Margaret George Awards commemorate the life and work of Margaret George. They are designed to help talented, emerging scholars complete an innovative and quality research project that:

• is significant for Australian audiences
• makes substantial use of our collection

The current award-holder is Dr Craig Stockings, Lecturer at the University of New South Wales, Australian Defence Force Academy. Former award-holders have explored topics as diverse as censorship and volunteering.

Who can apply for the Margaret George Award?

Successful applicants could be emergent historians, academics, independent researchers or journalists with a talent for research. It is desirable that applicants have a record of achievement in their chosen field and the potential to excel further.

The award is not granted to support current postgraduate or doctoral projects. Scholars very well established in their chosen profession should consider applying for the Frederick Watson Fellowship.

The Archives' extensive collection must be the core focus of research projects undertaken by successful applicants.

The assessment panel will look favourably upon applications that list specific record series from the collection for the research project and include a detailed budget showing all other linked support and assistance in-kind for your project.

Grants and award research can be undertaken at any National Archives office – there is one in each Australian capital city.

The award may be granted on either a full-time or part-time basis, depending on the circumstances and requirements of the successful applicants. It is envisaged that the award would be undertaken full-time for a maximum of three months or part-time for a maximum of 12 months. Awards cannot be deferred.

National Archives grants and awards can be granted to international applicants provided their research focus is the National Archives of Australia collection.

Discuss your proposal in advance

Prospective applicants should contact Marg Wade on (02) 6212 3600 or via grants@naa.gov.au before lodging their application to discuss the scope of their research project, their intended use of the National Archives collection and their audience.

Awards are provided to cover costs such as:

• living subsidy during the period of the tenure
• airfares within Australia to the office in which the research is undertaken 
• copying costs and special software needs 
• consumables

The amount of the grant will be at the discretion of the judging panel, based on the nature of the project, details supplied in the application, and the budget defined within.

The National Archives provides public access to records in its collection that are over 30 years old. The award does not entitle researchers to any special or privileged access.

The National Archives will assist in providing, where available, a research area at an Archives office in any Australian capital city.

Successful applicants who intend to conduct their research in National Archives offices which are open only on a part-time basis must consider this in their proposed research timetable.

Successful applicants will be required to:

• present at least one public lecture and one seminar to Archives staff, invited guests, and members of the public, in the office at which the grant recipient is tenured – further presentations may be negotiated
• be available for publicity purposes, including interviews with the media in order to promote the results of their research
• promote the results of their research within two years (or three years for the Frederick Watson Fellowship) of the completion of the grant tenure by publication of a book, journal article, web pages or conference paper 
• acknowledge the support of the National Archives of Australia in any publication or promotion resulting from the research 
• provide a complimentary copy of any such publication to the Archives 
• be prepared to act as an advisor to successful applicants in future years
• prepare a report at the conclusion of the tenure of the award evaluating the benefits of the experience

Each application must include the following.

1. Information about you:

• a cover sheet (445kb pdf) that identifies your:
  • name
  • home address, phone number, email
  • business address, phone number, email
  • current employment details
  • highest educational qualification
  • current research interests
• a curriculum vitae
• details of other research awards previously held or similar noteworthy achievements
• details of professional seminars/conference papers/public lectures presented
• a list of published works

2. A detailed research proposal that clearly:

• provides a comprehensive outline of the proposed research topic – this outline should identify records in the National Archives collection – there should be substantial evidence that the National Archives holds adequate material to support the proposed research
• indicates the anticipated outcomes of and audience for the proposed research
• indicates how the research will be publicised and published (book, journal article, web pages or conference paper) and how this will achieve the aims of the award
• indicates whether research would be undertaken part-time or full-time
• provides a timeline showing dates and the number of weeks required for the research to be completed
• contains an indicative budget of the travel, accommodation, research, copying and software expenses during the tenure
• indicates the dates during which the Fellowship would be undertaken
• indicates at which office of the National Archives the research would be undertaken (including an estimate of how long the visit would last and what it would entail)
• indicates whether other offices of the National Archives would need to be visited
• details any special equipment needs

3. References from two referees that address the following selection criteria:

• the applicant’s qualifications, ability, achievements and potential in the chosen field
• the quality of the applicant’s previous research and/or publications
• the applicant’s demonstrated capacity to complete research projects within a reasonable time frame
• the applicant’s awareness of relevant available sources in the National Archives collection and whether these sources are likely to support the research proposed
• the feasibility of the project in terms of available resources and time or other constraints
• whether the project will make a substantial contribution to knowledge in the field
• how the project will bring the National Archives collection to wider Australian notice
• contact details (telephone, fax number, postal and email address)

Applications should be sent to the following address by 27 June 2008:

Research Grants
National Archives of Australia
PO Box 7425
Canberra Business Centre ACT 2610

Or you can submit by email to grants@naa.gov.au

Prospective applicants should contact Marg Wade at the National Archives of Australia on (02) 6212 3600 or before lodging their application to discuss their proposed project and intended audience for the work resulting from it.

Notifications

Applications received by the closing date will be acknowledged by email. All applicants, successful or otherwise will by notified in writing.

For further information, please contact Marg Wade at the National Archives of Australia in Canberra:

Phone: +61 2 6212 3600
Fax: +61 2 6212 3699