UMD Libraries now accepting applications for the Katherine Anne Porter Research Award

This inaugural award provides support for research using the Katherine Anne Porter papers.

October 17, 2024
Spines of books by Katherine Anne Porter

The University of Maryland Libraries’ Special Collections and University Archives (SCUA) invites applications for the inaugural Katherine Anne Porter Research Award.

The award provides up to $2000 to support research in the Katherine Anne Porter papers and related holdings in SCUA. Students, faculty, and researchers from the UMD community and beyond are welcome to apply.

UMD Libraries’ SCUA houses the primary archive for American author Katherine Anne Porter (1890-1980). Porter is known primarily for her short stories and novel, “Ship of Fools,” but also published nonfiction. She was awarded a Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award in 1966 for “The Collected Stories of Katherine Anne Porter.” Her personal papers document her private life and reflect her interests in writing, travel, politics, and current events.

The Katherine Anne Porter papers and related holdings support literary research at the University of Maryland related to Katherine Anne Porter and her literary circle, Modernism, twentieth century literature and culture, and other related topics.

The Katherine Anne Porter Research Award is open to undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, and scholars. Both UMD and non-UMD affiliates are welcome to apply. Applicants will be asked to submit a description of their research project. Literary research and creative projects are welcome, preference will be given to applicants that tie their work directly to Katherine Anne Porter and make use of the Katherine Anne Porter holdings in Special Collections and University Archives.

To apply, complete the application form. Application deadline is January 30, 2025.

Award Eligibility

The Katherine Anne Porter Research Award is open to undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, and scholars. Both UMD and non-UMD affiliates are welcome to apply.

Required Deliverables

  • Award recipients will write a short paper reflecting on their research experience and their project. 
  • Award winners will be interviewed about their project by Amber Kohl, Curator of Literature and Rare Books.
  • Deliverables will be published on the Special Collections blog and in the Katherine Anne Porter Society Newsletter.
  • Award deliverables must be completed by December 31, 2025.

Application Instructions

  • All applications must be submitted electronically via the Katherine Anne Porter Research Award Application Form.
  • Applicants will be asked in the form to upload the following documents in PDF format:
    • Project proposal
      • Length not to exceed three pages, single spaced with 12-point font.
      • The project proposal should include the following information:
      • Description of the project
      • How the project relates to Katherine Anne Porter
      • Proposed use of the Katherine Anne Porter holdings in Special Collections and University Archives
      • Timetable for completion
      • Site where the project will be conducted
      • Methods or creative procedures to be used
    • Current resume or curriculum vitae

Selection Process

The award committee will review applications in February 2025. Award winner(s) will be announced in March 2025.

Contact
Direct any questions about the Katherine Anne Porter Research Award to Amber Kohl (amberk@umd.edu), Curator of Literature and Rare Books collections, Special Collections and University Archives at the University of Maryland.

For further information about Katherine Anne Porter and resources in Special Collections and University Archives, consult theses websites:

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