Research Grants

The Department of Special Collections and Archives at Z. Smith Reynolds Library, Wake Forest University annually makes available short-term library research grants to support scholarly use of the collections. There are two types of research grants available:

Library research grants are intended to provide support for travel and living expenses for scholars whose projects require the on-site consultation of materials from any or all of the Special Collections divisions (Rare Books, Manuscripts, University Archives, or North Carolina Baptist Historical Collection) at the library. Grant amounts range from $100 to $2500, depending on the type of grant, the nature of the research project, and the distance traveled.

For more information, contact Megan Mulder, Special Collections Librarian by email or by phone at 336-758-5091.

Provost’s Grant for Library Research

Provost’s Grants are awarded annually to scholars at the graduate or postgraduate level and to independent scholars and artists researching works for publication, broadcast, or other public dissemination. Award recipients are reimbursed for eligible expenses related to travel, lodging, and research at Wake Forest University. Stipends range from $500 to $2500, dependent upon the applicant’s travel and research needs. The number of grants awarded in a given academic year varies in accordance with available funding and number of applicants.

Eligibility

Provost’s Grants are available to scholars who meet the application criteria, who reside more than 60 miles from Winston-Salem, NC, and who are conducting research directly related to materials in the library’s Special Collections and Archives. Preference will be given to projects which represent a significant scholarly contribution to their fields and to projects with a high probability of eventual publication or other public dissemination.

Please note that the Provost’s Grant is intended to support projects requiring extensive on-site use of the unique resources in the Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections & Archives. Visiting researchers will have access to the general resources of the ZSR Library, but materials outside of Special Collections & Archives are not relevant for the purposes of this grant application. Proposals that depend primarily on materials that are available online, through inter-library loan, or at other institutions closer to the applicant’s home are unlikely to be funded.

Application Process

Applicants for the Provost’s Grant must submit:

  • a completed grant application, including a proposed budget
  • a current CV
  • for graduate students, a letter of recommendation from the academic advisor

Important information for non-U.S. citizens: Before you apply for a Provost’s Grant, please familiarize yourself with the appropriate visa type for your desired length of stay at Wake Forest. If you are traveling on a standard tourist or business visa, your research visit must be limited to nine (9) business days, and you cannot receive funding from more than five U.S. institutions during your trip. International researchers with a J1 visa may extend their stay beyond nine business days. However, ZSR Library cannot act as sponsor for a J1 or other visa. For more information, please email mulder@wfu.edu and/or consult your U.S. Consulate well in advance of your planned trip.

We are now accepting applications for the 2024-25 academic year (research residency must take place between July 1, 2024 and June 15, 2025). Applications received by April 30, 2024 will receive first consideration.

Materials may be submitted electronically to archives@wfu.edu or by mail to Library Research Grants Committee, Special Collections Department, Z. Smith Reynolds Library, P.O. Box 7777, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109.

ZSR Travel Grants

ZSR Travel Grants are available to researchers who are not current faculty, staff, or students of Wake Forest University and who reside more than 60 miles from WFU. Award recipients are reimbursed for eligible expenses related to travel, lodging, and research at Wake Forest University. Stipends range from $100 to $500, dependent upon the applicant’s travel and research needs. The number of grants awarded in a given academic year varies in accordance with available funding and number of applicants.

Eligibility

ZSR Travel Grants are available to scholars who meet the application criteria, who reside more than 60 miles from Wake Forest University, and who are conducting research directly related to materials in the library’s Special Collections and Archives.

ZSR Travel Grants are intended to support research at all levels, including undergraduate students (age 18 and over) and independent scholars. However, genealogy projects, individual church histories, and researchers-for-hire are not eligible for travel grants.

Application Process

Applicants for the ZSR Travel Grant must submit a completed grant application a minimum of four weeks in advance of the proposed visit.