For over forty years, the Summer Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has provided scholars from around the world with the opportunity to work in our Library's famous collections in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies.
We are pleased to announce that we will be holding the Summer Research Laboratory again this coming year, from June 11 to August 3, 2018. In addition, we are piloting a new program for scholars interested in visiting our campus during the academic year, from November 2017 to May 2018, called the Open Research Laboratory.
We are accepting applications for the Open Research Laboratory starting immediately. (Applications for the Summer Research Laboratory will open on December 2017.)
About the Programs
With hundreds of thousands of volumes in Russian, East European, and Eurasian languages, alongside extensive microfilm collections of rare and archival materials, the University Library at Illinois ranks among the best research collections in the world. Our Research Laboratory programs provide scholars with the opportunity to work extensively with these resources, at any stage of their work. Many important books and articles have been written in our collections over the years. Graduate students find a trip to Illinois an excellent way to plan their research and begin work on their dissertations.
Both the Open Research Lab and the Summer Research Lab offer scholars the following opportunities:
* Full access to our Library and its physical and electronic collections.
* One on one research consultations with the experienced bibliographers of our Slavic Reference Service.
* Access to scholarly programming and discussion groups on our campus throughout their stay, to help them meet other scholars and learn about new research in progress.
Graduate students, academics, independent scholars, librarians, and government employees are encouraged to apply.
Both programs offer some financial aid in the form of housing and travel stipends, with minor differences as described below. They are made possible by a generous grant from the U.S. Department of State's Title VIII Grant Program. These stipends are available only to U.S. citizens, and are intended to support projects that are relevant to contemporary policy questions.
The Open Research Laboratory
The ORL is aimed at scholars who wish to visit Illinois any time between November 2017 and May 15, 2018. Applications are now being accepted on a rolling basis. Priority consideration for Spring 2018 will be given to applications received by January 15, 2018.
Scholars participating in the Open Research Laboratory may apply for:
* up to 5 days of housing on campus;
* travel grants of up to $500 for their trip to Urbana-Champaign;
* modest research stipends
They are also welcome to attend all campus programming and public talks at the Center during their stay. We are happy to introduce them to local students and scholars, as well as to make arrangements for them to present their work in progress for discussion.
The Summer Research Laboratory
The SRL is open to all scholars with research interests in Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies for eight weeks this coming summer, from June 11 until August 3, 2018. Each year, during the SRL, we host research workshops and training sessions that may be of interest to visitors: please see here for details.
Scholars participating in the Summer Research Laboratory may apply for:
* up to 12 days of dormitory housing on campus;
* travel grants of up to $500 in support of their trip to Urbana-Champaign.
*modest research stipends
Applications will open on December 2017, with the deadline for grant funding being March 15, 2018. REEEC will continue to accept applications for the Summer Research Lab after the grant deadline, but they will be at a lower priority for housing and travel funds.
For further information, please see:
