NEWS: The Swedish Institute for Children’s Books Welcomes Applications for the Solkatten Research Grant 2021

The application for the Solkatten Research Grant 2021, funded by the Astrid Lindgren Foundation Solkatten, is now open.

Since 2001, the Astrid Lindgren Foundation Solkatten has distributed a grant that gives foreign researchers on children’s and youth literature the opportunity to conduct research in Sweden, or Swedish researchers the opportunity to work abroad. The grant is distributed annually and is administered by the Swedish Institute for Children’s Books.

This year’s grant of 40,000 SEK is reserved for foreign researchers. Professors and research leaders are kindly asked to submit nominations by 8 September 2021.

For more information about the grant, please see https://www.barnboksinstitutet.se/uncategorized/the-research-grant-of-the-astrid-lindgren-foundation-solkatten-2/.

Call for applications: Stan Memorial Travel Grant

The Clark Historical Library is now accepting applications for the Stan Memorial Travel Grant. Dr. Susan M. Stan was a renowned expert in international and multicultural children’s literature. She taught classes as an English professor at Central Michigan University, edited resource books, and spoke at national and international conferences.
The travel grant will fund travel to Central Michigan University’s Clarke Historical Library to conduct research using the international resources found in the library, including an extensive collection of Hans Christian Andersen Award nominee books.
Further information about the grant and the application form can be found here.

Call for 2019 IRSCL Travel and Research Grant Applications

Members of IRSCL are invited to apply for travel grants of up to US$1,000 to enable IRSCL members to attend the 2019 Congress in Stockholm. This grant supports members who might not otherwise be able to travel to the Congress. It is necessary to be an IRSCL member in good standing at the time of application. The expectation is that your paper has been accepted and that you attend the full Congress. For more information about applications and to access the forms, see the Grants section of this website, under Travel Grants. The deadline for applications is 11 February 2019. Successful applicants will be notified in early April 2019.

Members of IRSCL are invited to apply for 2019 IRSCL Research Grants. There will be two grants, each worth up to US$2,000, intended to encourage postgraduate or early career scholars in children’s literature. Eligible activities include literary, historical, cultural, sociological, empirical and pedagogical research. Applications should include a clear outline of aims, methodology, budget allocation, and expected outcomes (no more than 4 pages in total). It is necessary to be an IRSCL member in good standing at the time of application. From 2019, the expectation is that a research report will submitted to the Board one year after the grant is awarded. For more information about applications and to access the forms, see the Grants section of this website, under Research Grants. The deadline for applications is 11 February, 2019. Winners will be announced at our Congress in Stockholm.

Doctoral Grant in Children’s Literature at the University of Antwerp

Doctoral Grant (BOF), British Children’s Literature – 2018BAPDOCPROEX227

The Faculty of Arts is seeking to fill a full-time (100%) vacancy in the Department of Literature for a Doctoral Grant by the University Research Fund (BOF) in the area of British Children’s Literature.

The doctoral student will contribute to the research project “Constructing Adolescent Minds in Experimental Fiction for Young Readers: A Genetic Approach to Aidan Chambers’ Dance series,” supervised by Vanessa Joosen and Dirk Van Hulle. In this project, theoretically framed and in-depth genetic research is used to explore the construction of adolescence in Aidan Chambers’ writing process. Selected items from his archive are transcribed, digitized and studied in Manuscript Web in order to get a better understanding of the creative processes of adolescent fiction, in particular the notion of “age” that ties into it on various levels (authorship, character construction, readership). The project will also yield practice-based methodological reflections on doing genetic research with a living author, as well as an educational manual to popularize the research methods and results.

Research group: Antwerp Centre for Digital Humanities and Literary Criticism

Job description

  • You prepare a doctoral thesis in the field of Literary Studies.
  • You publish scientific articles related to the research project of the assignment.
  • You contribute to teaching and research in the department of Literature, specifically on children’s literature, British literature and genetic literary criticism.

Profile and requirements

  • You hold a master degree in English literature or an equivalent degree.
  • You can submit outstanding academic results.
  • Students in the final year of their degree can also apply.
  • Foreign candidates are encouraged to apply.
  • Your academic qualities comply with the requirements stipulated in the university’s policy.
  • You are quality-oriented, conscientious, creative and cooperative.
  • You have a demonstrable interest in children’s literature and/or genetic literary criticism. You are interested in doing archival research and digital scholarly editing.

We offer

  • a doctoral scholarship for a period of two years, with the possibility of renewal for a further two-year period after positive evaluation;
  • the starting date of the scholarship will be October 1, November 1, or December 1, 2018 or January 1, 2019;
  • a gross monthly grant ranging from € 2.324,20 tot € 2.469,08;
  • a dynamic and stimulating work environment.

How to apply?

Applications may only be submitted online until the closing date 12 August 2018 and should include a copy of your CV and a cover letter. Pre-selected candidates will be notified by 23 August and receive an assignment. Interviews will take place on 31 August 2018. More information about the application form can be obtained from vacatures@uantwerpen.be. For questions about the profile and the description of duties, please contact Prof. Vanessa Joosen, +32 3 265 42 72, vanessa.joosen@uantwerpen.be.

Astrid Lindgren Foundation 2018 Research Grant

Astrid Lindgren Foundation Research Grant “Solkatten”

Astrid Lindgren Foundation “Solkatten” was established in 1986. One of its aims is to “contribute to the teaching and further education of individuals who are involved in research on children’s culture and are capable of conveying the results of their research to a larger audience.”

For this purpose the Board of Directors has established a grant intended to give researchers – “primarily from abroad” – the opportunity “to pursue research on Swedish or Nordic literature for children and young adults.” Amounting to SEK 50,000 in 2018, this grant should cover costs for a research period at the Swedish Institute for Children’s Books in Stockholm, which has a research library with a large collection of theoretical literature on children’s literature (appr. 20 000 items). The Institute will provide study space and reference services and will also arrange for professional contacts with colleagues at the Department of Culture and Aesthetics at Stockholm University.

The Board of Directors hereby invite Professors and Research leaders at academic departments to submit nominations for eligible candidates before August 20, 2018. The recipient will be expected to make use of the grant before June 13, 2019.

The nomination should not extend two pages of text and should, besides personalia in the form of name, address etc., contain information on the candidate as to:

  • academic education, other relevant qualifications and main research interests,
  • previous research achievements (a separate bibliographical account of academic material and publications should be enclosed but books and other printed material should be submitted only at the request of the jury),
  • language proficiencies (knowledge of one Scandinavian language is a strong merit),
  • the aim of the research period in Stockholm,
  • the approximate time preferred for the utilization of the grant.

Please send the nomination by e-mail to: asa.warnqvist@sbi.kb.se

The Jury includes representatives of the Foundation, the Swedish Institute for Children’s Books, and the Department of Culture and Aesthetics at Stockholm University. The appointment will be made known before September 20, 2018.

2018 David Almond Fellowships for Research in Children’s Literature

Newcastle University’s School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics and Seven Stories, The National Centre for Children’s Books are pleased to announce that the application process for 2018 David Almond Fellowships is now open.

The awards recognise both David Almond’s contribution to children’s literature and his connections with these partner institutions: he is a patron of Seven Stories and an honorary graduate of Newcastle University.

The Fellowships aim to promote high-quality research in the Seven Stories collections that will call attention to their breadth and scholarly potential. The two awards of £300 each are to facilitate a research visit to the Seven Stories collections in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK of at least two days by a bona fide researcher working on a relevant project. Applications will be considered from candidates in any academic discipline. The successful applicants will have a clearly defined project that will benefit from having access to the Seven Stories collections (please see indicative information about the collections below). All applicants should consult the Seven Stories catalogue as part of preparing their applications: http://www.sevenstories.org.uk/collection/. A well-developed dissemination strategy will be an advantage. Priority will be given to the importance of the project and best use of the Seven Stories collections as judged by a senior member of the Children’s Literature Unit in the School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics at Newcastle University and a senior member of the Collections team at Seven Stories.

Some previous David Almond Fellows have gone on to take up fully-funded PhD studentships at Newcastle University, others have disseminated their research into the collection through book chapters, peer-reviewed journals and conference papers. One of our former Fellows said of her visit that it was “a wonderful opportunity to work in the archive of Seven Stories… it is undoubtedly an invaluable asset for researchers internationally, and something the city can be extremely proud of.”

Eligibility for the award
Applicants must hold a first degree or higher from a recognised institution of higher education.

Note: non-EEA applicants are reminded that to take up a Fellowship they must hold an appropriate visa. Neither Newcastle University nor Seven Stories can help with this process. Please see the UK visas website for more information: http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/howtoapply

Responsibilities
Fellowships must be taken up before the end of December, 2018. Recipients are expected to spend at least two days in Newcastle and are encouraged to time their visits to enable them to participate in events organised jointly or separately by the Children’s Literature Unit and Seven Stories. (Please note: successful applicants must contact Seven Stories and agree a date for the visit prior to making travel arrangements; normally a minimum of two weeks’ notice is required before any research visit.) Acknowledgement of the Fellowships must accompany all dissemination activities arising from the research.

The Seven Stories Collection
Seven Stories is the only accredited museum specialising in children’s books in the UK. Its collections are a unique resource for original research, particularly insofar as they document aspects of the creation, publication and reception of books for children from the 1930s to the present day. The steadily growing archive contains material from over 250 authors, illustrators, editors, and others involved in the children’s publishing industry in Britain.

Researching the Seven Stories collection could enhance a number of research topics. Examples of research areas and relevant collections:

Makers of children’s literature: children’s book history 1750-2000
Children’s books have been under-represented in book history scholarship. Seven Stories’ holdings can be used to investigate the forces which have shaped the children’s book. Areas of interest include editing and publishing, education and bookselling, diversity and race and changing technologies. Key archival holdings include the David Fickling Collection, the Aidan and Nancy Chambers / Thimble Press Collection, and the Leila Berg Collection. The recently catalogued Noel Streatfeild Collection also provides fascinating insights into the life and times of a leading children’s author during the mid-twentieth century.

New adults: the growth of teenage literature
Seven Stories’ holdings represent the opportunity to investigate the development of teenage literature from a number of perspectives: holdings include detailed evidence of the process of composition from early draft to published text; evidence of socio-political contexts, and evidence of the publishing contexts. Key archival holdings include the Aidan and Nancy Chambers / Thimble Press Collection, the Diana Wynne Jones Collection, the Philip Pullman Collection, the Beverley Naidoo Collection, and the Geoffrey Trease Collection.

Inclusion and diversity
Seven Stories is particularly interested in supporting studies which explore themes of inclusion and diversity within our archives: race and heritage, disability, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, age, socio-economic status, religion and culture. Projects in this research field might be cross-cutting, looking at a number of different archives within the Seven Stories Collection.

Children on stage: twentieth century children’s theatre
Seven Stories holds the complete archive of David Wood, one of the most prolific and influential playwrights for children in Britain. Projects based in this archive may approach the topic of children’s theatre from a number of perspectives, including theatre history and adaptation. Other relevant holdings include the Michael Morpurgo Collection and the recently acquired David Almond Collection.

More information can be found on the Collection pages of the Seven Stories website – http://www.sevenstories.org.uk/collection. Most of the artwork and manuscript collections are fully catalogued, and the catalogues can be searched online via the link provided on the website. A list of many of the authors and illustrators represented in the collection can be found at: http://www.sevenstories.org.uk/collection/authors-and-illustrators. (NB this is not a complete list of the collections).

Please see also the Seven Stories Collection Blog: http://www.sevenstories.org.uk/news/collections-blog, containing a variety articles describing or inspired by the Collection.

Application process
Applicants are asked to submit the following items by 1 June 2018:

  • an application form
  • a curriculum vitae
  • a brief proposal (of 1,000 words maximum)
  • one confidential letter of recommendation (sealed and signed; confidential letters may be included in your application packet or recommenders may send them directly)

Applications may be submitted by email or post.

Email: Kim.Reynolds@ncl.ac.uk
Post: David Almond Fellowships, 73 Houndean Rise, Lewes, East Sussex BN7 1EH, UK

Clarke Library’s International Children’s Literature Research Grant

Applications are welcome for the Clarke Library’s International Children’s Literature Research grant. The grant will fund travel to Central Michigan University’s Clarke Historical Library to conduct research using the International resources found in the Clarke Library’s Lucile Clarke Memorial Children’s Library. Among these resources are an extensive collection of International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) nominee books and author dossiers, as well as other children’s books from around the world. For a detailed catalog of the international children’s books found in the Clarke Library that would be available for use, visit www.cmich.edu/library and search the library catalog.

Innovative proposals that exploit the riches of the collection are encouraged. The object of the research may be but is not limited to studies in children’s literature. Applicants may propose using the collection’s foreign language resources in any way that would promote scholarly endeavor.

Application forms may be obtained at https://www.cmich.edu/library/clarke/ResearchResources/Childrens_Material/Documents/International%20Children%E2%80%99s%20Literature%20Research%20Grant%20Application.pdf. Applicants must be received no later than March 15, 2018.

Please note that the winning applicant must hold either a master’s or doctoral degree, or be currently enrolled in a doctoral program and must reside in the U.S. or Canada or be currently enrolled in an American or Canadian university program. The winning applicant will receive $2,000 which will be expected to cover transportation and living expenses while visiting the library. For additional information please contact the Clarke Historical Library at clarke@cmich.edu. Please include the phrase “International Children’s Literature Research Grant” in the subject line.

Call for Applications: 2017 Frances E. Russell Grant

The Canadian National Section of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY Canada) is now accepting proposals for the 2017 Frances E. Russell Grant. The $1,000 grant is intended to support IBBY Canada’s mission to initiate and encourage research in young people’s literature in all its forms and is given in support of research for a publishable work (a book or a paper) on Canadian children’s literature. The deadline for the Frances E. Russell Grant is 15 January 2018.

For more information on criteria, see http://www.ibby-canada.org/awards/frances-e-russell-grant/.