Humanities

MRes Humanities Student of the Year Prize

Awarded annually to the MRes Humanities student with the highest average mark.

This prize will be listed on the HEAR, and will be announced at graduation.

Regina Oppman Prize

Award type: Cheque
Amount: not less than £20

This prize was established in 1974 by Dr John Coutouvidis in recognition of the generous help provided to him in his doctoral studies by Mrs. Regina Oppman, Chief Archivist of the Polish Institute from 1949 to 1980. In 1984, this prize was endowed on a permanent basis by the Polish Institute. It is normally awarded annually to the postgraduate student, registered in the History Department, who has, in the opinion of the Head of School, made the most significant advance in scholarly work during the year.

This prize will be listed on the student transcript.

The Margaret Spufford Prize

Award type: Cheque
Amount: £100

The prize is to be established in memory of Margaret Spufford’s career as a distinguished historian, and her important connections with Keele University. It will be awarded annually by the School of Humanities to a PGT student registered for a PGT award in History [currently the Humanities MRes (History) or the M.A. in History] and would be awarded to the student who submitted the best dissertation.

This prize will be listed on the student transcript, and will be announced at graduation.

David Bruce Centre Student Domestic Travel Fund

Amount: up to £100 (maximum per student per academic year)
Purpose: to facilitate travel (not subsistence) for domestic research trips (e.g. to British Library)
Eligibility: all Keele postgraduate or final-year undergraduate students with a research interest in North America are eligible to apply
Application procedure: students may apply on a rolling basis, before or after research has occurred.

To apply, email the David Bruce Centre Director James Peacock (j.h.peacock@keele.ac.uk) a letter of application, and include the following:

1. The cost incurred (e.g. train fare, and if necessary for research, overnight accommodation)
2. A 300-word description of your project and justification for the funding (typically a list of the materials to consult that are unavailable at Keele)

Note: to receive reimbursement, students must keep travel receipts. The DBC will reimburse standard-class tickets only, and encourages students to book advance fares wherever possible.

Postgraduate Research and Conference Grants

Postgraduate students enrolled at Keele with research interests in North America are members of the DBC and are eligible for financial assistance to enable them to carry out the research necessary for the completion of their theses (MRes/PhD) and to attend conferences or colloquia on themes close to their subject of interest.

Grants can be used to cover travel, accommodation, and some extraordinary expenses, such as photocopying. Applications are considered by the Bruce Centre Committee four times a year (normally March, June, September, and December) and should be submitted to the Director of the Bruce Centre James Peacock (j.h.peacock@keele.ac.uk) by 1 March, 1 June, 1 September or 1 December respectively.

Please submit a Research Grant Form

Adams Award for Travel in North America

The David Adams Fund offers travel opportunities within the United States and Canada to enhance understanding of the immensities of American landscapes, both natural and built environments, and their influence on the development of the United States and of what has so often been called ‘the American mind’. The Award is designed to liberate through experience the imaginations of younger researchers. It is open to postgraduate students of Keele University working in any area of research relating to the United States.

At least one Award of up to £1000 will be made annually from the interest on the Adams Award Fund and the David Bruce Centre Endowment Fund. Application should be made to the Director of the Bruce Centre James Peacock (j.h.peacock@keele.ac.uk) by March 1. Applications should consist of a letter of interest describing the proposed purpose, duration and timing of the stay. They should also include a research proposal (c. 500-1000 words) and a curriculum vitae. Please be as specific as you can about what you propose to do and what benefits will accrue from the activities you propose to undertake.

Applicants must have guaranteed funding for transatlantic travel and research activities, and are requested to submit a report to the David Bruce Centre director upon their return.

The Adams Fund

The Adams Fund, which remains open for contributions, recognises the long service and deep commitment to the University by Professor David K. Adams. His undergraduate career at Cambridge was followed by election to a Henry Fellowship at Yale University, where he gained a Master’s degree in American History. He returned to the UK for doctoral research at Oxford and joined the staff at Keele in 1957. He became an active campaigner for the inter-disciplinary study of the United States, and the liberal arts traditions at Keele gave him the opportunity to create an undergraduate Honours programme in American Studies, followed by the Department and later the David Bruce Centre for American Studies. He lectured in many different countries throughout the world, including Iran, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Burma, and was a regular media commentator on US affairs. His national and international activities were recognised by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office by an OBE on the Diplomatic List in 1997.

The Adams Prize for American History

The Adams Prize for American History (postgraduate) is awarded annually for the best performance by a Keele postgraduate student in the field of American history. Applications should be made to the Director of the David Bruce Centre before the start of the Easter vacation each year and should consist of a covering letter and a written submission of 5,000 to 10,000 words in the field of American history.

Applications are considered by the Director of the Bruce Centre James Peacock (j.h.peacock@keele.ac.uk) in liaison with the Committee of the the David Bruce Centre. The winner is announced in May and the prize is awarded on Graduation Day.

The John D. Lees Memorial Bursary Fund

The John D. Lees Memorial Bursary was established to commemorate Dr. John David Lees, Reader in American Politics in the University of Keele, who died in February 1986. Dr. Lees was a member of the Departments of American Studies and Politics from 1964, and a founder member of the David Bruce Centre for American Studies in 1969. His American Studies and Political Science colleagues world-wide, his students and former students, friends and family, have established the Fund as a permanent memorial to his devotion to his profession, to the University of Keele, and to the welfare of his students.

The John D. Lees Memorial Bursary supports visits to research archives in the United States and Canada. Applicants must be full-time or part-time postgraduate students at the University of Keele specializing in North American politics. One Award of up to £1000 will be made annually from the interest on the John D. Lees Memorial Fund and the David Bruce Centre Endowment Fund.

Application should be made to the Director of the Bruce Centre James Peacock (j.h.peacock@keele.ac.uk) and must be received by November 1 of each year. Applications should consist of a letter of interest describing the proposed purpose, duration and timing of the stay. They should also include a research proposal (c. 500-1000 words) and a curriculum vitae. Please be as specific as you can about what you propose to do and what benefits will accrue from the activities you propose to undertake.

An Award of up to £1000 will be made annually from the interest on the John D. Lees Memorial Fund and the David Bruce Centre Endowment Fund. The Award may be divided between two or more candidates. Successful candidates will be informed before Christmas.