U.S. National Archives Regional Residency Fellowship Program

The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration has announced its Request for Proposals for the 2013 Regional Residency Fellowship Program.  The program has generous support from the Foundation for the National Archives.

The 2013 Regional Residency Fellowship Program gives researchers the opportunity to conduct original research using records held at National Archives regional locations in Boston, Massachusetts; Denver, Colorado; Fort Worth, Texas; Riverside, California; San Francisco, California; and St. Louis, Missouri.  The program offers researchers an opportunity to explore often overlooked records held by the National Archives and to learn what many other researchers have discovered -- you do not need to go to Washington, D.C. to do research at the National Archives.

For 2013, one fellow will be assigned to each of the participating National Archives facilities, for a total of six fellowships.  Each fellow will receive a $3,000.00 stipend, funded by the Foundation, to assist with travel and research expenses.

Fellowship recipients are expected to complete a research project that results in a publishable work product.  In addition, within one year of receiving the fellowship, each recipient will be asked to prepare a short report for publication by the National Archives that describes the research experience:  the discovery, methods, and use of the records at the chosen facility.

The use of social media to share information about the experience is encouraged.  Fellows also will be asked to conduct a staff briefing at the end of their research visit to share information regarding what was found during the research process.

Academic and independent historians, public and local historians, and writers are encouraged to apply.  Current National Archives employees and contractors and their immediate family members are not eligible.

Proposals may be submitted by e-mail or postal mail and must be received by March 15, 2013. Awards will be announced May 1, 2013.

For application instructions and more information about the program, visit:
http://blogs.archives.gov/prologue/?p=11587

Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life

Dr. Lara Michels, the archivist in charge of the Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life at Bancroft Library, recently spoke to the San Francisco Bay Area Jewish Genealogical Society about the collection.  Since 2010, when the Judah L. Magnes Museum was absorbed by UC Berkeley and the Bancroft Library, Dr. Michels has been conducting a complete inventory and cataloguing of the Magnes collection, no mean feat for any archive.  Her presentation to SFBAJGS highlighted parts of the collection she thought could be particularly helpful for genealogical research.

One of the most significant parts of the archive is a massive collection of materials relating to Congregation Sherith Israel of San Francisco, dating from early burials in the 1850's (in cemeteries which are now part of Mission Dolores Park) to minutes and membership lists from the mid-20th century and later.  The history of the congregation can be followed in detail over a century and a half.  Another important item is a near-complete name index to The Emanu-El, a Jewish community newspaper that was the precursor to The J of today.  Dr. Michels is almost finished cataloguing the Magnes Collection; by early 2012 she hopes to have the complete inventory listed on the Web site.

Close on the heels of Dr. Michels' presentation, I read about the Magnes Fellowship in Jewish Studies, which was established to support for one academic year graduate students at the University of California at Berkeley whose research would benefit from the use of source materials in the Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life. Recipients of the Fellowship, designated as Magnes Fellows, must be graduate students enrolled at the University of California at Berkeley who demonstrate high academic distinction and are beyond the first year of graduate study.  The amount of the award will cover fees and stipend for the graduate student for a year.

The applicant's statement of purpose must describe how the research project will make use of the Magnes Collection.  The selection committee, appointed by the Director of the Bancroft Library and including Jewish Studies Program faculty, will determine the recipient based on statement of purpose, transcripts of undergraduate and graduate coursework, and two letters of recommendation from instructors.  The application deadline is by 5:00 p.m. of the first Monday in February.  For 2012 the date is February 6.

All applications and awards will be made within the framework of existing fellowship programs.  For questions call Diana Vergil at (510) 642-3782.  Awards will be announced at the Annual Meeting of the Friends of the Bancroft Library held in the spring of each year.

For application forms and instructions see http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/info/fellowships.html.