Stella Blum Student Research Grant

Stella Blum Student Research Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Costume Society of America
Amount: US $3,000
Last Updated: June 14, 2025

Summary

The Stella Blum Student Research Grant, funded by the Costume Society of America, supports undergraduate and graduate students conducting original research in North American costume. With an annual award of $3,000 and up to $600 for presentation registration, this grant encourages scholarly contributions to the field. Named after costume curator Stella Blum, the grant promotes the study of costume as a serious academic discipline, ensuring financial assistance for innovative research projects.

Overview

The Stella Blum Student Research Grant is intended to assist the research of a current undergraduate or graduate student who is a member of the Costume Society of America and conducting original research in the field of North American costume. This $3,000 grant, funded by the CSA Endowment, is awarded annually to provide a student with financial assistance with research (see below for details of allowable and non-allowable expenses). An additional stipend of up to $600 and a day-of-presentation registration fee, also funded by the CSA Endowment, is awarded to allow the recipient to present the completed research at a CSA National Symposium. The recipient is also expected to prepare an article for review and subsequent publication in the CSA journal Dress. (The faculty advisor, when appropriate, may be listed as a second author.)The grant, first awarded in 1987, is named in honor of Stella Blum (1916-1985), a costume curator, educator, writer, scholar, and founding member and Fellow of the Costume Society of America. Affiliated with the Costume Institute of The Metropolitan Museum of Art since 1940, she became its first curator in 1970, and helped to develop costume as an area of serious study.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements:Be a CSA member in good standing:Be a student matriculating, at the time of the funded research, in a degree program at an accredited institution;Propose a research project in the field of North American costume.Allowable expenses include the following:Transportation to and from a research site (away from home or school);Living expenses at research site (away from home or school);Supplies and services such as image reproduction/rights, books, postage, phone charges, data storage, transcription services, graphics, etc.If the research proposal involves human subjects and/or interviews, appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval must be submitted before the initial grant payment is made. You must be a member of this organization to apply for this award - become a member.

Ineligibility

Non-allowable expenses include the following:Living expenses while at home or school;Tuition and materials for course work;Overhead or indirect costs to any institution;Salary;Equipment such as cameras, tape recorders, or computers;Transportation to regional or national meetings of CSA during the year of the award. (Note: a $600 reimbursement is provided for the National Symposium presentation year.)Expenses incurred prior to the date of the written notification of the award, including costs of preparing the application.