes 480-484
- Example: Robert J. Dole Campaign Papers, Box 246, Folder 3: Farm Bill Press Release, February 6, 1996
- Example: Elizabeth Hanford Dole U.S. Secretary of Transportation Papers; Series 1: Administrative; Sub-Series 2: Schedules, 1983-1987; Boxes 6-10
- Budget proposal
- Resume or CV
- Letter of reference (can be sent separately)
Applications should be submitted to Senior Archivist and Head of Collections Sarah Gard at sdgard@ku.edu.
Applicants are highly encouraged to discuss their topics with Ms. Gard prior to applying.
Requirements
In return for accepting support, both Fellowship and travel grant recipients will be asked to:
- Conduct research in person at the Dole Archives. The Research Fellow must be in residence for at least one week.
- Participate in an informal program about their research with students, donors, staff, and other interested parties while in residence
- Write a short blog post about experience using the Dole Archives within six months of visit for publication by the Dole Institute
- Acknowledge support of the Dole Institute in any work resulting from research grant funding
- Donate copies to the Dole Institute of any projects produced through research grant funding