FELLOWSHIP
Beveridge Fellowship
2024 Call for Entries
Fellowship Recipients

CALL FOR ENTRIES
2024 Charles E. Beveridge Research Fellowship
Supporting research and projects utilizing the
Olmsted Archives at Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site

Application Deadline: April 1, 2024

BACKGROUND

The Charles E. Beveridge Research Fellowship honors the eminent scholar, Charles E. Beveridge, series editor of The Papers of Frederick Law Olmsted and devoted friend of Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site, its archives, and collections.

PURPOSE

The Beveridge Fellowship advances the continued development of new scholarship of the Olmsted Firm’s legacy by funding a wide range of scholarly research and landscape projects using the Olmsted Archives at Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site.

THEME and SELECTION CRITERIA

In 2024, we are seeking proposals using the Olmsted Firm’s archive to explore the themes of environmental resiliency, mitigating the effects of climate change, and addressing landscape integrity given current environmental issues. This research may relate to a single project or a group of projects in a particular category (residential, public parks, institutional, academic campuses, etc.), time period or locale.

While the Fellowship Committee will accept and review any and all project proposals related to the work of the Olmsted Firms (1857-1979), competitive research proposals should frame their objectives and reference Olmsted work that relates to the theme of environmental resiliency. In this vein, we also welcome proposals that bring historic landscapes up to the present day, knowing that landscapes designed or proposed by the Olmsted firm continued to evolve.

Awardees will be selected based on the originality of their proposal, its applicability to this year’s theme, and the extent to which the proposed research utilizes the diverse range of resources in the Olmsted Archives. The Beveridge Fellowship jury is composed of Friends of Fairsted board members and representatives from the National Park Service.

WHO SHOULD APPLY

We seek applications from students and professionals from a broad range of backgrounds and disciplines including, but not limited to landscape architecture, architecture, urban planning, environmental science, ecology, history, historic preservation, engineering, and American studies.

ELIGIBILITY

Applicants currently enrolled in graduate academic and professional programs, or who have completed their studies, are eligible to apply. Priority will be given to emerging professionals. Public agency staff may also apply to broaden the understanding of the Olmsted legacy at the state, regional, and municipal level. The research project must utilize the Olmsted Archives at Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site; other related repositories will also be helpful. For example, the Library of Congress contains the majority of the Olmsted firm’s correspondence, and Harvard’s Loeb Library has an extensive collection related to John Charles Olmsted.

AWARD

The Fellowship consists of a stipend of up to $3,000. There may be more than one award in a given year. Payment will be made in two installments: $2,000 upon award and $1,000 upon completion of the project summary report. An additional $500 will be available to support presentation of the research findings at a national or regional conference.

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

The awardee will submit a brief report (suggested length 500-1,000 words) to the Friends of Fairsted summarizing their research method, findings and how the funds were spent by June 1, 2025. The awardee may also be asked to participate in a webinar or write a short article to present their project to the National Park Service and Friends of Fairsted.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

For more information on Fairsted and the Beveridge Fellowship, please see the Friends of Fairsted website. Information on the Olmsted Archives, as well as related repositories, can be found at Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site website.

APPLICATION DETAILS

Prior to completing the online application, have the following items ready for upload. Note that each upload should be in pdf format and limited to 64MB per file. Applications are submitted online through the Friends’ Fellowship portal.

Applications are submitted online through the Friends’ Fellowship portal.

ITEMS TO INCLUDE:

    1. Contact information of applicant: Name, mailing address, telephone/cell, and email.
    2. Cover letter (suggested 1,000 word limit) containing the following:
      • Description of the proposed research project including a title, goals, objectives, methodology, and final product
      • Archival material anticipated for use
      • Explanation of how this project advances the applicant’s educational, personal, and/or professional goals
    3. CV or resumé

Upload your application

APPLICATION DEADLINE: April 1, 2024
NOTIFICATION TO APPLICANTS: May 1, 2024

QUESTIONS: Contact Friends of Fairsted by email: fellowship@friendsoffairsted.org

Charles Eliot Beveridge, PhD, is the preeminent scholar and expert on the life and work of Frederick Law Olmsted. He is series editor of The Frederick Law Olmsted Papers, published by Johns Hopkins University Press; the final book in the 12-volume series, Plans and Views of Communities and Private Estates, was published in 2020. Dr. Beveridge is also the author of several publications on Olmsted and his career, including Frederick Law Olmsted: Designing the American Landscape, prepared with photographer Paul Rocheleau and Frederick Law Olmsted: Writings on Landscape, Culture, and Society in the Library of America series.

QUESTIONS
Please email Fellowship at Friends of Fairsted.
 
RECIPIENTS OF BEVERIDGE FELLOWSHIP
Click to view
 
DOWNLOAD PDF
2024 Beveridge Research Fellowship Call for Entries

PHOTO CAPTIONS
Left: Map of the City of Dayton, Ohio showing flooded district, 1910. Job #3280 Dayton, Ohio Parks. Plan #3280-z4 courtesy NPS, Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site.

Right: The Redwood State and National Parks by Carol Highsmith, 2012. Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division. This image relates to Olmsted Job #1809 Save the Redwoods League and Job #8072 California State Park Commission.