The Canberra Region Branch of the Australian Society for the Study of Labour History (ASSLH) and the National Institute for Social Sciences and Law (NISSL) at the Australian National University (ANU) invite students doing honours or equivalent to apply for a $1,000 scholarship to do research at the Noel Butlin Archives Centre (NBAC), based at ANU in Canberra.
The aim of the scholarship is to assist a promising student, with an interest in labour history and/or the labour movement more generally, to overcome the financial obstacles to doing research in Canberra.
The scholarship honours the contribution of the late Dr Eric Fry to labour history as Senior Lecturer in History from 1959 and as Reader 1967-1986 at the ANU. With Prof Robin Gollan he founded the Australian Society for the Study of Labour History in 1961 and was the first Secretary and then President 1984-1986.
One scholarship will be granted each year, for a lump sum of $1000, to assist with fares to Canberra, accommodation, and other research expenses. The NBAC is the largest non-government archives in Australia, and holds an unrivalled collection of trade union and business records, along with the personal papers of left wing and labour movement activists.
To be eligible a student must:
1. Be accepted into an honours program (or equivalent) at an Australian university, or university in New Zealand, PNG, Timor L’Este or Fiji, in which one requirement is the production of a research thesis of at least 10,000 words. (By equivalent we mean that the study program must make a student eligible for enrolment in a postgraduate research degree).
2. Be intending to write their thesis in the broad areas of labour and social history or labour movement studies. Students need not be working within the discipline of history. Students of politics, international relations, sociology, Australian studies, economics, economic history, industrial relations, management, Pacific studies, cultural studies, museum studies, and other disciplines may be eligible. It is the nature of the thesis project only that is relevant.
3. Intend using the resources of the NBAC as part of their research. Students are welcome to use other archival and research facilities in Canberra, and should outline any such intentions in their application.
4. Supply written references from their intended academic supervisor, and one other academic with personal knowledge of the student. These references must, inter alia attest to the nature of the proposed research program, the need to use the resources of the NBAC, the ability of the student to complete the proposed thesis to a high standard and on time, and the potential for the student to advance to postgraduate research.
The criteria for the award will be:
1. The relevance of the project for the discipline of labour history.
2. The degree to which the resources of the NBAC are essential to the proposed thesis.
3. The academic capabilities of the student, as reflected in university results, academic references, and other evidence supplied; including their potential to succeed at postgraduate study.
4. The degree to which the scholarship may assist the student to do their research in Canberra.
The successful student will be required to:
1. Supply a copy of their finished thesis to the NBAC and ASSLH in both electronic and printed form, along with permission to publish all or part of the thesis on the ASSLH website.
2. Make themselves available to attend a meeting of the ASSLH in Canberra to report on the progress or outcome of their research at a mutually convenient time.
Applications
Applications should be in the form of a letter addressing the criteria above, along with photocopies of all relevant documentary evidence and a statement agreeing to the scholarship conditions.
Applications will close on 31 January each year and the scholarship will be awarded in February. The decision will be made by a panel of three, consisting of a representative of the NBAC, a representative of the NISSL and a representative of the ASSLH. We reserve the right not to award a scholarship in any year. No correspondence will be entered into.
Applications should be addressed to:
Eric Fry Labour History Scholarship
Australian Society for the Study of Labour History
LPO Box 8043
Australian National University ACT 0200
Inquiries can be directed to:
Paul Pickering, ANU, tel 02 6125 3451, email paul.pickering [at] anu.edu.au
Maggie Shapley, NBAC, tel 02 6125 9602, email maggie.shapley [at] anu.edu.au
Peter Ellett, ASSLH, tel 02 6278 5307, email petere [at] vtown.com.au
http://information.anu.edu.au/archives/news_and_events/Eric_Fry.php