David Bruce Centre for American Studies

Bruce Centre Fellowships

The Bruce Centre Fellowship programme provides office space and facilities, including computer and printer access, for visiting scholars, usually from the United States. The fellowships also offer up to £500 towards research travel and conference participation. Fellows spend a significant amount of time at the Bruce Centre, usually between two weeks and one semester. They pursue their individual research, but are expected to contribute to the Bruce Centre seminar series and to make themselves available to postgraduate students.

Bruce Centre Fellowships are both by application and by invitation. Applications are considered by the Bruce Centre Committee four times a year (normally March, June, September, and December) and should be submitted to the Director of the Bruce Centre by 1 March, 1 June, 1 September or 1 December respectively. Applications should consist of a letter of interest describing the proposed purpose, duration and timing of the stay. They should also include a research proposal (c. 500-1000 words) and a curriculum vitae.

Visiting European Fellowships

The Visiting European Fellowship programme started in 2003. It covers travel and accommodation for visiting scholars from continental Europe for a week-long stay at Keele. It also provides office space and facilities, including computer and printer access. During their week at Keele, Visiting European Fellows pursue their individual research, but are expected to contribute to the Bruce Centre seminar series and to participate in the teaching of undergraduate and/or postgraduate modules.

Visiting European Fellowships are both by application and by invitation. Applications are considered by the Bruce Centre Committee four times a year (normally March, June, September, and December) and should be submitted to the Director of the Bruce Centre by 1 March, 1 June, 1 September or 1 December respectively. Applications should consist of a letter of interest describing the proposed purpose, duration and timing of the stay. They should also include a research proposal (c. 500-1000 words) and a curriculum vitae.

Bruce Centre Visiting Junior Fellowship

In addition to supporting postgraduate students at Keele, the Bruce Centre also offers non-Keele PhD students the opportunity to spend up to two months at Keele to conduct research. For this purpose the Bruce Centre Visiting Junior Fellowship provides limited financial support and logistical help. The Fellowships are either by application or by invitation. Applications are considered by the Bruce Centre Committee four times a year and should be submitted to the Director of the Bruce Centre by 1 March, 1 June, 1 September or 1 December respectively. Applications should consist of a letter of interest describing the proposed purpose, duration and timing of the stay. They should also include a research proposal (c. 500-1000 words) and a curriculum vitae.

Keele Faculty Grants

Bruce Centre Research Grants

The Bruce Centre offers, subject to financial discretion, grants up to the amount of £3,000 (bids exceeding this amount will be considered in special circumstances) to support defined research projects in American Studies. The money can be used for replacement teaching costs to enable writing up the results of research, research assistance, PhD studentships, costs of meetings or workshops to enable the advancement of research, visits by or to partner scholars, the purchase of research materials, and similar expenses to support the direct costs of research. Not eligible are costs for the organisation of colloquia, research travel, and conference attendance, for which there are separate funding schemes. Applicants are expected to submit bids for outside funding (British Academy, AHRC, Leverhulme Trust etc.) in conjunction with the Bruce Centre bid. DBC grants may then be awarded if the bids are unsuccessful.

Applicants may seek support for any combination of eligible activity and cost. They may bid for funding for research taking place over a maximum period of 24 months. All applications should demonstrate that the funds are sought for a clearly defined, discrete piece of research, which will have an identifiable outcome on completion of the funded component of the research. A report must be made to the DBC at the completion of the project.

There are no specified deadlines or forms for these grants. Applicants are required to submit copies of their bids for outside funding and a letter specifying what components of the research project would be funded with Bruce Centre funds if the bids were unsuccessful.

Research and Conference Travel Grants

Faculty Research and Conference Travel Grants offer support for academics at Keele University with significant research commitments in the study of the United States. Applications are welcome at any time and should be submitted to the Director of the Bruce Centre. Please submit the completed Research and Travel Grants Form  

Colloquium Grants

The Bruce Centre regularly hosts International Colloquia where delegates from all over the world come to Keele to give papers on their areas of research over a three-day period. Members of the DBC are encouraged to submit requests for funding colloquia to the Director. There are no specified deadlines or forms for these requests.

Postgraduate Study and Funding

If you are interested in pursuing a postgraduate degree in American Studies (MRes/MPhil/PhD), Keele is an excellent location to access a wide variety of resources and materials, and the David Bruce Centre for American Studies can provide you with various kinds of financial support. For programme details please see either Postgraduate Research (for PhD/MPhil) or Postgraduate Taught (for MRes).

Postgraduate Research and Conference Grants

Postgraduate students enrolled at Keele are members of the DBC and are eligible for financial assistance to enable them to carry out the research necessary for the completion of their theses (MRes/MPhil/PhD) and to attend conferences or colloquia on themes close to their subject of interest. Grants can be used to cover travel, accommodation, and some extraordinary expenses, such as photocopying. Applications are considered by the Bruce Centre Committee four times a year (normally March, June, September, and December) and should be submitted to the Director of the Bruce Centre by 1 March, 1 June, 1 September or 1 December respectively. Please submit a PG Research Grants Form

Bruce Centre Bursaries

The Bruce Centre offers a variety of bursaries for PhD students in American Studies and for MRes students who have applied for a full-time place on the MRes (Humanities) programme in American Literature and Culture or in U.S. History and Politics.

Schemes change from year to year, and you should look on the scholarships and bursaries web pages of the Postgraduate Research (PhD/MPhil) and the Postgraduate Taught (MRes) for current information on bursaries.

John D. Lees Memorial Bursary (MRes)

This £1500 bursary is open to all those who have applied for a full- or part-time place on the taught MRes in American Studies (US History and Politics pathway only). The bursary will be awarded on a competitive basis and applicants are asked to submit a piece of academic work of 3,000 words by 1 June in the year of proposed entry. The results of the competition will be announced by the end of June. Two copies of the submitted work and a covering letter should be sent to The Director of the David Bruce Centre for American Studies, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG. Details of application procedures for postgraduate study at Keele can be found at www.keele.ac.uk/postgraduate.

Bruce Centre Prize

A prize of the value of £250 may be awarded each year by the Senate on the recommendation of the Head of Department of American Studies for distinguished overall performance in the courses for the MRes in American Literature and Culture and U.S. History and Politics.