Want to do original research over the summer and get paid for it? Apply for one of the Sheridan Libraries’ Dean’s Undergraduate Research Awards (DURA). The awards are designed to stimulate and support undergraduate research in the humanities and social sciences that draw on primary source materials (rare books, manuscripts, and university archives) from the Sheridan Libraries.
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These collections span 5,000 years of rare and unique objects from ancient cuneiform tablets and Egyptian papyri fragments; to illuminated medieval and Renaissance manuscripts; to early printed books; to print materials of the Industrial Revolution; to nineteenth-, twentieth-, and twenty-first century literary and historical archives and book arts of the modern era. The University Archives, which preserve the papers of many of the influential scholars associated with JHU, also offer interesting material for new research.
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The awards support research conducted over the summer months, and are meant to be used as cost-of-living stipends for awardees for the duration of their research. Awards range from $1,250 for a four-week research period, up to a maximum of $3,750 for a 12-week period; levels may vary. Any additional research expenses must be drawn from the total amount of the student award, though some costs such as digitization may be possible without charge. Students typically live in Baltimore for the summer months, and use the Libraries’ collections for intensive research; a minimum of 25 hours per week of work with the designated research materials is required.
Applicants must identify a faculty mentor and are strongly encouraged to work also with a curator in the library, who can help applicants identify materials for research, formulate project proposals, and conduct research. Research outcomes might take the form of a traditional research essay, a digital exhibition, a video, or something else entirely.
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The fellowships are restricted to freshman, sophomore, and junior applicants; seniors graduating in 2017 are not eligible. Applications are due February 24. Please find more information and a link to the application form at http://krieger.jhu.edu/dura/
Please contact Gabrielle Dean, William Kurrelmeyer Curator of Rare Books & Manuscripts, at gnodean@jhu.edu if you have questions about the fellowship or how to apply, or need help identifying materials that would offer suitable material for a research project.