Michael G. Karni Scholarship

The Michael G. Karni Scholarship award is intended as a grant in aid of research to help defray expenses of visiting professors, lecturers, or graduate students from the United States or abroad using the archival sources of the University of Minnesota’s Immigration History Research Center (IHRC), with emphasis on projects relating to the Finnish American experience.

The award is a memorial to Michael Karni, pioneering historian and publisher of Finnish American ethnicity who was chiefly responsible for the initial development of the Finnish American collection at the IHRC. The fund has been made possible through gifts from friends and members of the Karni family along with other supporters of Finnish American scholarly activity.

Terms of Award

Up to $1000 to assist with travel and research-related expenses associated with a term of residence at the IHRC of not less than two full weeks (10 business days) of research. In planning a visit, note that the Immigration History Research Center will be closed the last week of December.

Who May Apply?

Post-doctoral scholars and graduate students working in fields of migration history, ethnic studies, cultural studies, and other areas for which the IHRC’s extensive holdings on Finnish immigration and ethnicity are of special significance. (Information about these sources is available on the IHRC's Web site.)

Selection Criteria

• Demonstrated connection between research needs and specific materials at the IHRC.
• Evidence of excellent writing skills and concrete plans for publication (or thesis/dissertation schedule).
• Finnish language proficiency (for projects requiring sources in Finnish).

Application Materials

• Proposal of no more than 2 pages describing research project and collections to be consulted.
• Current curriculum vitae.
• Two letters of reference from current or recent professors or colleagues.
• Brief estimate of expenses and proposed use of funds.

Deadline for Submission

June 1 for research visit in the upcoming fiscal year August 1 - June 30

Send application materials to ihrc@umn.edu, Attn: External Scholar Funding
OR to the following postal address

Program Director/External Scholar Funding
Immigration History Research Center
University of Minnesota
311 Andersen Library
222 21st Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55455