American Heritage Center

We support a variety of scholar activities through the grants, fellowships, and awards we offer and encourage applications from researchers with diverse backgrounds and disciplines. The AHC is committed to fostering an inclusive research environment and promoting innovative inquiry that provides new perspectives on a wide range of historical and contemporary topics.
Our collections span regional, national, and international subjects with particular strengths in the American West and topics that intersect with global cultural, environmental, and industrial developments.
Explore our collections on Archives West. Unless otherwise indicated, send all applications and inquiries to AHC Archivist Leslie Waggener. All application materials should be submitted electronically.  

Grants

Travel Grants

Supports research projects utilizing the AHC's extensive collections. Open to scholars at all stages, from graduate students to established researchers.

Grant amount: $750 per grant to cover transportation, lodging, and food expenses.
Number of grants: Ten grants awarded annually (five each in fall and spring cycles).
Application deadlines:Fall cycle: October 31, 2024. Research visit to AHC must be completed by August 31, 2026.
Spring cycle: March 31, 2025. Research visit to AHC must be completed by August 31, 2026.
Application requirements:Completed application form.
Project description (max. 2 pages).
Current CV.

 

Travel Grant Application (PDF) - Includes full details to apply.

Research Fellowships

Alan K. Simpson Fellowship in Western Political History

Award: $3,000 stipend for a 20-day residency at the AHC. Stipend can be prorated for shorter visits.
Payment: Issued upon completion of research visit and submission of a project summary. No advance payment allowed.
Focus: Western political history. AHC archives offer insights into the careers of a diverse array of politicians, activists, and influencers within the political landscape, including significant holdings that represent a wide range of political beliefs.
Eligibility: Open to scholars at all levels, from graduate students to tenured faculty.
Application deadline: March 31, 2025.
Visit deadline: August 31, 2026.

 

Call for Alan K. Simpson Fellowship Proposals (PDF) - Includes full details to apply.

Bernard L. Majewski Research Fellowship

Award: $3,000 stipend for a 20-day residency at the AHC. Stipend can be prorated for shorter visits.
Payment: Issued upon completion of research visit and submission of a project summary. No advance payment allowed.
Focus: History of economic geology, including exploration and development. Also supports inquiry into related fields such as environmental and natural resources history. Projects combining AHC materials with data from other sources, such as archaeology or earth sciences, are also encouraged.
Eligibility: Open to scholars at all levels, from graduate students to tenured faculty.
Application deadline: March 31, 2025.
Visit deadline: August 31, 2026.

 

Call for Majewski Fellowship Proposals (PDF) - Includes full details to apply.

Fellowship for the Study of 20th Century American Popular Culture

Award: $3,000 stipend for a 20-day residency at the AHC. Stipend can be prorated for shorter visits.
Payment: Issued upon completion of research visit and submission of a project summary. No advance payment allowed.
Focus: Influence of popular culture on American society. AHC's collections offer extensive materials on the entertainment industry, including papers from producers, directors, actors, and musicians. Notable holdings cover the cartoon and comic book industry, as well as representations of the "Western image" across various media.
Eligibility: Open to late postdoctoral investigators and new faculty (Assistant Professor or below).
Application deadline: March 31, 2025.
Visit deadline: August 31, 2026.

 

Call for Popular Culture Fellowship Proposals (PDF) - Includes full details to apply.

 

George A. Rentschler Fellowship on the Study of the American West

Award: $3,000 stipend for a 20-day residency at the AHC. Stipend can be prorated for shorter visits.
Payment: Issued upon completion of research visit and submission of a project summary. No advance payment allowed.
Focus: Insightful scholarship exploring the complex narratives, cultural dynamics, and historical developments of the American West.
Eligibility: Open to scholars at all levels, from graduate students to tenured faculty.
Application deadline: March 31, 2025.
Visit deadline: August 31, 2026.

 

Call for Rentschler Fellowship Proposals (PDF) - Includes full details to apply.

Peter K. Simpson Fellowship on the American West

Award: $8,000 stipend for a 20-day stay divided between AHC and Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming.
Focus: Original research advancing knowledge and understanding about the history and myths of the American West.
Eligibility: Open to scholars at all levels, from graduate students to tenured faculty.
Application deadline: March 30, 2025.
Visit deadline: Research visits to AHC and BBCW must be completed within 15 months of award notification.
Submit proposals: Send electronically to BBCW Research Assistant Nathan Bender (NathanB@centerofthewest.org).

 

Call for Peter K. Simpson Fellowship Proposals (PDF) - Includes full details to apply.

 

Women in Public Life Fellowship

Award: $3,000 stipend for a 20-day residency at the AHC. Stipend can be prorated for shorter visits.
Payment: Issued upon completion of research visit and submission of a project summary. No advance payment allowed.
Focus: Women in public life across various fields. AHC's collections offer extensive resources on women's issues, prominent figures, and everyday experiences from the past 150 years. Materials cover politics, activism, professional achievements, and social history, supporting multifaceted research in women's roles in American culture.
Eligibility: Open to scholars at all levels, from graduate students to tenured faculty.
Application deadline: March 31, 2025.
Visit deadline: August 31, 2026.

 

Call for Women in Public Life Fellowship Proposals (PDF) - Includes full details to apply.