PHS Reading Room, Philadelphia, Pa.

PHS Reading Room, Philadelphia, Pa.

The Presbyterian Historical Society (PHS) is awarding three Research Fellowship grants for 2019.

Dr. Leanne Calvert of the University of Hertfordshire; Yasmina El Chami, a graduate student at the University of Cambridge; and Kevin Rose, a graduate student at the University of Virginia, were chosen from a record-tying number of applicants. PHS received applications from 15 states and three countries related to a diverse array of research topics, including Near Eastern languages, education, social justice, art history, and architecture. Read more about this year’s winners.

PHS’s Research Fellowship program awards travel grants of $2,500 for scholars, students, and independent researchers who demonstrate a need to work in the Society’s collection for a minimum of one week and whose normal place of residence is farther than 75 miles from Philadelphia.

PHS Executive Director Beth Hessel is a former Research Fellow recipient.

“We’re delighted to offer fellowships this year to three timely and intellectually inspiring projects. The winners will join previous recipients in enlarging our understanding of the many ways Presbyterians have shaped our world from social relations to the environment to city skylines,” Hessel said.

PHS Research Fellow Youngeun Koo in the Reading Room, 2018. Read about her time at PHS and her research on adoption in Korea in the 1960s and 1970s through ECLAIR.

PHS Research Fellow Youngeun Koo in the Reading Room, 2018. Read about her time at PHS and her research on adoption in Korea in the 1960s and 1970s through ECLAIR.

This year’s three grants were fully funded through the Society’s Giving Tuesday campaign. With the help of generous donors, PHS exceeded its $7,000 goal.

PHS staff is excited for the 2019 recipients to begin scheduling their visits.

“It’s always an enriching experience working with our Research Fellows in the reading room. I appreciate how their investigations give me a deeper understanding — and sometimes a totally new view — of the archival collections in our holdings,” PHS Reference Archivist Charlene Peacock said. “The range of historical topics represented by this year’s recipients is outstanding and I look forward to welcoming these fellows to PHS.”

PHS is accepting applications for next year’s Research Fellowships through Jan. 31, 2020. Hear from previous Fellows and learn about the grant application process.


Organized in 1852, the Presbyterian Historical Society (PHS) is the oldest denominational archives in the United States and serves as the national archives for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and many predecessor denominations. It exists to collect, preserve, and share the story of the American Presbyterian and Reformed experience with Presbyterians, the scholarly community, and the general public. PHS is a ministry of the Office of the General Assembly.

 

{Original post: https://www.history.pcusa.org/blog/2019/05/2019-research-grants-awarded}