Scholarships & Awards for History Majors
History Department scholarships and awards support and recognize the outstanding work done by History students at UVA. Recipients are selected by a committee composed of the Director of Undergraduate Programs, the director of the Distinguished Majors Program, and the Director of Graduate Studies. Winners are announced at the department’s graduation ceremony in May.
Applications should be submitted by email to Latricia Washington (skr5qg@virginia.edu) by the deadlines indicated for each fund. Please combine all application materials into a single attachment in Microsoft Word or PDF format, with your last name in the file name. Put the name of the prize or scholarship for which you wish to be considered in the subject line of the email. Confidential letters of support should be submitted directly by the writer.
Once award recipients are selected, the department’s business manager will work with the College, Graduate School, and Student Financial Services to assess any financial aid consequences for the recipients prior to disbursing funds. If a student will be negatively impacted or is unable to accept the funds due to the terms of their financial aid package, the student will be contacted.
Research Grants & Internship Stipends
History Department research grants and internship stipends provide financial support for History students pursuing individual research projects or internships related to their study of History.
The Finger Family Undergraduate and Graduate Research Fund supports research and internship opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students in the field of history. Recipients will be rising third- and fourth-year students in the College of Arts & Sciences, majoring in History or engaged in a field of study where history is an integral part of their declared major, such as an interdisciplinary major. First preference will be given to undergraduate History majors. Second preference will be given to undergraduate students in any department or program pursuing historical research. If there is no appropriate or qualified undergraduate recipient, then the gift will be used to support graduate student research. If there is no appropriate or qualified recipient in a given year, the award shall be deferred until the following year. Undergraduate research award recipients are expected to work with a faculty advisor (either in the history department or another department, as appropriate) and to produce a scholarly product based on their research, such as a thesis, journal article, conference presentation, museum exhibit, or library collection. Undergraduate and graduate internships may take place in historical societies, libraries, research collections, and museums. Internships will take place at nonpartisan organizations and institutions. The Fund supports students’ costs associated with research or internships, including travel, research materials, books, living support, and other related costs. Applications for winter and spring projects are due November 1, applications for summer and fall projects are due March 1.
Eligibility: Rising third-year students and fourth-year students majoring in History or engaged in a field of study where history is an integral part of their declared major, such as an interdisciplinary major. If there is no qualified undergraduate applicant in the History department, undergraduates in Economics or International Relations may be considered. If there is no qualified undergraduate recipient, graduate students in History may apply. If there is no appropriate or qualified recipient in these three fields of study, then the award shall be deferred until the following year.
To be considered for a research award of up to $2,500, please submit the following:
- A one-page CV or resume that includes your name, degree and graduation year, University ID, and permanent address.
- A 500-word proposal describing the research project for which support is sought. Proposals should outline the research to be undertaken, its scholarly significance, and the specific uses to which the funds will be put.
- An unofficial transcript.
- A letter of support from the faculty mentor with whom you intend to work on the proposed project, to be submitted directly by the faculty member.
To be considered for an internship stipend of up to $500 for a semester-long internship or $1,000 for a summer internship, please submit the following:
- A one-page CV or resume that includes your name, degree and graduation year, University ID, and permanent address.
- A 500-word proposal describing the internship for which you seek support, how it fits into your development as a History student, and how it will contribute to advancing your goals for the future, before and after graduation.
- An unofficial transcript.
- An offer letter or internship agreement from the internship host, if available. If not available at the time of application, confirmation of the internship will be required before stipend funds are disbursed.
History Department Internship Stipends of $500 support undergraduate History majors pursuing a designated History internship through the UVA Internship Placement Program during the Spring semester. Student-created internships will be considered with departmental approval. Please contact the Director of Undergraduate Programs for approval. Up to 6 stipends will be awarded. To be considered, please submit the following by December 1. If funds remain, additional applications will be considered in January:
- A one-page CV or resume that includes your name, degree and graduation year, University ID, and permanent address.
- A 500-word statement explaining how the internship fits into your current and future development as a History student and how you will use the stipend funds.
History Department Research Assistantships allow undergraduate students to work with History faculty as research assistants. Assistantships will support up to 30 hours of work at $17/hour.* To be considered, please submit the following by November 1 for research to be conducted during the academic year, and by March 1 for research to be conducted in the summer:
- A one-page letter of interest that includes your name, degree and graduation year, University ID, and permanent address and describes how the proposed research fits into your current and future development as a History student.
- A letter of support from the faculty member describing your role in the research to be undertaken, including the number of hours of work anticipated, and your qualifications to assist with the planned research.
* Note that research assistantships are subject to the Provost’s Wage Authorization Guidelines for student workers.
The Sloan Research Fund supports research by students in the Distinguished Majors Program. Please contact the DMP Director for further information.
Scholarships and prizes
Scholarships and prizes recognize excellence in achievement by UVA students of History. Unless otherwise noted, any UVA student whose work meets the award criteria is eligible, regardless of whether or not they are majoring in History.
The Garnett Prize ($500) was established by the friends of Thomas Garnett to recognize the best essay by an undergraduate or graduate student on the history of the University of Virginia. If no qualified recipient is selected, DMP theses will be eligible for consideration in May. To be considered, please submit the following by March 1:
- A one-page CV or resume that includes your name, graduation year, University ID, and permanent address.
- A copy of the essay, with an indication of the course for which it was written.
The Innes Award ($500) is awarded annually to the best essay by an undergraduate student on the theme of community in history. If no qualified recipient is selected, DMP theses will be eligible for consideration in May. To be considered, please submit the following by March 1:
- A one-page CV or resume that includes your name, graduation year, University ID, and permanent address.
- A copy of the essay, with an indication of the course for which it was written.
The Bernard Peyton Chamberlain Prizes of $500 each are awarded to the best Distinguished Majors Program thesis, the best DMP thesis in early American history, and the best DMP thesis in world history. The recipients are selected by the Director of Undergraduate Programs, the DMP Director, and a member of the department’s Undergraduate Committee upon nomination by the DMP Director and/or the thesiswriter’s faculty mentor. There is no separate application process.
The Mayo Prize (up to $3,000) is awarded to the best article on American history published by an undergraduate or graduate student in Essays in History in the preceding year. The recipient is selected by a committee of faculty from the departments of History and English for its literary and historical qualities. To be considered, please submit the following by March 1:
- A one-page CV or resume that includes your name, degree status, University ID, and permanent address.
- A copy of the published article from Essays in History
The Kate Cabell Cox Scholarship of $5,000 is awarded annually to a rising fourth-year undergraduate focusing on American history, preferably colonial history. Students who have taken two or more courses in U.S. history are eligible to apply. To apply, please submit the following by March 1:
- A one-page CV or resume that includes your name, graduation year, University ID, and permanent address.
- A statement of up to 500 words describing your path through the History major and the significance of your study of American history to your intellectual development and goals for the future.
- A statement of up to 500 words describing how the Cox Scholarship would affect your financial circumstances for the next academic year. This statement might address such matters as your current resources and financial aid status, student loan burden, work responsibilities, or recent changes in your family situation, for example.
- An unofficial transcript.
- A letter of support from a faculty member in American history, to submitted separately