Monthly Archives: January 2012

What are the Mary Lily Research Grants?

The Sallie Bingham Center provides travel grants of up to $1000 for researchers whose work would benefit from access to the women’s history collections held at Duke’s David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library. The grants are named in honor of Mary Lily Kenan Flagler Bingham.

The John Hope Franklin Research Center for African and African American History and Culture and the John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising, and Marketing History also participate in the travel grant program. Please see the main travel grant page for more information

Who is eligible?

Any faculty member, graduate or undergraduate student, or independent scholar with a research project requiring the use of materials held by the Sallie Bingham Center is eligible to apply. All applicants must reside outside of a 100-mile radius of Durham, NC.

Research topics should be strongly supported by the collections of the Sallie Bingham Center. We encourage each prospective grant applicant to discuss his or her research project and the Rubenstein Library collections that might support it with our reference archivist before submitting an application. (Submit an inquiry via our online form.)

What research topics are appropriate?

The Sallie Bingham Center documents the public and private lives of women through a wide variety of published and unpublished sources. Collections of personal papers, family papers, and organizational records complement print sources such as books and periodicals. Particular strengths of the Sallie Bingham Center’s collections are the history of feminist activism and theory, prescriptive literature, girls’ literature, artist’s books by women, lay and ordained church women, gender expression, women’s sexuality, and the history and culture of women in the South. More detailed information about our collections can be found on the Collections Overview page or through our Subject Guides. All of our materials are included in the Duke Libraries online catalog.

What expenses does the grant cover?

• Transportation expenses, including air, train, or bus ticket charges; car rental; mileage using a personal vehicle; and parking fees
• Accommodations
• Meals
• Photocopying and reproduction expenses

Expenses will be reimbursed once the grant recipient has completed his or her research visit(s) and has submitted original receipts to the Rubenstein Library.

How do I apply?

1. Download and complete an application form (Word document; 58 KB) are review the application instructions carefully.
2. E-mail completed application and C.V. as attachments to cwhc (at) duke.edu.
3. Graduate and undergraduate students must submit a letter of recommendation from a faculty advisor. The application packet will not be considered complete until this letter is received. The letter may be submitted as e-mail attachment to the e-mail address above or by postal mail to:

Research Grant Program
Attn: Kelly Wooten
David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library
Box 90185
Duke University
Durham, NC 27708-0185
USA

What dates do I need to remember?

• Deadline for applications: January 31, 2012 by 5:00 PM EST
• Announcement of grant recipients: by March 31, 2012
• Grants must be used between April 1, 2012 and June 30, 2013.
• The Rubenstein Library will be closed from December 17, 2012-January 1, 2013, so plan your travel accordingly. Other holiday closings and regular hours are posted online.