Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero recently announced the National Archives Legislative Archives Fellowship for 2012. Last year Mr. Ferriero created the Fellowship to support scholarly work in United States history, based on research in the records of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. The Foundation for the National Archives has provided a total stipend of $10,000 for the Fellowship.

Applications for the 2012 Fellowship will be accepted by email until midnight EDT May 16, 2012. The recipient will be selected by July 1, 2012. Research proposals will be considered on any topic requiring research in the historical records of Congress housed at the National Archives Center for Legislative Archives. The records of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives support research in a wide range of topics and subfields including social policy, law-making, leadership, representation (petitioning, constituents, lobbying) and the context in which Congress operates (inter-governmental; political, social, and economic climate).

The Fellow will be supported by the Center for Legislative Archives staff and will have the opportunity to consult with the House and Senate History offices. The Fellow will be expected to make an initial presentation to the National Archives staff and local historians on the proposed plan of work and a second presentation on research finding at the end of the Fellowship tenure. The recipient will also maintain a blog about his/her Fellowship experience.

Fellowship Details

Amount: $10,000

Tenure: The Fellowship requires a minimal residency of one month at the Center for Legislative Archives and additional research in records that complement the Center’s holdings. Eligibility: Ph.D. candidates whose dissertations have been approved by the application deadline and individuals who have received their Ph.D. within the last five years. Instructions to apply for the Fellowship are posted at:http://www.archives.gov/legislative/research/fellowship.html