Deadline Approaching: 2023 Center for Missouri Studies Fellowships

The State Historical Society of Missouri is accepting proposals for two Center for Missouri Studies Fellowships to begin January 1, 2023.

Each fellowship carries a stipend of $5,000 for a project that results in the completion of a 6,000 to 8,000-word scholarly essay, exclusive of notes, on one of the two topics listed below. The deadline for proposal submission is September 6, 2023. The competition is open to both academic and independent scholars.

Essays must be completed by the end of calendar year 2023 and must reflect significant scholarship in primary sources, evidence familiarity with appropriate secondary sources, and contain endnotes that comply with The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition. The finished product will be considered for publication in the Missouri Historical Review, although successful completion of the project is no guarantee of publication. In addition, successful applicants will be asked to make a public presentation based on their project at a mutually agreed upon time and place.

Topics for 2023 Center for Missouri Studies Fellowships:

  • Rural-urban conflicts in Missouri. Proposed projects should examine a conflict, or perhaps two or more related conflicts, that have divided the state’s rural and urban populations. Any time period in Missouri’s history may be considered. Proposals will be judged on their potential to increase understanding of how and why rural-urban divisions persist within Missouri.
  • Missouri and the arts. Proposals should consider the history of some aspect of aesthetic sensibility and explore how it has shaped Missouri’s cultural or artistic identity. This fellowship opportunity invites a broad range of potential topics: art/artists, music/musicians, literature/authors, architecture/architects, etc. Other possibilities might include Missouri’s association with foodways, industrial design, dress, fashion, pageants, theater, concerts, gardens or park design, or any other subject that illuminates how Missouri and Missourians have perceived, defined, and created beauty, style, and taste.

Deadline for Completion of Application: September 6, 2022

Application Process: Applicants should submit a proposal/application no more than two pages in length that includes the following information:

  • Applicant's name and any institutional affiliation
  • Title of proposed project
  • Brief (250 words or fewer) description of the project
  • List of main primary sources to be used in completion of the project
  • Proposed timeline for completing the project

In addition to the above requirements, applicants must submit a curriculum vitae no more than two pages in length providing evidence of ability to complete the project.

Award Announcement: December 15, 2022

Send Applications to: The State Historical Society of Missouri, 605 Elm Street, Columbia, MO 65201, or contact@shsmo.org. Write “The Center Fellowship” in the subject line. For inquiries only, please contact John Brenner, Managing Editor, brennerj@shsmo.org.

Or, complete the form below: