The Dibner Library of the History of Science and Technology Resident Scholar Program, supported by The Dibner Fund, awards stipends of $3,500.00 per month for up to six months for individuals working on a topic relating to the history of science and technology who can make substantial use of collections in the Dibner Library. Historians, librarians, doctoral students, and post-doctoral scholars are welcome to apply. Scholars must be in residence at the Dibner Library during the award period. Scholars wanting to do research in other areas of Smithsonian Libraries’ Special Collections should apply for the Baird Society Resident Scholar Program.

The core of the holdings of the Dibner Library of the History of Science and Technology consists of approximately 10,000 rare books and manuscripts that were generously donated to the nation by the Burndy Library (founded by Bern Dibner) on the occasion of the nation’s Bicentennial (1976). The strengths of the Dibner Library collection are in the fields of mathematics, astronomy, classical natural philosophy, theoretical physics (up to the early twentieth century), experimental physics (especially electricity and magnetism), engineering technology (from the Renaissance to the late nineteenth century), and scientific apparatus and instruments.

To be competitive, the applicant should describe in detail how he/she intends to use the collections of the Dibner Library. While the Libraries’ extensive general collections may be used to support scholars’ research, the focus of their projects must center around the Dibner Library’s Special Collections. Deadline: March 15, 2013

For more information about the Dibner Library Resident Scholar Program, please visit their website. For information on other grants and prizes in history, see the “Awards and Fellowships” section of the AHA Calendar.

This post first appeared on AHA Today.