Each year in the spring and fall, The John F. Kennedy Library Foundation provides funds for the award of a number of research grants in the range of $500 to $2,500. The purpose of these grants is to help defray living, travel, and related costs incurred while doing research in the textual and non-textual holdings of the library. Scholars and students are invited to apply for these research grants.
Grant applications are evaluated on the basis of expected utilization of available holdings of the Library, the degree to which they address research needs in Kennedy period studies, and the qualifications of applicants. Preference is given to dissertation research by Ph.D. candidates working in newly opened or relatively unused collections, and to the work of recent Ph.D. recipients who are expanding or revising their dissertations for publication, but all proposals are welcome and will receive careful consideration.
Applications may be submitted at any time, but the postmark deadline is March 15 for spring grants and August 15 for fall grants. Applicants will be promptly notified of their project's eligibility. Awards are announced on April 20 and October 20. Applications received after one deadline will be held for consideration in the next cycle.
To obtain information about the Library's collections, each applicant who has not already conducted research at the library should contact a member of the research room staff at the address below or by phone (Telephone: 617- 514-1629) to explain the topic and request a copy of Historical Materials in the John Fitzgerald Kennedy Library.
To apply, submit an application form (pdf) accompanied by a brief proposal (three to four pages) in the form of a letter or memo describing the planned research, its significance, the intended audience, and expected outcome; two letters of recommendation from academic or other appropriate references; a sample of your writing (ca. ten pages); a project budget; and a vita. List the collections in the Kennedy Library and other institutions which you plan to use. Describe how the funds will be applied, other fellowships or grants which will support the project and whether matching funds are available to you from your institution or elsewhere. Preference is given to projects not supported by large grants from other institutions. Describe your qualifications and similar research projects you have undertaken. The estimated per diem cost for accommodations, meals and incidentals for Boston is $225.
For further information and to apply, please contact:
Grant and Fellowship Coordinator
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
Columbia Point
Boston, MA 02125
Telephone: (617) 514-1631
Fax: 617-514-1625
Email: kennedy.library@nara.gov
© The John F. Kennedy Library Foundation