Honors Thesis Research Grants | Study Abroad Grants | Scholarships, Grants & Prizes
GRANTS FOR UNDERGRADUATE HISTORY HONORS THESIS RESEARCH
The History Department announces grants to support research for undergraduate honors theses in History.
The History Department invites applications from honors History majors who intend to prepare senior honors theses in order to graduate with Special Distinction in History. These grants are intended to cover expenses related to research conducted for the senior thesis, such as travel to archives and libraries in the United States or abroad; housing and maintenance during such travel; acquisition of books, CDs, photocopies, microfilms, and other research materials; study of a foreign language pertinent to the research; and hiring of translators or interpreters.
Rationale
Nationwide, today’s university honors undergraduates, regardless of major, express a strong desire to conduct original, independent research. This exercise not only helps them to gain an enhanced appreciation of and hands-on experience in the disciplines in which they are majoring; it also fosters the self-motivation, problem-solving skills, and ability to synthesize information and draw logical conclusions that will serve them well in later life, regardless of what lines of work they pursue. With all this in mind, the History Department has launched a new initiative to support the research endeavors of its honors majors. In 2009-10, History Department faculty voted to allocate a total of $10,000 annually for the support of senior honors thesis research.
The History Department intends to award a number of grants by competitive application. The grants will vary in amount according to the needs of individual students. They are intended to cover the major costs associated with primary research. They may, for example, enable students to travel to archives and libraries located at some distance from Columbus, whether within the United States or abroad, or to acquire essential research materials, notably books, CDs containing images of documents and manuscripts, and photocopies. They may also enable students to study foreign languages that they will use in their research, to hire translators to help them interpret foreign-language sources, or to hire interpreters to aid them in conducting interviews with subjects in foreign countries.
The History Department will consider applications from students in any geographical, chronological, or thematic subfield of the historical discipline. Our overriding criteria in selecting grant recipients will be the quality of the applicant’s research project, the feasibility of the research proposed, and the appropriateness of the activities and materials for which funding is requested.
Anticipated outcomes
The History Department anticipates making between two and ten awards, with individual awards ranging from a minimum of $750 to a maximum of $5,000 each. Amounts requested may vary widely depending on the needs of particular research projects. Projects requiring visits to research collections abroad, for example, will almost certainly require larger outlays of funds than projects that can be researched entirely in Columbus or even within the U.S. The department expects to fine-tune the maximum funding request allowed according to the requests it receives in the first year of competition. For the foreseeable future, however, we would like to make at least two awards, avoiding a single award of $10,000. This attitude corresponds to the goal of encouraging as many honors History majors as possible to undertake ambitious research agendas.
Ultimately, we hope that the History Department’s support of honors thesis research will encourage more honors students to major in History. This initiative will also help our honors majors to acquire critical primary research experience that will undoubtedly prove advantageous when they apply to graduate and professional programs and enter the job market.
Eligibility
(1) All Ohio State undergraduate honors History majors at the Columbus campus and all regional campuses are
eligible to apply.
(2) The student must be enrolled in the Honors Program and must have declared a History major.
(3) The student must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5 and a GPA in History courses of at least 3.5.
(4) The student must have arranged with a History Department faculty member to undertake a specific
research project.
(5) Funds must be used during the 2012-13 academic year (June 2012-August 2013).
(6) Undergraduates may not use scholarship funds in countries under a current U.S. Department of State Travel
Warning unless the specific program venue has been approved by Ohio State’s Study Abroad Health and
Safety Committee. For information on approved venues and on petitioning for approval, please contact Ms.
Grace Johnson in the Office of International Affairs (johnson.136@osu.edu).
Application process
(1) The student must complete the application form below and submit it, with all supporting materials, to the
History Dept. no later than February 15, 2012.
(2) The application must be accompanied by the following:
(a) A copy of the student’s complete undergraduate transcript(s);
(b) A statement describing the student’s research project;
(c) A letter of support from the student’s research project advisor.
(3) Results of the competition will be announced by March 15, 2012.
Questions and more information: Jennifer Siegel, Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies, Dept. of History, Ohio State University; siegel.83@osu.edu; 614-292-0314
GRANTS FOR UNDERGRADUATE HISTORY MAJORS TO STUDY ABROAD
The History Department announces grants for undergraduate study abroad.
