RSVP

The Research Society for Victorian Periodicals

RSVP News & Events

Applications for The Curran Fellowships Now Open

Applications for our annual Curran Fellowships are now open! We’re currently accepting applications for projects beginning in 2020 through December 1, 2019 at 11:59 p.m. (US Pacific Time, or UTC/GMT -7). The Curran Fellowships are research and travel awards intended to support the use of primary sources to explore any aspect of the British periodical press of the “long nineteenth century” (ca. 1780-1914) in any of its manifold forms: magazines, newspapers, and serial publications from across the British Empire.

Up to $5,000 of Research Funding Available

We anticipate making at least six Curran Fellowships available for research starting in 2020. Applicants may request any amount of support up to $5,000. Funds must be used for expenses directly related to your research, such as:

    • Transportation costs
    • Lodging
    • Photocopies and/or scanning of documents
    • Database subscriptions

Indirect expenses will not be covered by Fellowship funds. Award winners will be selected by February 1, 2020.

How Do I Apply?

All interested scholars should submit application materials through our online applications portal. Only complete applications submitted by the deadline of December 1, 2019, will be considered. Applications should include:

    • An application form, which includes personal and project details such as a proposed title, period of study, amount requested (not to exceed $5000), and a brief description
    • Your c.v. (no longer than two pages)
    • A narrative proposal not to exceed three single-spaced pages
    • A one-page description of the printed and manuscript materials you wish to explore and why
    • The name and email address of one external recommender familiar with your project

Applications will be evaluated according to the importance of the project, the quality of the application, the applicant’s preparation to pursue the project, and the feasibility of the plan of work. Our evaluators will use these criteria to select best applications. Final decisions and award amounts will be based on the overall budget of the program, specific amounts requested, and the justification of that amount as put forward in the proposed plan of work.

You can download the full details here or visit our Curran Fellowships page for more information.

The Fine Print

All research projects must directly engage primary texts of the Victorian periodical press, such as magazines, newspapers, or serial publications published during the long nineteenth century. What form those sources take – print, manuscript, or digital facsimile – is up to you, as long as they are primary sources.

Curran Fellowships are intended to expand and enrich our collective understanding of the nineteenth century periodical press. Therefore, all else being equal, preference will be given to projects that use or bring to light new or little-known materials. For a list of recent winners and their projects, visit our Curran Fellowships page (scroll to the bottom of the page).

Fellowships are open to scholars of all kinds, including those holding academic appointments, graduate students, and independent or retired scholars. Applicants are strongly encouraged, but not required, to become RSVP members. Please note that Officers and Directors of RSVP are not eligible to apply.

If you have any questions about the award or application requirements, you may contact us at curranfellowships@rs4vp.org.

 

 

 

CFP: 2020 Annual Conference on Revolution(s), Evolution(s), Circulation(s)

Start Evolving or Circulating Your Ideas Now

Calling all Victorianists and periodical studies scholars! Our 2020 annual conference call for papers is now available on our website. Proposals relevant to the conference theme of Revolution(s), Evolution(s), Circulation(s) are particularly welcome, though papers and panel proposals that address any aspect of the Victorian periodical or newspaper press are invited.

Proposals for 20-minute papers or panels should be submitted no later than February 14, 2020 at our online application portal. In addition to a short information form, applicants should include the following documents in their applications:

  • Individual papers: A 250-word abstract with a title, plus a separate 75-word biographical statement.
  • Panel proposals: A set of three or four 250-word abstracts with titles, plus a general title for the session. Additionally, include 75-word biographical statement for each participant on the panel.

 

All those giving papers at the RSVP conference are required to be members of the Society.

Conference Funding Opportunities

Graduate students and independent or retired scholars may indicate on the form that they wish to be considered for RSVP travel awards to attend the conference and present a paper.

See our Conference page for more details or download the official CFP here. We’re looking forward to hearing your revolutionary ideas!

2020 Annual Conference Dates Announced!

Mark your calendars! The dates for the 2020 annual conference for the Research Society for Victorian Periodicals will take place on September 10-12, 2020 at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A formal CFP will be forthcoming, so keep an eye on our website and social media feeds for updates!

