2026 Call for Applications: Research Grants at the Church History Department

The Church History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints invites applications for grants to conduct research in its archival, art, and artifact collections in Salt Lake City, Utah. These grants are intended to offset travel and expenses for performing research at the Church History Library and/or Museum in Salt Lake City, Utah. We hope the grants will stimulate the examination of underrepresented groups and topics in Latter-day Saint history, such as women, youth, children, individuals outside the United States, immigrant groups, the globalization of the Church, and twentieth and twenty-first century history. We encourage all scholars who are interested in Latter-day Saint history, Latter-day Saint art history, or Latter-day Saint studies to apply, regardless of their affiliation with the Church or previous experience in researching Latter-day Saint history. Preference will be given to individuals who have not received a previous research grant from the department. Current employees of the Church History Department are not eligible for grants.

The department intends to award five types of grants in 2026:

Domestic Emerging Scholar: for graduate students, recent graduates, or young professionals, including those who have obtained a Ph.D. within the last five years, living in the United States and interested in Latter-day Saint history, Latter-day Saint art history, or Latter-day Saint studies. This grant, of up to $5,000, is intended to facilitate approximately one week of research at the Church History Library and/or Museum.
International Emerging Scholar: for advanced students, recent graduates, or young professionals, including those who have obtained a Ph.D. within the last five years, living outside the United States and interested in Latter-day Saint history, Latter-day Saint art history, or Latter-day Saint studies. This grant, of up to $8,000, is intended to facilitate up to three weeks of research at the Church History Library and/or Museum.
Domestic/International Established Scholar: for more experienced scholars (i.e., those who obtained a Ph.D. more than five years ago, tenured professors, individuals more established in their careers), either within or outside the United States, who are interested in Latter-day Saint history, Latter-day Saint art history, or Latter-day Saint studies. This grant, of up to $8,000, is intended to facilitate between one to three weeks of research at the Church History Library and/or Museum.
International/Domestic Independent Researcher: for individuals interested in Latter-day Saint history, Latter-day Saint art history, or Latter-day Saint studies who are not professionals in the field or studying to become professionals. This grant, of up to $8,000, is intended to facilitate approximately one to two weeks of research, workshopping, and mentoring at the Church History Library and/or Museum.
Research Scholar-in-Residence: for a scholar with a Ph.D. in history, religious studies, or a related field, either within or outside the United States, conducting research for a book or extended study in Latter-day Saint history, Latter-day Saint art history, or Latter-day Saint studies. This grant of $15,000 is intended to facilitate an eight-week residence at the Church History Library for research. The scholar will be expected to be in continuous residence at the Church History Library, participate in at least three roundtables to discuss research and obtain feedback, and make a presentation to the entire Church History Department on the project at the conclusion of the residency.

To apply for the Domestic Emerging Scholar, International Emerging Scholar, Domestic/International Established Scholar, and International/Domestic Amateur Scholar grants, please submit the following:

A brief description of your project and its significance in expanding our understanding of Latter-day Saint history (approximately 500 words)
A brief explanation (approximately 150 words) of how research in archival, art, and/or artifactual holdings of the Church History Department would benefit your project, as well as a preliminary list of pertinent collections. For the Church History Catalog, click here. We strongly encourage you to request assistance from a Church History consultant to help you identify pertinent collections. Please contact Matthew Godfrey at matthew.godfrey@churchofjesuschrist.org to request a consultant.
A budget of how you would use the funding. This should be a realistic line-by-line breakdown of travel, lodging, and research costs. Please note that the grant is not intended to cover equipment such as laptops, phones, cameras, or internet services. It is also not intended to cover research outside of the Church History Library.
A curriculum vitae or résumé describing educational and professional accomplishments.
Two letters of recommendation from professional advisors or colleagues who are familiar with your project and your research abilities and work. These letters must speak about the relevance and significance of your project and its contribution to your field of expertise. Please have your recommenders submit their letters to you and include the letters in your application.

Funding must be used within one year of the award date. Within one year, awardees must submit a brief report explaining how the funding was used and what was accomplished with it.

To apply for the Research Scholar-in-Residence grant, please submit the following:

A detailed description of the project and its significance (approximately 1,000 words).
A detailed list of the specific Church History Library materials to be consulted. We strongly encourage you to request assistance from a Church History consultant to help you identify pertinent collections. Please contact Matthew Godfrey at matthew.godfrey@churchofjesuschrist.org to request a consultant.
An outline of the plan of work for the residency period.
A curriculum vitae or résumé describing educational and professional accomplishments.
Three letters of recommendation from professional advisors or colleagues who are familiar with your project, your professional accomplishments, and your research abilities and work. These letters must speak about the relevance and significance of your project and its contribution to the field of history, art history, and/or religious studies. Please have your recommenders submit their letters to you and include the letters in your application.

At the end of the residency, the scholar will be expected to submit a one- to two-page report on her/his experience, progress, and research results.

Applicants do not need to be members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Applications are due on or before August 14, 2026, and should be emailed to Matthew Godfrey at matthew.godfrey@churchofjesuschrist.org. Awards will be announced by October 16, 2026.

Each awardee will be assigned a consultant from the Church History Department’s Public Services Team to help in the navigation of collections. Reception of a grant does not constitute endorsement by the Church History Department or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Please contact Matthew Godfrey at matthew.godfrey@churchofjesuschrist.org with any questions.