The History Department invites applications from History majors who have applied to existing study abroad programs approved by the Office of International Affairs. These grants are intended to supplement funding that the student has already received to attend the study abroad program in question. They may also be used as the major or sole source of funding if funding cannot be obtained from the study abroad program itself or from other sources.
Rationale
Given the increasing importance of exposure to a variety of cultures to professional success in a wide array of fields, the History Department seeks to foster international experiences among its undergraduate majors, regardless of the fields they intend ultimately to enter (graduate study in History or another discipline, law school, public or international affairs, non-profit organizations, business, etc.). In 2009-10, History Department faculty voted to allocate a total of $10,000 annually for the purpose of encouraging undergraduate study abroad. The Department intends to award a number of grants by competitive application. The grants will vary in amount according to the needs of individual students. They are intended to enable students to participate in existing study abroad programs recognized by Ohio State’s Office of International Affairs.
The History Department will consider applications from students applying to recognized study abroad programs anywhere in the world, from Canada to Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe (including Russia), the Middle East, Africa, South Asia, East Asia, and Australia/New Zealand. The content of the study abroad programs in question will, inevitably, vary. Some will stress foreign language acquisition; others will focus on acquiring familiarity with the host culture and its history. The History Department will give preference to programs that (a) provide training in a language related to the student’s program of study and/or career goals, and/or (b) contain a historical component.
Anticipated outcomes
The History Department anticipates making between two and ten awards, with individual awards ranging from a minimum of $1,000 to a maximum of $5,000. Amounts requested may vary widely depending on the location of the study abroad programs in question and the amount of funding available through the programs themselves. The department expects to fine-tune the maximum funding request allowed according to the requests it receives in the first year of competition. For the foreseeable future, however, we would like to make at least two awards, avoiding a single award of $10,000. This attitude corresponds to the goal of encouraging as many History majors as possible to participate in study abroad programs.
Ultimately, we hope that the History Department’s support of study abroad will encourage more students to major in History while giving History majors new advantages on the job market and in the competition for admission to graduate and professional schools.
Eligibility
(1) All Ohio State undergraduate History majors at the Columbus campus and all regional campuses are eligible
to apply.
(2) The student must have declared a History major.
(3) The student must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.3 and a GPA in History courses of at least 3.5.
(4) The student must have applied for a study abroad program approved by the Office of Academic Affairs.
(5) Funds must be used during the 2012-13 academic year (August 2012-July 2013).
(6) Undergraduates may not use scholarship funds in countries under a current U.S. Department of State Travel
Warning unless the specific program venue has been approved by Ohio State’s Study Abroad Health and
Safety Committee. For information on approved venues and on petitioning for approval, please contact Ms.
Grace Johnson in the Office of International Affairs (johnson.136@osu.edu).
Application process
(1) The student must complete the application form below and submit it, with all supporting
materials, to the History Dept. no later than February 15, 2012.
(2) The application must be accompanied by the following:
(a) A copy of the student’s complete undergraduate transcript(s);
(b) Evidence of application to an approved study abroad program in the form of one of the following:
♦An official letter or e-mail from the study abroad program acknowledging receipt of the student’s
application;
♦A copy of the student’s dated application to the study abroad program.
(c) A letter of support from the student’s major advisor.
(3) Results of the competition will be announced by March 15, 2012. The awards are contingent on acceptance
into and participation in a recognized study abroad program.
Questions and more information: Jennifer Siegel, Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies, Dept. of History, Ohio State University siegel.83@osu.edu; 614-292-0314
As you prepare the applications, please read the attached materials carefully and follow the instructions as closely as possible. Electronic submission of applications and letters of nomination/recommendation is encouraged. All applications and nominations should be submitted to Kristina Ward (ward.768@osu.edu), Department of History, by March 2, 2012.
Students applying for research paper prizes must submit copies of their papers bearing the instructor’s comments as well as a brief statement from the instructor explaining the significance of the paper to the field. Students applying for scholarships must submit one letter of nomination/recommendation from a faculty member or, in the case of incoming students, from a high school teacher. These letters should be provided in sealed envelopes with the recommender’s signature written across the seal or sent directly from the nominator/recommender via email to ward.768@osu.edu.
Arts & Humanities Undergraduate Research Small Grants Program
