The State Historical Society of Missouri is seeking proposals for two Center for Missouri Studies fellowships to begin January 1, 2026. 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 on one of the two topics listed below. The deadline for submitting proposals is Sept. 2, 2025, and the competition is open to both academic and independent scholars.
Topics for 2026 Center for Missouri Studies Fellowships:
- Environmental history. This fellowship is open to a broad range of explorations considering how Missouri’s physical environment has impacted the state’s history. Possible areas for study could include policy or management regarding energy or other natural resources, though proposals on other environmental topics are also welcomed.
- Conflict in Missouri’s history. Proposed projects should examine a political, cultural, social, economic, or other conflict among Missourians that has shaped the state’s history and identity in a significant way. All time periods and regions of the state will be considered. Priority will be placed on the originality of the proposed study.
The fellowship awards will be announced in December. The chosen projects will be considered for publication in the Missouri Historical Review, the only quarterly journal devoted to scholarship on Missouri’s history. Fellowship recipients will also have an opportunity to make a public presentation of their work.
Launched in 2015, the Center for Missouri Studies Fellowships seek to underwrite new scholarship on underexplored areas of Missouri's history and culture. "The fellowships encourage us to take notice of the lessons that can be found, when we look at our past in new ways and in new places," said Gary R. Kremer, executive director of the State Historical Society of Missouri.
Further information regarding the fellowships and how to apply for them is available online at shsmo.org. Proposals may be submitted online at shsmo.org/awards/center-fellowship