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The Ashby M. Larmore Fellowship Program

The Ashby M. Larmore Fellowship was created to foster and expand genealogical and historical knowledge related to the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Established to honor the late Mr. Ashby Morton Larmore’s dedication to continual learning through primary source study, the fellowship seeks to support scholarly research using primary sources in the collections of the H. Furlong Baldwin Library and other field resources.

Applications are now welcome for the 2024–2025 fellowship year. Applications details below. Apply here.

Fellowship Overview

The Ashby M. Larmore Fellowship welcomes applications pertaining to Eastern Shore-related genealogy and/or other historical topics exploring the people, events, sites, and/or objects of Maryland’s Eastern Shore communities and their interactions with the Chesapeake Bay before the United States’ entry into World War II (1941).

Topics may include, but are not limited to, the study of ways and customs of people, archaeological findings, agriculture and waterways, patterns in immigration, religious groups, law, medicine, military, early trades and professions, art, music, literature, and more relating to Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Applications should demonstrate a strong tie between the proposed research project, the focus of the fellowship, and the Library’s collections. Fellows are also encouraged to conduct research using primary sources at outside organizations.

Fellowship terms: one fellowship will be awarded for the 2024–2025 academic year. Applications are due December 31, 2023, and the awards will be offered by April 30, 2024. The term of the fellowship ranges from June 1, 2024, to May 31, 2025. Research may be broken up in shorter visits over that year. Applicants with a minimum of 10 days planned research will be considered.

FELLOWSHIP BENEFITS

The fellow will receive:

  • A $3,000 stipend.
  • A one-year joint membership to the Maryland Genealogical Society and the Maryland Center for History and Culture.
  • Special Library privileges, including increased access outside public opening hours.
  • Individualized research support and support toward publication opportunities.

FELLOWSHIP REQUIREMENTS

As part of the fellowship, the recipient must:

  • Submit a one- to two-page report with an annotated bibliography at the conclusion of the residency.
  • Contribute a post about their research to MCHC’s underbelly blog.
  • Provide a public talk discussing his/her findings and research process at MCHC.
  • Fellows are encouraged to submit an article for possible publication to our peer-reviewed Maryland Historical Magazine and/or to the Maryland Genealogical Society’s peer-reviewed journal, Maryland Genealogical Society Journal.
  • Appropriately credit the Ashby M. Larmore Fellowship and the MCHC in any publications relating to the fellows’ research conducted as part of the fellowship.

REVIEW PROCESS

Applications will be reviewed by a panel of internal and external reviewers, including librarians and scholars familiar with MCHC collections. Reviewers will assess applications’ fit with the scope and focus of the Ashby M. Larmore Fellowship, the soundness of research proposals, and the ways in which proposals integrate with MCHC collections and field resources.

After the initial review stage, selected candidates will be asked to participate in an online interview in February 2024. Awards will be offered by April 30, 2024.

HOW TO APPLY

Applications are accepted through our online application system (account creation required). Applications may be saved and returned to before submitting. 

To apply, candidates should prepare:

  • A short (300 words or less) abstract about the intended research project.
  • A list of collections of interest in the H. Furlong Baldwin Library that may be useful to the research project. Take time to search the Library catalog and finding aids, and be as specific with collection names and numbers as possible.
  • A CV or resume.
  • A more in-depth (between 1,500 and 2,500 words) summary of the intended research, how the research ties into the focus of the Ashby M. Larmore Fellowship, and how collections at MCHC’s H. Furlong Baldwin Library will support the research.
  • A writing sample between 2,000 and 4,000 words that demonstrates the applicant’s writing, research, and analytical skills.
  • Contact information for two individuals familiar with the applicant’s scholarly work.

Please note: Prior to the beginning of the fellowship, accepted fellows are subject to a background check.

Applications are due December 31, 2023. Apply here.

If you have questions about the Ashby M. Larmore Fellowship, contact Martina Kado, Vice President of Research and France-Merrick Director of the H. Furlong Baldwin Library, at mkado@mdhistory.org.