Guidelines for the Waco F. Childers Jr. Research Fellowship in History
The Department of History, Furman University
The Department of History is pleased to offer students funding in order to facilitate a research project in collaboration with a history faculty member. Through the generosity of Waco F. Childers Jr. and friends who have donated to the fund, the Waco F. Childers Jr. Research Fellowship in History will fund one or more students up to $5000. The Fellowship is competitive. Applications will be reviewed by the members of the Waco F. Childers Jr. Subcommittee in the Department of History. They will make recommendations to the Chair of the Department of History, who makes the final selections. The stipulations of the fund indicate that “priority will be given to History majors,” but non-History majors are eligible to apply.
According to the fund’s guidelines, successful applicants “will conduct collaborative research with a professor in the Department of History.” The nature of that collaboration is left generously open-ended. One type of collaboration might involve a student serving as a mentee to a faculty mentor’s research program. An alternative variant might involve the student pursuing their own research agenda, with the faculty mentor serving as more of an independent-study advisor.
The range of fundable expenses include, but are not limited to: fellowship/stipend support for the student; research-related travel to archives, or any other relevant destinations; and material and supply costs related to the project. Not covered are costs for the faculty mentor, e.g. a faculty stipend, or faculty travel. The faculty member will receive a $1500 stipend from the Office of Undergraduate Research for serving as a research mentor for one summer. If the duration of the mentorship extends beyond the summer, additional stipend support for the faculty can be negotiated with the Chair of History and the members of the Waco Childers Jr. Subcommittee.
Prospective applicants are invited to think creatively about how the Childers Fellowship can support a research agenda. Receipt of the Childers Fellowship does not preclude an applicant from seeking additional support elsewhere. However, that additional support cannot cover the same expenses. If an applicant receives additional support after the Childers Fellowship has been awarded, the applicant is required to inform the Chair of History. The Childers Subcommittee will consider a revised application with an amended budget.
The funding cycle for the Childers Fellowship is Furman’s academic year. Thus, the 2024-2025 Childers Fellowship will be July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025. One Fellowship will be awarded each funding cycle, but, once again thanks to the open-ended stipulations of the fund, successful applicants may begin their research prior to July 1, 2024 and are not required to complete their research within that one-year window.
Applications will be accepted immediately and be considered on a rolling basis until March 15, 2024. If the funds are not awarded in the initial application cycle, late applications will be considered on a rolling basis up to June 30th.
The Waco F. Childers Jr. Subcommittee will solicit supporting documents and/or recommendations from the proposed mentor(s) in the History Department at its discretion.
The application can be found here.
Questions regarding the Fellowship should be sent to Dr. Erik Ching, Professor of History and Director of Undergraduate Research: erik.ching@furman.edu, 864-294-2119.