Starting in 2021, the Agricultural History Society piloted a grant program for members to advance the society’s mission “to encourage and promote scholarship in the history of agriculture and rural life.” This investment in the membership and the field of agricultural and rural history is the fruit of the Centennial Campaign, known as Seed Money, that marked the 100th anniversary of the AHS and concluded at the end of 2019.
Because of that commitment to supporting scholars as they create the future of the discipline, the AHS annually awards one grant of $1,000 USD per year in each of the following career categories:
Graduate Student (at time of application)
Early Career (examples, but not limited to Post-docs and Assistant Professors)
Senior Career (examples, but not limited to Associate and Full Professors)
Independent Scholars and Contingent Faculty
Public History (examples, but not limited to librarians and public historians; an individual or team may present a proposal for the development of an online or physical exhibit, digitizing collections relevant to agricultural and rural history (published/unpublished), or other public-facing activity consistent with the promotion of “scholarship in the history of agriculture and rural life.”)
Applications will be adjudicated by a committee consisting of the Executive Committee (excluding officers) and any members they may see fit to include. Applications are due September 15 and award announcements will be made by December 15 of the same year.
Eligibility and Restrictions:
The announcement of the competition will be made on the AHS website by May 15 and will be disseminated through AHS social media, an AHS newsletter, H-Net, and allied professional platforms.
Applicants must be members of the AHS at the time of application.
The applicant must identify which category they are applying for and must be eligible in that category at the time of application.
Applicants may apply in only one career category per year.
Agricultural History has the first right of refusal for all article-length manuscripts that result from the awards.
Award recipients will write a brief online essay or for AHS as part of “The Short Rows” or a research update blog post for AHS’s blog within eighteen months of receiving the funds.
The committee may choose to not make an award in one or more categories in a given year if there are not suitable applicants.
Retired members are not eligible.
Award recipients are eligible to reapply five years from the December award date.
Application Information
A two-page CV or, in the case of team applications, a two-page CV for each team member.
A three- to four-page narrative (maximum 1250 words) that identifies the application category and describes the project (proposed contribution in relation to published work, source material, and dissemination/publication plan).
A one-page budget that demonstrates how funds will be used.
Applications should be formatted with one-inch margins, 12 point Times New Roman, and double-spaced.
Applicants will submit all materials saved in one PDF document and labelled in this manner: JaneSmithAHSgrant2021.
Applications should be emailed to aghistorysociety@gmail.com.
Assessment
Applications will be assessed in three categories; applicant cv(s), project narrative, and budget.
Applicant CV: Assess the applicant or team’s ability to carry out the project. Is there relevant expertise or training? 10 points possible
Project Narrative: Assess the project’s originality and the potential contribution to the field. Does the applicant demonstrate appropriate organization and writing skills? Is the dissemination plan viable? 30 points possible
Budget: Is the budget appropriate for the project? What other sources of funding are sought or in-hand? 10 points possible
Questions about the AHS Grants should be addressed to aghistorysociety@gmail.com.