FSU Libraries announces Harper Research Grant

Kristine Harper, a former Florida State University History professor and scholar and current professor of history and philosophy of the Earth sciences at the University of Copenhagen.

The Special Collections & Archives Division of Florida State University Libraries has announced the new Kristine Harper Research Grant to support developing scholars globally.

The endowment will award research grants of up to $1,500 each to non-FSU graduate students, post-docs, early-career scholars and independent researchers to support research in any collection managed by Special Collections & Archives.

“We are so grateful to Dr. Harper for her collaboration and support over the years,” said Katie McCormick, associate dean of libraries for Special Collections & Archives. “It is an honor to launch this grant program and help realize her vision for supporting early-career scholars in their research. This grant connects FSU’s rare and archival collections to the world in a new way. We can’t wait to welcome the first of the Harper Grant awardees and see this program flourish.”

Harper, a former Florida State University History professor and scholar, is currently a professor of history and philosophy of the Earth sciences at the University of Copenhagen. Dedicated to bringing FSU’s world-class collections to a broader scholarly audience, Harper was inspired to create this fund to pay forward the support she received as a young scholar. She believes that without the support of libraries, important primary sources might be forgotten and many scholars would not finish their degrees.

“Scholars from a variety of disciplines depend on archival collections to conduct their research, but travel costs can be a serious hurdle to surmount,” Harper said. “I hope this research grant brings knowledge waiting to be uncovered in FSU Libraries’ Special Collections & Archives into both scholarly and general interest publications, as it exposes new researchers to the vibrant scholarly community at FSU.”

Special Collections & Archives at FSU features unique manuscripts, historic maps, rare books, photographs and university archives that offer abundant opportunities for discovery and scholarship. Strengths of the collections include regional history from colonial times through the twentieth century, including but not limited to plantation and business records, Civil Rights, society and culture, the French Revolution and Napoleonic Empire poetry and literature, Florida political history, and FSU’s history. FSU Libraries also houses the Emmett Till Archives, the Claude Pepper Library, and FSU’s World War II Archives.

For more information on the Dr. Kristine Harper Research Grant, please visit lib.fsu.edu/sca/research/harper-research-grant. To learn more about FSU Libraries Special Collections & Archives, visit lib.fsu.edu/specialcollections.

There are many ways to support the Florida State University Libraries. For more information, please contact Jenni McKnight, Director of Development, University Libraries, at (850) 644-5211 or jmcknight@ foundation.fsu.edu.