Research Grant for Authors

Apply for a grant to support historical research on a topic related to Iowa history. Each year, up to 10 research stipends will be awarded to support research related to the history of Iowa or Iowa and the Midwest. Preference is given to proposals that pursue neglected topics or new approaches to more familiar topics.

Grant recipients will produce an annotated manuscript to be considered for publication in the Annals of Iowa, a scholarly journal published quarterly by the State Historical Society of Iowa.

• Who: Eligible applications include academic and public historians, graduate students, and independent researchers and writers
• What: $1,500
• Application Deadline: April 15, 2024, for funding period of July 1, 2024 to September 1, 2025

How to Apply

1. Read the guidelines.
2. Apply by April 15, 2024.

Applications are welcomed from U.S. and international applicants. International applicants must possess either a valid Social Security Number or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN).

Grant Guidelines

Background 

The State Historical Society of Iowa (SHSI) announces a grant program for 2024/2025. SHSI will award up to ten research stipends of $1,500 each to support original research related to the history of Iowa or Iowa and the Midwest. Preference will be given to applicants proposing to pursue previously neglected topics or new approaches to or interpretations of previously treated topics. SHSI invites applicants from a variety of backgrounds, including academic and public historians, graduate students, and independent researchers and writers. Applications will be judged on the basis of their potential for producing publishable work. Grant recipients will be expected to produce a manuscript targeted for The Annals of Iowa, SHSI’s scholarly journal. 

Proposals must be received electronically or postmarked by April 15, 2024. 

Application Guidelines

1. Attach a narrative description of the project.
   1. The first page should include the following information:
      1. Your first name, middle initial (if used), and last name
      2. Address where you wish to receive mail and e-mail address
      3. Brief descriptive title of project
2. This proposal of 1,000 to 1,500 words (3 to 5 pages) should address these points:
   1. The subject to be investigated
   2. Aspects of the subject that will be most closely examined, and questions you are interested in exploring
   3. The thesis or argument you expect to propose
   4. The sources you plan to examine, and their availability and applicability to questions you are exploring
   5. What contribution this project will make to the existing historical literature
   6. How will the result of your project be suited for publication in the Annals of Iowa?
      1. Caution: Do not underestimate the importance of this part of the application. Too often otherwise good proposals have failed because they describe dissertation or book-length projects without clarifying how they would be adapted for publication in the Annals of Iowa.
   7. If this is part of a larger project, how much work have you completed up to this point?
   8. What additional research will the stipend support?
3. Include a resumé or vita (no more than 4 pages).

Proposals must be received electronically or postmarked by April 15, 2024. Notification of awards will be made by June 3, 2024.

Send electronic applications to andrew.klumpp@iowa.gov.

For physical applications, please send copies to:
    Andrew Klumpp
    State Historical Society of Iowa
    600 East Locust Street
    Des Moines, IA 50319

For further information, e-mail to andrew.klumpp@iowa.gov.

Evaluation of Proposals

Proposals will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

• Significance and originality (or fresh treatment) of the topic and argument
• Awareness of appropriate range of primary and secondary sources and their applicability to the proposed argument
• Quality of writing and organization
• Applicant’s potential for producing work appropriate for publication in the Annals of Iowa

Eligibility

Applications are welcomed from U.S. and international applicants. International applicants must possess either a valid Social Security Number or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN).

Payment

In July 2024, each awardee will receive an initial payment of $500. A second payment of $500 will be made upon receipt of an interim progress report in April 2025. The final payment of $500 will be made upon receipt of a manuscript submission in September 2025.

Submission of Final Manuscript

The editor of the Annals of Iowa will evaluate the final manuscript for publication in the same manner as any other submission, which includes double blind external reviews. The Annals of Iowa retains the first option to publish but does not guarantee publication. Copyright of published manuscripts will belong to SHSI.

Acknowledgment

The awardee will acknowledge the State Historical Society of Iowa in any publication resulting in whole or in part from the supported research.

Explore Past & Current Grant Recipients

Research Grants for Authors recipients have contributed more than 100 articles to the Annals of Iowa and are frequent contributors to programs throughout the State Historical Society of Iowa. Read articles by grant recipients or find upcoming or past programs that draw on research ranging from Indigenous Iowa to the 1980s Farm Crisis.