IGEL International Collections Travel Grants

Eligibility 

• Travel grants will be awarded to faculty, undergraduates, graduate students, or independent researchers living outside a 100 mile radius from Lawrence, Kansas. Grants are open to U.S. and international researchers. Research must focus on international or area studies and demonstrate a clear need to access KU’s collections. 

• International researchers are eligible to apply but should consider visa requirements and visa processing times. 

• Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the KU International Collections librarian responsible for the collection they plan to use before applying, to ensure the resources meet their research needs. 

• Award recipients may be asked to give a brief, informal presentation or public engagement activity about their research topic during their visit. 

Grant Coverage 

• Eligible Expenses: Travel, lodging, and meals within per-diem limits, and research-related costs such as photo duplication or scanning while working with KU Libraries’ collections. 

• Not Covered: Personal expenses, equipment purchases, entertainment, or costs unrelated to research activities. 

• Maximum Award: Up to $1,500 per trip.  

• Payment Method: Funds are reimbursed after travel upon submission of receipts and required documentation.  

• Pre-Approval: All travel must be approved before arrangements are made. 

Application Materials 

Applicants must submit the following materials: 

1. Proposed travel dates 

2. Estimated budget 

3. Current CV (2 pages maximum) 

4. Research statement: A brief description of the project, its relevance to KU’s collections, and a list of specific materials to be consulted 

Application Deadline and Selection Process 

• Deadline: March 1, 2026 (for travel between April 1, 2026 and March 1, 2027).  

• Notification: Applicants will be notified by March 23, 2026. 

• Review process: Applications will be evaluated by a KU Libraries committee based on scholarly merit, relevance to KU's collections, and feasibility of the proposed research. To ensure broad engagement with KU Libraries resources, the committee may allocate awards to balance use across collections (e.g., Slavic, East Asian, etc.). 

• Number of Awards: 3–5 grants per year, depending on funding. 

Grant Expectations 

By accepting this grant, recipients agree to: 

• Use funds solely for the approved research visit. 

• Participate in a public engagement activity during the visit. 

• Submit all required receipts and documentation for reimbursement. 

• Provide a brief post-visit report summarizing research activities at KU. 

• Include the following acknowledgment in any resulting work:  “This project was supported by KU Libraries' Institute for Globally Engaged Librarianship through an IGEL International Collections Travel Grant” 

KU Libraries house one of the most extensive international collections in the Great Plains, serving as a National Resource Center supporting research and teaching across a wide range of global and regional studies. With more than 1.5 million volumes and electronic resources, these collections reflect decades of collaboration with KU’s area studies programs and language departments. Expert librarians provide specialized support for faculty and students engaged in international research.

Collection Highlights:

• African Collections – Over 80,000 volumes and 1,000+ serials focused on sub-Saharan Africa, with strengths in the social sciences and humanities and materials in English, French, Portuguese, and African languages such as Swahili, Hausa, and Amharic.
• East Asian Collection – Among the top 20 in the U.S., with 330,000+ items in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean; strong in art history, literature, religion, and Japanese women’s and visual culture, plus rare premodern prints and manuscripts at Spencer Research Library.
• Slavic & Eurasian Collection – 500,000+ volumes and 3,000 periodicals on Russia, Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia, with particular strengths in Russian, Serbo-Croatian, and Polish materials for research in languages, literature, and history.
• Spanish, Portuguese, Latin American & Caribbean Collection – Nearly 500,000 titles, including one of the nation’s top collections on Central America, with strengths in literature, culture, history, and the social sciences.
• Global Studies Collections – Support research on globalization, transnational issues, and cross-regional perspectives, with growing strengths in European, Jewish, Middle Eastern, and South Asian studies integrated across KU Libraries’ holdings.

Learn more about KU Libraries’ International Collections →

For questions about these grants or KU Libraries' International Collections, please contact:

Jon Giullian
Head, International Collections
785-864-8854
giullian@ku.edu

or the International Collection librarians related to your research area.