Closing Date for Applications: March 30, 2012
Announcement of Award:        May 2012
Send Application Form to:

Naval History and Heritage Command
Senior Historian
805 Kidder Breese SE
Washington, DC 20374-5060

1. The Naval History and Heritage Command, Department of the Navy, using non-appropriated funds, is offering one research grant in U.S. naval history to be used during 2012. The grant is named in honor of the late Rear Admiral Ernest M. Eller, USN, a former Director of Naval History, for his contributions to U.S. naval history. The grant is intended to assist a graduate student in the research and writing of U.S. naval history in fulfillment of the requirements of a master's or doctoral degree by helping to defray the costs of travel, living expenses, and document duplication related to the research process for a master's thesis or doctoral dissertation.

2. Stipend -The stipend is an amount up to $2,500, depending on the research expenses anticipated. The award will be made on a competitive basis and will be announced in May 2012. In accepting the award, an applicant engages to work on a study of U. S. naval history intended for publication. Payment will be made according to a mutually agreeable arrangement after commencement of research.

3. Eligibility Requirements - Applicants must be citizens of the United States enrolled in a master's or doctoral degree program in history or a closely related field in a recognized graduate school.

4. Applications - Applicants should submit a completed and signed application with supporting data attached, including an approved master's thesis proposal or a dissertation prospectus outlining of the purpose and scope of the research project, and a proposed budget. Additionally, candidates must arrange for submission of official transcripts of undergraduate and graduate course work, and letters of recommendation as specified on the application form. Allow sufficient lead time so that all supporting documents are received by the Naval History and Heritage Command in advance of the March 30, 2012, deadline date. Application forms are available from the Senior Historian, at the address above on online, Eller Grant Application.

5. Evaluation and Selection - Preference will be given to proposals that have high promise of filling gaps in the literature of U.S. naval history that the Naval History and Heritage Command has identified as of higher interest. The command's list of priority subjects in U.S. naval history is posted on the command's website, view here, and is regularly updated. Applications will be screened by the professional staff of the Naval History and Heritage Command. The Director of Naval History will make the final selection in each case. All awards are based on merit, regardless of race, color, creed, or sex. Evaluation is based on evidence of ability, the letters of recommendation, and the nature of the proposed research and its potential contribution to modern scholarship on the history of the United States Navy.

6. What Is Expected of the Recipient – Recipients of Eller Grants are expected to make substantial progress on the research and writing for which they receive the grant, to produce and submit an abstract summarizing the major findings of the completed project suitable for posting on the command's website, and to present a copy of the completed dissertation, thesis, or other written project for the collections of the Navy Department Library, subject to author and institution restrictions. Recipients will be encouraged to make presentations on their research as part of the command's Speakers' Series or some other appropriate setting, such as a lecture in one of the Navy's official museums.

7. Taxes - For the tax implications of the award, recipients should consult the Internal Revenue Service and their state revenue offices or their tax advisors. Recipients will be required to report their social security numbers before receiving payments.

8. The Naval History and Heritage Command - The command's headquarters are located in the Washington Navy Yard, Washington, DC. The library, archival, and curatorial branches of the command have a wealth of resources. These are augmented by the proximity of the U. S. National Archives and the Library of Congress. If the outline of research calls for substantial research in the collections held at the command's Washington headquarters, the grant recipient will be provided temporary desk space at the Naval History and Heritage Command. This does not preclude research elsewhere. The location of other work on the project is at the recipient's discretion.