AU Faculty-Student Research Award

The Center for Western Studies at Augustana University, founded in 1964 by writer and English professor Herbert Krause and expanded in 1970 by the Augustana Board of Trustees as “a study, research, and educational resource agency” committed to service to the region and the university, invites applications for a $4,000 annual research award made possible by the Rick and DiAnn Kolkman Faculty Research Award and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The award provides $4,000 for the faculty member and, as an option, $1,250 for a student assistant. The proposed research must address a topic related to the northern or upper Great Plains (defined as including but not limited to the Dakotas, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming and Montana).  

Recipients are encouraged to use primary-source documents in the archives of the Center for Western Studies and books and periodicals about the Great Plains and American West in the Center's Krause Library.

Eligibility: Applicants must be full-time faculty members at Augustana University who have been issued (or have a reasonable expectation of being issued) a contract for the academic year following award notification. Both new and on-going projects are eligible.  

Student Engagement: Applicants are strongly encouraged but not required to involve a student in some aspect of the proposed research. Upon the recommendation of the faculty member receiving the award, the student will be granted the Dr. Gary D. Olson Student Research Award of $1,250, commensurate with his/her participation in the research project. The Olson Award may also be granted to a student conducting independent research on the plains region.  

Award Committee: The Center for Western Studies’ Executive Director and Collections Committee serve as the Award Committee. 

Available Collections: The award recipient will confer with the CWS Collections Associate to identify suitable research materials. A descriptive list of collections is available at augie.edu/cws.

Requirements: The recipient will deliver a report of work completed to date at the Dakota Conference on the Northern Plains, sponsored by the Center for Western Studies, the following academic year. The recipient will also be encouraged to seek publication in such scholarly journals as South Dakota History, North Dakota History, Great Plains Quarterly, Western American Literature, Western Historical Quarterly, Journal of the West, or Social Science Journal. The recipient must acknowledge the Center for Western Studies and the National Endowment for the Humanities in any publication. 

Schedule: The award will be given annually and may be renewed, depending on the nature of the research project. Applications must be submitted to the Executive Director. One-half of the award amount will be available shortly after award notification, and the balance upon submission of a final report, due one calendar year after award notification. The final report may be in draft form of an article intended for submission to a scholarly journal. Deadline extensions will be considered.

Questions about the award process may be directed to Executive Director Harry Thompson. Questions about available collections may be directed to Collections Associate Liz Cisar.

Previous Award Recipients