We Need More Nominations!

Following a unanimous vote to approve the amended Constitution, Bylaws, and Transition Plan at our Annual General Meeting in Brighton last month, we are still looking for nominations to fill several open elected positions and appointed positions. We’re also calling for volunteers interested in serving on RSVP’s ad hoc committees, such as the conference program committee and the award selection committee. Details on these positions are below.

We hope you’ll consider nominating your colleagues or yourself! RSVP benefits from having a wide range of members participate in leadership roles, and our new process will hopefully help us do so in a fair and open way. If you have any questions, please email the Nominations Committee at nominations@rs4vp.org.

Elected Officers and Other Directors

Nominations due August 23, 2019

The RSVP Nominations Committee invites nominations and self-nominations for the following elected positions:

    • Vice-President/President Elect (a 1-year term to align with the current President’s term)
    • Treasurer (3-year term)
    • Recording Secretary (2-year term)
    • Five Directors (one 1-year term, and four 2-year terms to bring the Board to four members being elected in even/odd years)

Current members of RSVP are eligible to serve as Directors and Officers, except as noted below. Because the RSVP’s investments are held in US financial institutions, the Treasurer must be a United States citizen. Candidates for President and Vice President must have previously served as a Director. All Officers also have the status of Directors, as noted in the Constitution. Terms of service for Officers and Directors begin on September 15 and end on September 14.

Please note that members of the Senior Advisory Council are not eligible to serve as Directors or Officers.

Upon being notified of their nomination, members may choose to accept or decline the nomination. Each candidate who agrees to stand for election shall provide the Nominations committee a brief statement (75-100 words) indicating areas of expertise, qualifications, and interest in the position.

To submit nominations and self-nominations, please email nominations@rs4vp.org by August 23 for Directors with the name of the person and the specific position for which you are nominating them.

Appointed Positions

Nominations due August 30, 2019

The RSVP Nominations Committee also invites nominations and self-nominations in serving for the following appointed positions:

    • Student Representatives (2 positions: one 1-year term for someone in North America and one 2-year term for someone in UK/Europe/other locations, in order to align with the alternating schedule set in the bylaws)
    • Marketing Coordinator (2-year term)

All current members of RSVP, including Directors and members of the Senior Advisory Council, are eligible to serve in appointed positions. Terms of service for appointed positions begin on September 15 and end on September 14.

To submit nominations and self-nominations, please email nominations@rs4vp.org by August 30 with the name of the person and the specific position for which you are nominating them.

Volunteers for Committee Service

Nominations due September 30, 2019

Finally, the RSVP Nominations Committee invites expressions of interest in serving on RSVP’s ad hoc committees, which include the conference program committee and the selection committees for the Curran Fellowships, the Peterson Fellowship, the Field Development Grant, the Colby Prize, and the dissertation fellowship.  These ad hoc committees are appointed throughout the year for limited terms of service (typically 2-4 months).   

To volunteer to serve on an ad hoc committee, please email nominations@rs4vp.org by September 30.

Questions? Contact the Nominations Committee

Please contact the committee at nominations@rs4vp.org with any questions or to submit nominations or self-nominations. The members of the Nominations Committee are:

  • Laurel Brake
  • Bob Nicholson
  • Joanne Shattock
  • Natalie Houston (the President chairs the committee without a vote)

 

2019 Linda H. Peterson Fellowships announced

In 2019 RSVP has awarded two Linda H. Peterson Fellowships, to Alexis Easley (University of St. Thomas) for New Periodical Print Media and the Rise of the Popular Woman Poet, 1830-50 and to Lorraine Janzen Kooistra (Ryerson University) for The Dial Digital Edition on Y90s 2.0.  Abstracts of their projects are available.

The Peterson Fellowship committee received many strong applications this year and also shortlisted two projects: Trev Broughton (University of York), Periodical Selves: Autobiography, Journalism, and Print Culture in the Nineteenth Century and Jennifer Phegley (University of Missouri-Kansas City), Magazine Mavericks: Marital Collaborations and the Invention of New Reading Audiences in Mid-Victorian England.