The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences sponsors the University of Iowa's membership in the Newberry Library Center for Renaissance Studies.

Serving an international consortium of universities, the Center for Renaissance Studies connects students and scholars with unique opportunities to learn, research, and contribute to the vibrant fields of medieval and early modern studies. 

Through the UI’s membership in the consortium, funding is available to support scholarly work at the Newberry Library (Chicago) or the Folger Shakespeare Library (Washington, DC).

The College's Newberry Committee determines awards of support for scholarly programs or research by faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students at the Newberry or Folger libraries. The committee also grants the Judith Popovich Aikin Award each year (see below). The Committee is appointed by the Dean of the College.

Eligibility

UI faculty, graduate students, and professional staff are eligible to apply for funding. The Committee sponsors a UI mailing list for those who wish to receive announcements about funding and Newberry Consortium and Folger programs.  Please contact Professor Adam Hooks to be added to this list.

Highest priority is reserved for (1) UI scholars participating in a program sponsored by the Newberry Center for Renaissance Studies or the Folger Institute and (2) those conducting medieval or early modern research that requires the resources of the Newberry or Folger libraries.

Scholarly Programs and Research Awards

Awards are made on an ongoing basis, but the committee encourages applications at least one month in advance of the planned trip. Scholars and students who have been accepted into a program or workshop should contact the chair of the committee for instructions on applying for funding. Applicants for research awards should submit as e-mail attachments a brief narrative of what they intend to accomplish at the Newberry or Folger, a proposed budget, and the dates of the trip.

Faculty scholars visiting the Newberry to participate in a program or conduct research are usually reimbursed as follows. The same rates apply for the Folger, with the likelihood of a higher transportation allowance.

Faculty awards are normally capped at $350.00 for a single trip and $600.00 for two or more trips, or for an extended stay. Whenever possible, more substantial support is provided for participants in long-term Newberry and Folger seminars.

Graduate and undergraduate student awards are normally capped at $300.00 for a single trip, or $500.00 for two or more trips, or an extended stay.

Once applicants have heard from the campus Newberry committee that their request for funding has been approved, they should follow the guidelines for funding found at Newberry Consortium Grants. 

Consortium grants are dispensed as a stipend, not as a reimbursement, and thus can be used to support travel in advance, rather than after the fact. 

If funding permits, and at the discretion of the committee, awards may be given to scholars who make a compelling case to use collections not connected with the European Middle Ages and Early Modern period, provided those collections are unique to the Newberry Library. Such grants will ordinarily be at half the rates posted above.

The Aikin Award

Each year, a competition is held for UI faculty, students, and staff for the Judith Popovich Aikin Award in Renaissance Studies. This award is granted to the best proposal for a scholarly program or research received by the committee during the academic year. Early-career faculty and students are especially welcome to apply for this award.

There is no special application form, but the Newberry Committee asks interested scholars to include in their application a statement of purpose for the research trip or program—or a summary of activities and accomplishments—containing a brief description of its impact on the scholar’s continued development in medieval or early modern studies.

Complete application materials should be submitted as e-mail attachments to Professor Hooks. 

Follow-up

Funding recipients agree to e-mail a report on their use of the funds and their research trip to the committee chair. Resulting publications should acknowledge the assistance provided by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at The University of Iowa through its affiliation with the Newberry Library Center for Renaissance Studies.