Humanities Undergraduate Archival Fellowship (HUAF)

Overview  

UO undergraduates interested in the humanities and humanities-affiliated social sciences and professions can apply for a fellowship in archival practice that comes with a $3,000 stipend and takes place over winter and spring terms. The program will provide students with important humanities library sciences research and career readiness skills, while expanding their post-college job prospects. Students from diverse backgrounds and disciplines are encouraged to apply. Curious to see an example of previous fellows’ work? Check out the  John F. Finerty papers blog, and the following story: https://ohc.uoregon.edu/student-organizes-authors-archive/. 

Program background  

Study of and research in the humanities helps students develop critical thinking, problem solving, communication, presentation, collaboration, and other important skills required to successfully navigate an ever-changing post-college world regardless of the chosen profession, and to be prepared to help solve society’s most complex issues. To assist students in this transition and to create a student-to-career pipeline, the University of Oregon’s Oregon Humanities Center (OHC) and UO’s Libraries Special Collections and University Archives (SCUA) are collaborating to offer an undergraduate student fellowship program focused on building primary archival research and career readiness skills.  

SCUA staff will guide the student(s) through an archival processing project and research production experience that will enable the students to think more broadly about their career opportunities and interests, seek other research funding support, and pursue honors theses. Students will gain hands-on library science experience while developing project management, data collection and analysis, and digital humanities experience. The student will receive $3,000 for the twenty-week fellowship, in addition to the high level of support from SCUA and OHC. The student’s work as a fellow will focus on actual archival work (preservation, arrangement, and description), in addition to a public presentation and poster session on their project, along with the opportunity to write blog and social media posts.  

The term humanities as used here includes literature; philosophy; history; religion; ethics; the history, theory, and criticism of the arts; and historical or interpretive aspects of social and natural sciences and the professions.  

This program was made possible by the generosity of OHC donors Herb Merker and Marcy Hammock.  

Program length  

This program will take place during the 2025 Winter and Spring terms and will last twenty weeks.   

Application Deadline  

Applications are due Monday, October 14, 2024.   

Eligibility  

• Be enrolled at the UO full time as an undergraduate in a humanities or humanities-related major or minor. 
• Have a GPA of 3.0 or greater in UO humanities courses.  

Expectations and requirements  

• Remain enrolled as a full-time student and be in good academic standing during the entirety of the twenty-week program.  
• Graduation date cannot take place before the completion of the twenty-week program.
• Be available for 2-3 shifts of 3+ hours (up to 10 hours per week) starting Week 1 of Winter Term. Work must take place during SCUA’s hours of operation (Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm). No shifts during Spring Break. Fellowship concludes at the end of Week 10 of Spring Term.
• Participate in the poster session at the Undergraduate Research Symposium in Spring 2025 and present findings in a public setting to OHC, SCUA, program donors, and other invited guests. 
• Students may not be paid to conduct research through other internal UO research support programs during the same twenty-week program period. Students may, however, accept an external award for the same academic year as this program.  
• If for any reason a student’s circumstances change (e.g., due to exit from the University, loss of full-time student status, or the receipt of any grant or award that conflicts with the conditions of this program) and the student is unable to use the award during the academic year for which it was granted, the award must be forfeited. This program cannot be deferred.  
• Students may participate in this program only once.  
• Acknowledge the OHC and SCUA in any work resulting from research done during the program period.  
• Notify the OHC and SCUA of any publications, conference presentations, or other awards, fellowships, or employment that result from your research project.  
• Notify the OHC and SCUA immediately of other support or any conflict with the eligibility criteria of this program.  

Award amount 

• The student(s) in this program will receive a $3,000 award paid out as resource aid split between winter and spring terms. 
• IMPORTANT: If you are receiving federal financial aid, this award may affect your financial aid eligibility. Students who receive federal aid have a responsibility to report all awards earned to the UO Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships. Contact the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships for more information. The OHC will provide recipients and the Financial Aid Office with supporting documents if required.  

How to Apply  

Step 1: Read all program information and check eligibility.  

Step 2: Identify a faculty member who will provide a recommendation for you.

• Recommendations are accepted from Tenure Track Faculty or Career Non-tenure Track Faculty with an FTE of .50 or above. 
• Ask your recommender to fill out this form by Monday, October 14, 2024.
• IMPORTANT NOTE: Under the federal law titled the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 and according to the University of Oregon Student Record Policy, registered students are given the right to inspect their records, including letters of recommendation and teacher recommendations. If the student wants to waive their right of access to this recommendation, they may do so by completing a waiver form. This should be saved and uploaded in the online application form as a PDF.

Step 3: Obtain an unofficial copy of your UO transcripts.  

• Visit the UO Registrar website to obtain unofficial copies of your transcript.  
• This will be uploaded in the online application form as a PDF. 

Step 4: Write a concise personal statement.

• Describe your interest in the program.
• Describe how your background has prepared you for this program and any relevant training (formal and informal).
• Outline your future career or educational goals.

This statement should be 500 words or less and include text only (no images or graphics) and should be well written, well organized, and free of spelling and grammatical errors.
Save as a PDF file named: Last name_First name. This will be uploaded in the online application.

Step 5: Complete the online application.  

If you have questions or need additional information, please contact: Jena Turner, Associate Director, at jenap@uoregon.edu or 541-346-1001, or Melissa Gustafson, at melissag@uoregon.edu, 541-346-1002.