Discovery Fellowships
in Special Collections
Application Deadline: Friday, 12/1 for Spring 2024
Initiated through the generosity of Joseph and Rebecca White, Discovery Fellowships will provide students them with the assistance and mentoring necessary to bring new life to the collections through their research or creative projects. Over the course of a semester, Discovery Fellows will work with the curators of Special & Area Studies collections to identify and explore materials in the collections at UF. Fellows will will have the opportunity to share their project with the university community through presentation, exhibition, or other means, and their work will be featured on the Storied Books project page. They will receive a $500 stipend at the completion of their fellowship.
Full time undergraduate students, regardless of experience or major, are eligible to become Discovery Fellows, and special consideration will be given to applicants in the early years of their study.
Applicants are encouraged to look at the work of previous fellows for ideas about the types of work that can be done. Our Ongoing Projects Page has examples of exhibition areas that would be of immediate interest. More information about the collections will be made available here and on the Special & Area Studies Collections webpages.
Prospective fellows will be asked to submit:
- A short statement ( 500 words or less) describing a topic or question they’re interested in exploring through the collections and why that topic is meaningful to them. Ideas of specific collection materials or areas of interest are helpful, and we recommend speaking to our curators in advance of applying to ask about collections that might fit your wants.
- A resume or CV.
Students interested in receiving notifications about deadlines should click the “Inquire” below, and all prospective applicants are encouraged to attend our information session on Monday, November 6th, 2023 at 1:30 PM in Smathers Library Room 100 or on Zoom.
Interested applicants can always email Neil Weijer, Curator of Rare Books directly with questions.
University Scholarships in Special Collections
Application Date: Friday, 12/1/2023 for the 2024-25 Academic Year
The University Scholarships offered by the Center for Undergraduate Research are competitive fellowships open to students of all disciplines. Fellows undertake a yearlong, hands-on research project under the supervision of library and faculty mentors, resulting in the presentation of their research at the University’s Undergraduate Research Symposium in April and the submission of a written work at or after the completion of their fellowship.
Our Past Fellows have produced honors theses, articles for the Journal of Undergraduate Research, and have worked on upcoming exhibitions.
Fellows receive a $1750 stipend upon completion of their fellowship. Applicants for the 2023-24 Academic Year must not graduate prior to May 2025.
Applications should be submitted by clicking on the “Apply for the University Scholarships” button below and should include:
- The Completed University Scholars Cover Sheet
- A Statement of Interest, proposing their research project. Students may list examples of works or collections that they
- A note from their Library mentor (if that mentor is not Dr. Weijer or Dr. Bihm-Manuel). Students should also contact the director of Undergraduate Studies in their department to notify them that they are applying for the Libraries’ fellowship and provide a copy of an email acknowledgment as a supplemental file.
