Travel Grants

Travel grants defray some of the costs for individual scholars to conduct research either at Boston College or at other archives with Catholic collections. Grants are awarded up to $1,500 per week and can be applied towards a few days or weeks of on-site study.

Researching at Boston College

Grants are awarded to facilitate engagement with the Catholic collections at Boston College. Researchers can apply to consult the University’s archival holdings in Burns Library, which specializes in documenting Catholic religious, social, academic, artistic, and political life in the United States and Ireland. Collection guides can be found here, and a selection of potential collections of interest appears below. In addition, grants support scholarly work with the extensive relevant resources available at the Theology and Ministry Library, the O’Neill Library, and elsewhere at the University. Prior to submitting an application, scholars are encouraged to review the online guides and catalogs. Library staff can facilitate opportunities for grant recipients to engage with the Boston College community while on campus.

Researching Outside of Boston College

Grants are also available for individuals wishing to conduct significant research on Catholic collections at archives that do not offer their own financial support. Priority is given to applicants proposing to visit smaller, less utilized repositories, those of religious congregations, and those at (arch)dioceses. Grant recipients, following their travel to these archives, are required to provide a summary of their research and may be contacted by staff at Boston College to further discuss their projects.

Additional Travel Grant Opportunities

The travel grant initiative organized by Boston College Libraries supports research of the University’s Catholic collections as well as that of similar collections held at archives where financial assistance is not already available. Below, please find a list of programs that defray the costs associated with archival research for external scholars. To issue a correction or to have your program included in this listing, please contact librariescatholicresearch@bc.edu.