[ARSCLIST] Announce: Parsons Fund Award

[Stephanie Aileen Hall <shal@xxxxxxx>]

[The following message has been sent to FOLKLORE, PUBLORE, AFSWOMEN, AFSLIBR, Archives, ANTHRO-L, ARSCLIST, H-ORALHIST, and SEM-L. It may be forwarded to other groups or to individuals as appropriate]

The American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress seeks applications for the Parsons Fund for Ethnography 2006

The Parsons Fund Committee for the Gerald E. and Corinne L. Parsons Fund for Ethnography at the Library of Congress invites applications for awards in 2006. This year, there will be one or more awards of up to $2500. The committee is composed of the professional staff of the American Folklife Center.

Purpose of Award and Eligibility

The purpose of the fund is to make the collections of primary ethnographic materials housed anywhere at the Library of Congress available to the needs and uses of those in the private sector. Awards may be made either to individuals or to organizations in support of specific projects.
Scope of Projects

Projects may lead to publication in media of all types, both commercial and non-commercial; underwrite new works of art, music, or fiction; involve academic research; contribute to the theoretical development of archival science; explore practical possibilities for processing ethnographic collections in the Archive of Folk Culture or elsewhere in the Library of Congress; develop new means of providing reference service; support student work; experiment with conservation techniques; and support ethnographic field research leading to new Library acquisitions.

Application Deadlines and Procedures

The deadline for receipt of all materials at the American Folklife Center is March 10, 2006.
Awards will be announced in early April. Please review all application materials prior to submitting them to the Center to ensure that all the following elements are included. Incomplete applications will not be considered. In the past, successful applicants have consulted with AFC staff members prior to submitting their application.

The application consists of:

    * A narrative, 750-1500 words long, describing the proposed project and its potential products and audiences
    * A budget and proposed time-frame in which to undertake research (typically for periods of one to three weeks)
    * A resume or statement of previous experience
    * Names, addresses, and phone numbers of three referees who can attest to the applicant's professional work and qualifications to undertake the project
    * Please do not submit photographs, videotapes, CDs, or any physical material

Because of security measures at the Library, US Mail and Federal Express may be delayed for over one month and sensitive media such as photographs may be damaged or destroyed. Therefore, we strongly recommend that applications be submitted as Word- or WordPerfect-formatted documents, attached to an email with the subject line "[your last name] Parsons 06 application." Address the email to the Parsons Fund Committee at: folklife@xxxxxxxx You may also fax all materials to (202) 707-2076. For questions, contact the Chair of the Parsons Fund Committee at the email or fax listed above, or call (202) 707-5510.

For the latest information on the awards, as well as a list of past recipients and their projects, go to the American Folklife Center Web page: http://www.loc.gov/folklife/  and select Awards from the About the Center menu.



Stephanie A. Hall
Automated Reference Specialist
American Folklife Center
Library of Congress
shal@xxxxxxx