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 research 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.

The department intends to award four types of grants in 2024:

  • 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 researching 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 researching 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 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.
  • 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 on 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. 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, and International/Domestic Amateur Scholar grants, please submit the following:

  • A brief description of your project and its significance (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 Library catalog, click here. Assistance from a Church History Library consultant on library and/or museum collections is available upon request.
  • A budget of how you would use the funding. This should be a realistic line-by-line breakdown of travel, lodging, and research costs.
  • A curriculum vitae or resume describing educational and professional accomplishments.
  • Two letters of recommendation from 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 the field of your expertise.

Funding must be used within one year of 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 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.
  • An outline of the plan of work for the residency period.
  • A curriculum vitae or resume describing educational and professional accomplishments.
  • Three letters of recommendation from 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.

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 August 15, 2024, and should be emailed to Matthew Godfrey at matthew.godfrey@churchofjesuschrist.org. Awards will be announced by October 1, 2024.

Each awardee will be assigned a consultant from the Church History Department’s Consultation 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 or if you would like to be connected to a collections consultant in the Church History Library as you are preparing your application.