International Thomas Merton Society Fellowships
Deadline: March 15
Up to five Shannon Fellowship awards, of a maximum of $750 each, are awarded annually to enable qualified researchers to visit the Thomas Merton Center archives at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky, or other repositories of Thomas Merton materials, such as Columbia University, Harvard University and St. Bonaventure University. The awards are named in honor of William H. Shannon, founding President of the International Thomas Merton Society.
Awards will be based on a) the quality of the proposal submitted and on b) the need for consulting archival materials at the site proposed. Applicants must be members of the ITMS; they may join the Society at the time of application by including a check for $25, (or $40 to include The Merton Annual) made out to “ITMS”, along with their proposals.
Applications for Shannon Fellowships must include the following:
- a detailed proposal of 500-750 words explaining the subject and goals of the applicant’s research and the rationale for consulting primary sources at the Merton collection selected by the applicant. (A list of subjects of previous awardees can be found at: Previous Research Topics.)
- a letter of recommendation from a scholar familiar with the applicant’s qualifications and research interests
- a proposed expense budget: grants will cover costs of travel to and from collections; expenses for accommodations and food during time of research at archives; costs of photocopying; disclosure of any other sources of funding awarded or applied for, with amounts received or requested.
Applications are encouraged from established scholars, from researchers without academic affiliation, and from students and younger scholars, including those engaged in research for theses and dissertations.
Visit the ITMS website for more information.
(updated 1.25.17)