Bernard L. Majewski Research Fellowship Grant

The Bernard L. Majewski Research Fellowship, funded by the University of Wyoming, supports research in the history of economic geology. Scholars at any academic level may apply, and the fellowship includes a $3,000 stipend for a one-month residency at the American Heritage Center. Proposals should integrate archival collections and demonstrate potential for professional presentation. The fellowship aims to enhance understanding of economic geology and its historical context, encouraging innovative research that utilizes diverse data sources.

About the American Heritage Center
The AHC is a public research institution with collections of local, regional and national significance. Its holdings emphasize the American West, from the nineteenth to the twenty-first century. It has extensive collections in military history, popular entertainment, mining and petroleum, as well as environment and natural resources. The Center also serves as the University of Wyoming’s manuscripts repository, rare books library, and university archives. With more than 90,000 cubic feet of material and 3500 collections, the Center stands among the largest non-governmental repositories in the nation.
The fellowship is named for Bernard L. Majewski, a petroleum executive who began working in 1917 for Deep Rock Oil Corporation of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and eventually became a vice-president. In 1951, he established the Great American Oil Company. He served the U.S. government before and during World War II in petroleum administration. The fellowship is funded by an endowment provided through the generosity of Mrs. Thelma Majewski and is intended to provide research support for a recognized scholar in the history of economic geology and to facilitate the Fellow’s use of the AHC’s archival collections.
Research Fields
The Fellowship is intended to support research in the history of economic geology. For the purposes of the Fellowship, economic geology is defined as the activities of exploration and development of petroleum, base, precious and industrial minerals, including basic geological research. Acceptable related fields include history, oral history, and historical archaeology pertaining to economic geology, environment and natural resources history, and business or economic history related to economic geology. The AHC maintains many archival collections that can be used by the Fellow as source material in conducting historical research.
Features of the Fellowship
The fellowship includes a $3,000 stipend. Fellows will be in residence at the AHC for one month (20 business days), during the fifteen months following notification of the award. (For in-residence research of less than 20 days, the stipend will be pro-rated.)
Fellows are expected to prepare a precis outlining sources consulted, how those sources shaped the research findings, and how the Fellow will incorporate this information into a final product. Fellows are expected to credit the AHC in publications which use its collections and to provide copies to the AHC of final publication or work.
Payment of Stipends
The Fellow will receive the stipend at the end of their stay and receipt of the precis. No advances will be authorized.
Fellows are responsible for arranging their transportation, lodging, and meals during residency.

Eligibility

Academic scholars at any level, from graduate students to tenured faculty, may apply.Proposals will be awarded based on the following criteria:The extent to which the proposed project draws upon the collections of the AHC.
The research project’s potential contribution to the understanding of the history of economic geology.The potential for professional presentation and/or publication upon completion of the Fellow’s research.The applicant's ability to complete the research project in a timely fashion.