Hoover Archives Research Assistance Scholarship

For a better and deeper understanding of the interdependent recent history of (Central and Eastern) Europe, the Freedom Broadcasting Foundation (formerly the RFE/RL Fund) and the Open Society Archives at Central European University (OSA) offer a grant which covers altogether 108 distant research hours in the Hoover Institution on a competitive basis to support scholars who wish to conduct research in the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty holdings of the Hoover Institution Archives, Stanford University, and whose current research projects are relevant to these holdings. The grant is designed to provide access to the holdings of Hoover Archives for European-based scholars, artists, and journalists, and covers the cost of research assistance at the rate of $23 per hour. The research is done by selected archival researchers at the Hoover Archives.

Applications for a reasonable number of hours of archival research are expected from researchers, graduate students (after their first degree) carrying out research, or artists, journalists, academics, or others who have already started a project that is relevant for the RFE/RL related holdings of the Hoover Archives. Grantees of the Visegrad Scholarship at OSA may receive preference over other applicants.

Applicants should submit the following to OSA:

1. Application letter in English (should specify the nature of the documents, including collection ID and box numbers) and the number of hours to be researched at the Hoover Archives).
2. Research description in English (about 400 words; should indicate relationship between the current research topic, and the the chosen collection in the Hoover holdings etc.)
3. Specific questions the Hoover research archivist should attempt to answer in reviewing the specified Hoover documents for the applicant.
4. Short Curriculum Vitae (C.V.)
5. Names of two referees with contact address.

The Application package should be sent by email to Katalin Gádoros at the Open Society Archives, Central European University. ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

There are no deadlines in the grant program. Applications are considered as they are received by the Selection Committee, which normally meets four times a year. Final notification is usually within a month of the date of submission.

The grants administration is carried out by the OSA Grants Administrators.

The Grant scheme opens on February 1, 2011 and the call will be posted on the OSA website as long as the program continues. Applications are sent to OSA via e-mail, checked for formal critera (application letter, research proposal, CV and names of 2 referees), then receipt of arrival is sent back to the applicant via e-mail.

After a decision is reached and approved, the proposals with the names of successful candidates are posted on the OSA website and the Grants Administrators will contact each successful candidate via e-mail.

Grants are paid to the successful candidate against a signed grant letter. The candidate is responsible for contacting the archival researcher at the Hoover Institution (the Grants Administrator will provide the relevant contacts) and must give proper credit to the Hoover Institution in the final publication.