LSU Libraries Special Collections Research Grant

Overview

Image of Hill Memorial Library

The LSU Libraries is offering research grants to support the work of researchers who use the rich holdings of the LSU Libraries Special Collections. The purpose of the grant is to support either: 

  • 1) a researcher’s travel and lodging costs associated with a research trip to Baton Rouge, LA; or, 
  • 2) the cost of digitizing select materials for researchers who do not need to travel to Baton Rouge. 

Graduate level, post-doctoral, faculty, and independent researchers who live outside the Baton Rouge area are encouraged to apply.

Application Process

We invite you to apply here

Application requirements include:

  • Cover letter (600-900 words) that provides a brief but detailed project description that places the project in the context of its larger field of study and describes the anticipated result of the project (e.g. journal article, book, edited volume, dissertation, etc.). The narrative should articulate the anticipated use of the LSU Libraries collections with reference to specific collections and their relevance to the project.

  • A proposal budget with cost estimates

  • The applicant’s curriculum vita or resume

  • One letter of recommendation (required for graduate student applicants, optional for all other applicants)

Apply Now!

Important Dates

  • Application deadline: April 30, 2023
  • Award announcement: early June 2023
  • Expected research completion date: July 1, 2023 - June 1, 2024

Email special@lsu.edu with any questions about the research travel grants. Please send a citation of published research upon completion to special@lsu.edu.

2022 Awardee Announcement

2021 Awardee Announcement

2020 Awardee Announcement

2019 Awardee Announcement

2018 Awardee Announcement

2017 Awardee Announcement

About LSU Libraries Special Collections

The LSU Libraries Special Collections is celebrated for its extensive holdings on the history of Louisiana and the Lower Mississippi Valley, documented through manuscripts, books, newspapers, maps, and ephemera. The American Civil War also has been one of the library’s traditional strengths, including collections specializing in Lincoln studies, Civil War fiction, and young people’s literature. A natural history collection rich in botanical and ornithological illustration, a rare book collection strong in the history of books and printing, and various personal libraries on subjects ranging from Sherlock Holmes to classic comic books all make the LSU Libraries Special Collections a destination for scholars researching broad subjects in American and European history and life.