Research Inventory Grant Program

Description
The Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities seek to enhance the interpretation and presentation of history in Massachusetts. Recognizing the difficulty of planning research projects or public programs that rely on uncatalogued collections, the sponsors will fund inventorying projects that have been designed with research questions in mind. General inventories and inventories prepared for national register or historic district nominations will not be considered.

Institutions that successfully complete an inventory project are encouraged to apply for the Scholar in Residence program. The Scholar in Residence program supports scholarly research that advances the interpretation and presentation of history in Massachusetts historical organizations, museums and libraries. The purpose of the program is to provide these organizations with expertise not normally available to them, and to encourage scholarly researchers to make use of the rich resources of these organizations.

Who May Apply
Historical organizations in Massachusetts (societies, museums, commisions, and sites) with operating budgets of under $50,000 are eligible for Research Inventory Grants. Under special circumstances, libraries that own and exhibit historical materials may also be considered. Please contact the Local History Coordinator, at (413) 584-8440 to discuss possible projects.

Who May Conduct the Inventory
The inventory may be conducted by a staff member, volunteer, or outside consultant as long as this person:

• Demonstrates an understanding of the historical significance of the collection to be inventoried; and
• Prepares the inventory according to professional archival standards or in such a way that it is useful to outside researchers.

What May Be Inventoried
Primary source materials, such as manuscripts, published records, photographs, artifacts, or other materials in the collection of the applicant organization that relate to one or more specific research questions.

Administration of Project
The applicant institution must designate a staff or board member to act as Project Director. The Project Director will monitor the progress of the project and ensure that the person taking the inventory has access to the collection.

Budget
Applicants may request a maximum of $1,000, which may be used to pay the person who takes the inventory and/or for archival, storage, or preservation materials directly related to the project.

Length of Project
In general, projects should take place over a period of one to six months.

Application Deadlines:
Two deadlines per year: January 15 and May 15

Decisions:
Decisions are made approximately four weeks after the deadline. Projects may be scheduled to begin as early as two months after the submission deadline.

For application materials
or more information:

Download the guidelines and application from the download library, email localhistory@mfh.org or call (413) 584-8440.