Invitation to Apply

The American Philosophical Society's Library & Museum in Philadelphia invites Letters of Interest (LOI) for the Indigenous Community Research Fund to support an individual or a group of researchers seeking to examine materials at the APS to further Indigenous community-based priorities. Awardees will work with the Library & Museum’s Center for Native American and Indigenous Research (CNAIR), which aims to promote greater collaboration between scholars, archives, and Indigenous communities throughout the Americas. CNAIR focuses on helping Indigenous communities and scholars to discover and utilize the APS collection in innovative ways. The vast collections include manuscript materials, audio recordings, and images related to over 650 Indigenous cultures, predominantly from North and Central America. Detailed information on the collections is available through the Indigenous Subject Guide.

Purpose & Eligibility

The ICRF provides funding for travel costs to visit the APS in Philadelphia, and includes extensive consultation with CNAIR staff before, during, and after the visit, with an aim of supporting an ongoing relationship between the APS and the researchers. This program is designed primarily for Indigenous community members, elders, teachers, knowledge keepers, tribal officials, traditional leaders, museum and archive professionals, and independent scholars. Applicants do not need to have a specific academic background or an academic affiliation to apply, and any Indigenous community whose cultural heritage is represented in the APS's Library & Museum collections is encouraged to apply. University-based scholars and independent researchers working on projects in collaboration with Indigenous communities are also eligible to apply. Such applicants will be expected to provide letters of support from relevant community members upon request. This opportunity is open to applicants from anywhere in the world, including those who are not U.S. citizens or residents, but it does not provide visa sponsorship.

Indigenous community members are not required to go through or work with third parties to access APS collections. 

Indigenous community-based researchers are not required to hold an award in order to access the APS collections in person or through online requests. CNAIR archivists can be contacted at any time for reference assistance at [email protected]. CNAIR digitizes materials at no cost for research requests from Indigenous communities.

How it Works

Please note that the 2025 Indigenous Community Research Fund application process has been substantially revised from previous years, to allow for greater flexibility to tailor awards to applicants’ specific resources and needs, to promote collaboration and relationship-building as part of the application process, and to better align with Indigenous values and protocols.

Step 1: Review our Indigenous Subject Guide and/or reach out to CNAIR’s reference archivists at [email protected] to identify materials of interest to you and your community.

Step 2: Submit a Letter of Interest to us using this Google Form: https://forms.gle/LCdPb86nd2fWc7iDA . This form will ask you to introduce yourself, explain why you would like to visit the APS, and share the kinds of materials you have found (or are looking for) that you’d like to examine during your visit. These responses will serve as your ‘Letter’ of Interest.

Step 3: CNAIR staff will review your submission and reach out to you to discuss ways we can support your research goals. If it seems that a visit would be productive, we will work with you to work out the details of the visit, including dates, travelers, and funding, and will then issue an official Award Letter which includes the dates of your visit, who will travel to Philadelphia, and the amount of funding offered. In this case, CNAIR archivists will assist you with research support before and during the research visit. 

Funding is limited. Applications will be evaluated based upon the applicant’s demonstrated need to use APS's Library & Museum resources to advance the project. Award Letters will specify the date by which funds must be used.

Terms

Generally $2,000-$5,000 for travel and lodging expenses, depending on the specific needs of the applicant

Deadline

Applications will be considered until funds are exhausted for the year. Funding will reset yearly on January 1.

For questions, or if you have any problems accessing the Letter of Interest Form, please contact us at [email protected].