Visiting Scholars Program - University of Oklahoma

The Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center at the University of Oklahoma seeks applicants for its Visiting Scholars Program.  The purpose of this program is to assist researchers by providing financial awards for on-campus work in the Center's archives.  Awards are normally from $500 to $1000 to defray the cost of travel and lodging. 

The Center's holdings include the papers of 53 former members of Congress, but topics cover more than just the history of that legislative body.  Included in the Center's collections is information on government agriculture programs, flood control activities, water and soil conservation projects, federal-Native American relations, drought relief, and rural development and electrification.  The states best represented are Oklahoma and other western states, such as California, during the twentieth century.  One collection covers Kansas during the nineteenth century.  The Center’s collections are described on the World Wide Web at http://www.ou.edu/special/albertctr/archives/ and in the publication titled A Guide to the Carl Albert Center Congressional Archives (Norman, Okla.: The Carl Albert Center, 1995) by Judy Day, et al., available at many U. S. academic libraries.  Additional information can be obtained from the Center. 

The Visiting Scholars Program is open to any applicant.  Emphasis is given to those doing postdoctoral research in history, political science, and other fields.  Graduate students involved in research for publication, thesis, or dissertation are encouraged to apply.  Interested undergraduates and lay researchers are also invited to apply.  The Center evaluates each research proposal based upon its merits, and funding for a variety of topics is expected. 

No standardized form is needed for application.  Instead, a series of documents should be sent to the Center, including: (1) a description of the research proposal in fewer than 1000 words; (2) a personal vita; (3) an explanation of how the Center's resources will assist the researcher; (4) a budget proposal; and (5) a letter of reference from an established scholar in the discipline attesting to the significance of the research.  Applications are accepted at any time.

To obtain more information, please contact Archivist, Carl Albert Center, 630 Parrington Oval, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK  73019.  Telephone: (405) 325-5835.   FAX: (405) 325-6419.  E-mail: channeman@ou.edu.