Renaissance and Early Modern Travel and Research Grants

The Global Early Modern Studies (GEMS) Certificate Program offers a travel and research grant to help students at the CUNY Graduate Center travel to research collections or academic conferences in connection with projects related to research in early modern studies.

To be eligible, students must 1) be matriculated in a doctoral or master’s program at the CUNY Graduate Center at the time of application; 2) be working on a research project related to the early modern period (roughly 1350-1700); and 3) be registered in the Global Early Modern Studies Certificate Program. Previous grant recipients are not eligible to apply.

Applications will be judged on the project's originality and its potential scholarly contribution. In the case of travel to collections (libraries, archives, museums, etc.), applications will be judged on the significance of the collection in relation to the research project and on the effective use of the materials to be consulted. In the case of conferences, applications will be judged on the significance of the conference in relation to the student’s project.

Students interested in applying must submit an online application, which can be found here with:

1) a description of the research project (no more than 1000 words), including the current stage of the project; 2) a description of the collection to which the applicant is traveling, and how it will further the proposed project (if the applicant is traveling to a collection), or a description of the conference (e.g., international, national, regional; interdisciplinary, Renaissance, all periods) and the panel in which the applicant will participate (if the applicant is traveling to a conference); 3) an itemized budget (including cost of transportation, lodging, and registration); 4) a curriculum vitae.

Applicants must also ask a GC faculty member who is working on the research project with them to upload a letter of recommendation.  Instructions for this are on the application and will also be sent to the faculty member.

The deadline to submit an application for the 2022-2023 Global Early Modern Studies Travel and Research Grant is January 3, 2023. 

Applications will be judged by a panel of three GC faculty members.
The grant recipient will be offered an award of $600 to be used towards expenses related to their travel/research.  They will have to present original receipts for expenditures within thirty (30) days of being incurred, after which grant amounts will be finalized and paid.