2023 Call for Library Fellows
The John L. Nau III Center for Civil War History invites applications for short-term fellowships to conduct research on the U.S. Civil War era in the University of Virginia’s Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library for a period of up to one month in 2023. At least two fellowships will be awarded each year.
The collections of the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library number more than 400,000 books, 15 million manuscripts, and thousands of maps, broadsides, photographs, audio and video recordings, and artifacts. It is nationally recognized for the richness of its holdings in American history, with significant strength in the era of the Civil War.
The Special Collections Library has recently acquired the John L. Nau III Civil War History Collection of more than 30,000 letters, 250 diaries, and 4,000 images related to the Civil War. The collection will be available for use by our 2023 fellows.
Awards
Fellowships carry a stipend of $500 per week and can be held for up to a month. Fellows are given access to the holdings of the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library and other units of the UVA Library system. Fellows are responsible for arranging their own housing and parking. While we recommend staying at hotels or other accommodations within walking distance of UVA, temporary parking passes are available. Please contact the Office of Parking and Transportation for more information.
Fellows will have opportunities to present their research to members of the UVA community.
Eligibility
Nau Civil War Center Fellowships are open to U.S. citizens and foreign nationals who live beyond a 60-mile radius of Charlottesville, VA, and
- hold the PhD or equivalent degree, or
- are doctoral students who have advanced to candidacy, or
- are independent scholars with a significant record of scholarly achievement.
Once awarded, fellowships cannot be extended or renewed.
To Apply
The application deadline for our 2023 fellowships is November 15, 2022. Applicants will be notified of the committee’s decision by December 15.
Please include the following in your application:
- a cover letter
- a two-page, double-spaced description of your project, describing the research to be conducted at the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, with specific reference to the collection materials that the applicant intends to consult and the proposed dates of residence
- a current curriculum vitae
Submit all application materials in PDF form via email to the Nau Center at naucenter@virginia.edu. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Applications will be evaluated on the scholarly promise of the proposed research, the candidate’s qualifications for engaging in that research, and the relevance of the project to the holdings of the Small Special Collections Library.
Staff of the Small Special Collections Library can assist prospective applicants in identifying collection materials relevant for their research. Please submit requests via the Library’s online reference form.
Questions about Nau Civil War Center fellowships may be directed to Managing Director Brian Neumann at bcn3xu@virginia.edu.
Past Nau Civil War Center Library Fellows
2021
James J. Broomall, Professsor, Shepherd University
Jeffrey T. Perry, Professor, Tusculum University
Jean L. Franzino, Professor and NEH Postdoctoral Fellow, Winterthur Museum, Garden, & Library
K. Howell Keiser, Jr., PhD Candidate, Louisiana State University
2020
Mallory Szymanski, Professor, Alfred University
David Gerleman, Adjunct Professor, George Mason University
Chuck Welsko, Project Director, Civil War Governors of Kentucky Digital Documentary Edition, Kentucky Historical Society
Lisa Frank, Independent Scholar
Aaron Hall, Postdoctoral Fellow, Cornell University
Shane Makowicki, PhD Candidate, Texas A&M University
Tracy Barnett, PhD Candidate, University of Georgia
Evan Turiano, PhD Candidate, City University of New York
2019
Andrew S. Bledsoe, Professor, Lee University
David Silkenat, Professor, University of Edinburgh
Kelly Mezurek, Professor, Walsh University
Molly Mersmann, PhD Candidate, Purdue University
Robert Colby, PhD Candidate, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
2018
Sarah Gardner, Professor, Mercer University
Dillon Carroll, Adjunct Professor, St. Francis College
Caroline Newhall, PhD Candidate, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill