Apply for a Research Travel Grant
Are you planning research with materials held in Special Collections & University Archives on topics including civil rights, labor, journalism, or the Jewish community? We invite you to apply for a Harry L. Golden Research Travel Grant!
About the Grant
Grants are available to subsidize travel to conduct research with rare books, archives, oral history interviews, and/or manuscripts in Atkins Library on topics related to related to civil rights (defined broadly as the rights of citizens to political and social freedom and equality), labor, journalism, or the Jewish community.
The research must be intended for dissemination to a scholarly and/or public audience, which may include publication, digital scholarship, public history projects, media such as videos or podcasts, or other scholarly or community-based initiatives.
Awardees must complete their research within the timeframes specified below. Applicants may request and receive funding more than once, but preference will be given to new applicants.
Expenses Funded
Funding may be awarded for transportation, parking, lodging, or other costs related to the onsite use of collections.
Award amount and Disbursement
The minimum award is $100 and maximum award is $5,000. When possible, funded travel will be arranged and paid by the library for in advance of travel, but in some cases may be paid to the traveler on a reimbursement basis. Meals will be reimbursed up to the UNC Charlotte per diem rates.
Eligibility
Awardees must have a United States Social Security number (SSN) or United States Taxpayer ID number (TIN) in order to receive reimbursement for covered expenses. SSN and TIN are not required for the booking of travel and lodging paid for by the library.
Application Process
Applicants should submit a 1-2 page research proposal, an estimated budget, and a timeline for the anticipated research output. Direct submissions to travelgrants (at) charlotte.edu
Proposals will be awarded based on the following criteria:
- The extent to which the proposed project draws upon the collections of UNC Charlotte.
- The research project’s potential contribution to the understanding of civil rights history, labor, journalism, or Jewish history.
- The potential for dissemination of the research upon completion of the applicant’s research.
- The applicant's ability to complete the research project in the projected time frame.
Application Timeline
Proposals will be reviewed and selected on a semiannual basis, subject to funding availability.
We will announce in advance when applications will be accepted for forthcoming cycles.
Questions?
Contact Us or email travelgrants (at) charlotte.edu
Harry Lewis Golden was born Herschel Goldhirsch on May 6, 1902 in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In 1905, the Goldhirsch family emigrated to the Lower East Side of New York City. Golden graduated high school around 1920 and enrolled at City College of New York, but left two years later without a degree. Between 1921 and 1929, he worked various jobs in New York and became a stockbroker. In 1929, Golden's brokerage firm declared bankruptcy and he was convicted for mail fraud and sentenced to five years in Federal prison. Following his parole in 1933, Golden wrote and sold advertising for The New York Daily Mirror and The New York Post.
Golden moved to Charlotte in 1941, working for the Charlotte Labor Journal and The Charlotte Observer. In 1942, he commissioned The Charlotte News to print the first issue of the Carolina Israelite. The following year he formed Southland Publishing Company with Henry Stalls and Martin Rywell to publish the Israelite. In 1950, Golden authored and published his first book, Jews in American History, with Martin Rywell. Around 1957, Golden began publishing editorials on civil rights in the Israelite. A fire destroyed his offices in 1958, the year in which he also released his first best seller, Only in America, and his mail fraud conviction and prison sentence were reported in The New York Herald Tribune. In 1961 Golden traveled to Israel to cover the trial of Adolph Eichmann for Life Magazine. Declining health forced Golden to cease publication of the Israelite in 1968. President Richard Nixon issued Golden a full pardon for his 1929 mail fraud conviction in 1974. Golden died in Charlotte on October 2, 1981.
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte is a rapidly growing research intensive University with over 28,500 enrolled students a variety of undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programs in seven academic colleges.
UNC Charlotte’s Atkins Library is a comprehensive research library with over 1.9 million printed books, 930,000 e-books, over 400 databases, approximately 75,000 journals and an annual budget of over $10 million. Atkins Library serves the students, faculty, and staff of UNC Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina. With current enrollment at nearly 30,000, UNC Charlotte is the fastest growing campus in the UNC system. Never been to our campus? Take a virtual tour.
Charlotte is also one of the fastest growing cities in the United States. Our light rail system makes it possible for fellows to complete the fellowship and enjoy the city without a car. As North Carolina’s urban research university, UNC Charlotte provides access to all of the amenities that you expect of a city with the benefit of being situated in driving distance to the mountains and the ocean.
The Special Collections and University Archives (SCUA) at J. Murrey Atkins Library was established in 1973 to care for the library’s rare books and manuscript collections and University Archives. Collections include manuscripts (the personal archives of individuals and families as well as those of local organizations), the University's records, rare and unique books, maps, local government documents, and oral history recordings. SCUA works collaboratively with the community to document the continual growth and change of the Charlotte region.