Research Funding
The History Department has funds to support archival and field research in the United States and abroad. In recent years, History majors have utilized these funds to conduct research in China, Florida, England, Hungary, Singapore, and Texas. Three fellowships of varying award amounts are available to juniors and seniors: Hook, Tow, and Vapnek.
Lucyle Hook Travel Grants
The Lucyle Hook Travel Grants (endowed by an emerita Barnard faculty member) provide funding for travel related to research for the Barnard senior thesis. Candidates apply to the Faculty Committee on Honors, which typically awards four or five grants each year. The award amount varies, but normally ranges from $100-$500. Interested students should speak with Dean Leong by early October of the senior year and obtain the Committee guidelines for application from her at that time. Decisions will be announced by mid-December. More information can be found on the Beyond Barnard Website.
Tow Summer Research Fellowship
The Tow Summer Research Fellowship supports senior thesis-related summer research projects that require travel, either domestic or international. To apply for funding, you must submit a proposal, budget, and letter of recommendation from a Barnard or Columbia faculty member.
More info here: Tow Summer Research Fellowship
Bertha Vapnek Research Fellowship for Junior History Majors
This fellowship is intended for students currently in their junior year for thesis research conducted in the summer before their senior year. The student is required to work with a faculty member in the History department to develop a project that may be relevant to the student's intended senior thesis topic for the following year. Please note that the fellowship may meet part but not all of an awardee's request for funds, and funds may be distributed between two or more individuals.
Applications should include the following: 1. A brief description (two pages, maximum) of the proposed research project, which should describe both the significance of the project and the applicant's concrete plans for carrying it out; 2. A brief budget of projected expenses; 3. The name of a faculty member who has been consulted about the proposed project. Applications should be emailed to alipman@barnard.edu
Senior Thesis Fellowships in European History
Current junior history majors in Barnard and CC are eligible to apply for summer research fellowships of $5,000 to fund senior thesis research in European archives. (Research topics need not be in European history, but your research must take you to archives in Europe.) Successful fellowship recipients will also have the opportunity to participate in a workshop at the Columbia Global Center in Paris, led by History Department faculty.
Application due March 24th for 2023. In addition, all history majors are warmly invited to attend two workshops prior to the application deadline, on identifying potential archives and writing a research proposal. For details of those workshops, please see the flyer. For questions and to sign up for the workshops, please contact the Columbia History Department.
The Peter Juviler and Dennis Dalton Human Rights Fellowship Fund
This fellowship supports summer research and internships for students studying human rights, social justice, and peace studies. Two students who would not otherwise have the funds to do summer research will be awarded $2,500 each. This fund is open to all students and cannot be combined with any other Barnard College grants. To apply, you must submit a proposal, budget, a letter of support from a Barnard or Columbia faculty member, and a letter of support from an affiliate organization.
More info here: Juviler and Dalton Fund