Eberly Family Special Collections Library Research Grants
Awards of $4,000 are available to support travel and/or research expenses while utilizing the Eberly Family Special Collections Library at Penn State University, University Park. Awards are available for a variety of subject-based research, as listed below.
We invite applications from nontraditional researchers, students, and others for whom the financial costs of research-based travel pose a significant obstacle. These funds will be paid out in two installments: recipients receive $3,000 to support their research, and a second installment of $1,000 after the presentation of their research talks.
Dorothy Foehr Huck Research Award
This award supports researchers using any of the Eberly Family Special Collection Library’s collections. Please visit our website to search our holdings and learn more about our collection strengths and priorities, which are also described in greater detail in our Collection Development Plan.
Helen F. Faust Women Writers Research Award
This award supports researchers whose work focuses on women writers and would benefit research by the use of the Eberly Family Special Collections Library’s collections.
P. Franklin African American History Research Award
Thanks to a generous gift from V. P. Franklin, Penn State alumnus (‘69) and esteemed scholar of African American history, we are offering a new award this year focused on supporting research in our growing Black History and Visual Culture collections. We especially invite applicants interested in exploring research topics drawing on materials from two recent notable archival acquisitions: the V. P. Franklin papers and the Guion S. Bluford papers.
Mary Ann O’Brian Malkin Research Award
This award supports researchers whose work focuses on the history of dance and dance notation, and who would benefit from using the Malkin collection of early dance, 1531–1804.
Albert M. Petska Eighth Air Force Archives Research Award
This award supports researchers utilizing the Eighth Air Force archive, which documents both the fighter and bomber groups that served in Europe and Africa during World War II and the Eighth Air Force veterans organizations nationwide. It contains books, photographs, audiovisual materials, oversize graphic materials, artifacts, memorabilia, microfilm, and organizational records donated by veterans and their families.
William W. Scranton Research Award
This award supports research in the personal papers of the late Governor William W. Scranton covering his legacy as a Pennsylvania congressional representative (1961–63), governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (1963–67), chair of the Presidential Commission on Campus Unrest, presidential candidate (1964); and US representative to the United Nations (1976–77).
Please note that not all grants will be available every year. Please refer to the current application for the latest opportunities.
Applications will be accepted from 15 January 2026 until 28 February 2026. Applicants will be notified by 31 March 2026. Research must be conducted between 1 July 2026, and 1 May 2027. Grant recipients must present their research talks before the end of the 2026–27 fiscal year (30 June 2027).
Contact the Special Collections Librarian for Instruction, Outreach, and Engagement, Racine Amos, at rla5306@psu.edu with any questions or concerns. Please visit our website for the full list of eligibility requirements and the application timeline.