Funding Opportunities

Every other year, we provide funding for five to six graduate students (who are beginning their dissertation research) to participate in a Dissertation Development Fellowship Program. The workshop helps doctoral students to launch their projects by encouraging them to think about their scholarship in comparative, premodern, global, and interdisciplinary ways. This award provides at least $5,000 in summer funding in collaboration with fellows’ departments.

We will next host the Dissertation Fellowship Program in Summer 2027. The 2025 Application Information provides an overview of the application process. 2025 Application Information.

We fund approximately 10 research workshops each academic year. These faculty- and graduate student-led initiatives involve scholars at the University as well as partners at local, national, and international institutions. Research workshops address intellectual questions in global premodern studies. Activities range from reading groups and seminars to symposia and hands-on workshops. Research workshop awards include some administrative support and can range from $0-$2,500, depending on workshop needs.

Calls for research workshop proposals are posted annually on our News page in October. 

Our Saltus Grants help graduate students expand or strengthen their work as scholars of premodern studies. Saltus Grants encourage students to take a leap toward a new skill or perspective in their scholarship or career. Saltus Grants contribute to professional goals and are complementary to research projects. Prioritizing new skills, platforms, and approaches, Saltus Grants fund opportunities beyond dissertation research and writing. 

We strongly encourage students to consult with us prior to submitting their application to determine if their proposed project is suitable for this grant. CPS provides a maximum of $3,000 to each grant awardee. Applicants are encouraged to seek matching funds from other partners.

Saltus Grant applications (Google Document) are accepted on a rolling basis.

We usually award 5–10 grants of $500 to $1,500 to graduate students conducting dissertation or pre-dissertation research in premodern studies. Two kinds of grants are available: Union Pacific Research Grants and Union Pacific Research Materials Grants.

Union Pacific Research Grant applications (Google Document) for awards starting in May 2026 are due on February 27, 2026.

The McNally Graduate Fellowship fund demonstrates Sheila McNally’s support and commitment to medieval studies and her desire to foster graduate student research at the University of Minnesota. McNally was a distinguished faculty member in the Departments of Art History and Classical & Near Eastern Studies at the University of Minnesota for over 40 years. The fellowship supports summer research for graduate students in Ancient, Late Antique, and Medieval Studies. Up to $2,000 is available annually for fellowships at the $1,000 or $2,000 level.

McNally Fellowship applications are due on February 27, 2026. Review the McNally Fellowship guidelines (Google Document) and include a completed Application Cover Sheet (Google Document) as part of your application process.

The Bachrach Graduate Fellowship is an occasional award given in honor of Professor Bernard (Bernie) Bachrach. Bachrach was an expert in medieval military history and an affiliate of the Center of Medieval Studies from its earliest days. He began teaching at the University of Minnesota in 1967 and retired in 2020. Bachrach was a Fellow of the Medieval Academy of America. He was a founder of De Re Militari: the Society of Medieval Military History and a co-founding editor of its journal, the Journal of Medieval Military History.  The fellowship supports summer research for graduate students working in Late Antique, and/or Medieval Studies. Up to $2,000 is available in 2026 for fellowships at the $1,000 or $2,000 level.

Bachrach Fellowship applications are due on February 27, 2026. Review the Bachrach Fellowship guidelines (Google Document) and include a completed Application Cover Sheet (Google Document) as part of your application process.

Many CPS graduate students whose research addresses Europe and European studies apply and receive funding through the Hella Mears Fellowship, which is administered by the Center for German & European Studies. The Hella Mears Graduate Fellowship fund demonstrates Hella Mears's support and commitment to CGES and fostering graduate student research on a wide variety of German and European topics. Up to ten $6,000 fellowships of are offered annually. Applications for Summer 2026 Fellowships are due March 8, 2026 and should be submitted to [email protected].

As a member of the Newberry Renaissance Consortium, CPS can support research and participation in Newberry and Folger Library programs. This support is provided in the form of reimbursement for travel and lodging. Requests for reimbursement are approved by CPS and fulfilled by the Newberry. We typically provide between $200-300 per trip and up to $500 for participants in multi-session seminars. Occasionally, supplemental funds may be made available by the Center. Due to limited resources, we plan to evaluate funding requests as a group each semester (October 1 for Fall and February 15 for Spring). CPS faculty, students, and research affiliates are all eligible to request support. Contact Center Associate Director Lydia Garver ([email protected]) for additional information about how to request and access funds.

We can provide financial support for faculty and students interested in participating in paleography and manuscript training at the Hill Museum and Manuscript Library (HMML) at St. John's University in Collegeville, MN. HMML rotates the courses that they provide, we recommend reviewing their list of programs.