R.W. Davis Travel Grants
The graduate program supports graduate research and conference participation through R.W. Davis Travel Grants. Awarded on a competitive basis and subject to the limits of department resources, this funding allows students to present papers at academic conferences. The award is named for Professor Emeritus Richard W. Davis in recognition of his decades of service to Washington University's doctoral program in history.
Students may apply for a Davis Travel Grant during the academic year by submitting a one-page proposal outlining the rationale for their conference plans to the graduate committee. During the summer, the graduate committee awards Davis Travel Grants as part of its regular package of summer support.
The Lisa Gubser-Blakeley Prize
Lisa Gubser came to Washington University with a BA from Carleton College in 1989 to study early-modern English history with Derek Hirst. Distinguishing herself as a student of enormous promise, she produced an exceptional dissertation prospectus and set of portfolio papers that brought her a prestigious NEH Dissertation Fellowship in 1992.
That same year she helped a fellow graduate student, Derek Blakeley, recover from a brain hemorrhage. They married in 1993, but tragically Lisa herself passed away before the year was out. Drawing on resources contributed by her friends, classmates, and professors, the Lisa Gubser-Blakeley Memorial Prize celebrates the promise and excellence of Lisa's work by recognizing the best seminar or portfolio paper written by a history doctoral student during the academic year with an award of $200.
Soviak Fellowship in History: China and/or Japan
The Soviak Fellowship is awarded to incoming Ph.D. students in History with a concentration in the history of China and/or Japan. The Soviak Fellowship, made possible by a bequest from the late historian Eugene Soviak, is part of a funding package that provides for six years of study, with two years off from Teaching Assistantship duties. In addition, the fellowship provides $2,000 for international travel for dissertation research. The department specializes in the history of early modern China and modern Japan.
Ann W. & Spencer T. Olin-Chancellor’s Fellowship
The Ann W. and Spencer T. Olin-Chancellor’s Fellowship (OCF) is an elite cohort of outstanding graduate students with wide-ranging backgrounds and from varied disciplines. The OCF is committed to nurturing a variety of distinctive backgrounds and perspectives. The OCF particularly values students who have demonstrated a commitment to gender and racial diversity, equity and inclusion. The OCF offers a competitive award package and a best-in-class graduate fellowship experience. Fellows receive exceptional leadership and development opportunities, access to unique resources, networking, programming, and mentorship opportunities that will empower them to demonstrate all-round excellence. For more information, visit the OCF website.