Guidelines & Application Form: La Trobe Society Fellowship

The La Trobe Society Fellowship is awarded annually, and sponsored in 2009-10 by the AGL Shaw Foundation. One Fellowship will be offered for a period of six months, with a grant of $25,000.

A full-time or part-time Fellowship may be awarded. Preference will be given to applicants who do not have access to alternative sources of subsidy. Joint applications will not be accepted.

Fellowship requirements

The Fellowship is intended for the use of the resources of the State Library of Victoria. Subject to this general consideration, the award is to be used to research into and write about the colonial period of Victoria’s history during Charles Joseph La Trobe's administration as Superintendent and Lieutenant-Governor (1839–54). It may be extended to cover the period immediately before La Trobe's arrival, or the effects of his tenure after his departure.

In addition, successful applicants will be required to:

take up the Fellowship in the 12-month period immediately following the award's announcement (July 2009 to June 2010)
make significant use of the resources of the State Library of Victoria
spend at least 75 per cent of their research time at the State Library of Victoria
give a public presentation of the results of their creative activity or research and, where appropriate, deposit a copy of their work in the State Library and give a special presentation to members of the La Trobe Society
give the State Library of Victoria and the La Trobe Society the first opportunity to publish the results of the work undertaken, where appropriate or desirable.

Selection process

The selection of the Fellowship award winner is based on written application only. The application must include the names of three referees.

Applications must be submitted using the application form and be received by the Library by the due date. All applications will be acknowledged by mail.

Applications are read by Library staff to establish that they meet the key criteria. A shortlist of the applications considered by Library staff to best meet these criteria is prepared, and copies of these applications are provided to an independent expert committee of the Library Board of Victoria. A complete list of all applications accompanies the shortlist. Committee members are able to call into consideration applications that are not on the shortlist during their period of consideration.

The committee meets to determine the recommendation to the Library Board for the awarding of the Fellowship. Following the committee meeting, Library staff contact the referees for recommended projects and, subject to favourable reports, the recommended projects are presented to the Library Board at its June meeting.

The Board considers the recommendation and awards the Fellowship for commencement on or after 1 July.

Following the acceptance of the offer of Fellowship, unsuccessful applicants are advised by mail. The Fellowship is not awarded to postgraduate students before completion of examination requirements.

Information session

An information session is held each year - intending applicants are encouraged to attend to discuss their proposals before submitting them.

The Library's collections

The Library is Victoria's major reference and research library. Its collections, which reflect the cultural and social history of Victoria, are an incredibly rich resource for the La Trobe Society Fellow.

Its special collections - Australian Manuscripts, Pictures, Children's Literature, Rare Books, Maps and Newspapers - are particularly important for researchers. Many rare and unusual artefacts of great historical significance are held in these collections, such as Ned Kelly's 'Jerilderie Letter' and suit of armour, John Batman's journal and a leaf of the Gutenberg Bible.

Application form

Applications for 2009 are now closed.

More information

Ms Gail Schmidt
State Library of Victoria
328 Swanston Street
Melbourne Vic 3000
Phone 03 8664 7335
Email fellows@slv.vic.gov.au