Rare Book School

RBS-Awarded Scholarships

Application Due: 1 November 2022

Two main categories of scholarships are available: those awarded by Rare Book School and those conducted through partner organizations. Applications for the next cycle of RBS-awarded scholarships are now open and are due 1 November 2022. Scholarship awards will be announced in January. Participation in the scholarship program implies acceptance of the scholarship Terms and Conditions.

There are several types of scholarships awarded by RBS each fall, all of which are conducted through a single application process. Applicants who submit a completed application by the 1 November deadline will be considered for all of the awards for which they are eligible. Scholarships are awarded without reference to admission to any particular course. Once a student is admitted to an RBS course, the scholarship award may be redeemed. Applications for first-time and returning RBS students will be read by separate committees.

Applications are due 1 November 2022. To begin the application process, please log into your myRBS account (or create a new myRBS account). On the Home screen, click the “Apply for a Scholarship or Fellowship” button on the left side of the page. If you have trouble with myRBS, see the FAQ page or email rbs_scholarships@virginia.edu. Participation in the scholarship program implies acceptance of the scholarship/fellowship Terms and Conditions. If you have questions about the scholarship application process, please email rbs_scholarships@virginia.edu.

Scholarship recipients will be announced in January or February. Scholarship recipients must claim their award within two years (e.g., scholarships awarded in January 2022 must be claimed by 31 December 2023). For more details about the scholarship program, see the Frequently Asked Questions page.

The following scholarships are awarded by RBS Scholarship Committees:

Directors’ Scholarship

Awarded to students and professionals in all fields that intersect with RBS course content
Preference given to applicants early in their careers who have not previously attended RBS
Approximately 20 awards given each year

William T. Buice III Scholarship

Awarded to returning RBS students with demonstrable financial need, including those who have received RBS scholarships in the past
Preference given to applicants from smaller institutions and those serving underrepresented populations
Approximately ten awards given each year

ABAA Southeast Chapter Scholarship

Awarded to an early career bookseller doing business within the chapter's coverage area
One award given each year

ASECS Scholarship

Awarded to current ASECS members who have not previously attended RBS
One award given each year

Bibliographical Society of America Scholarship

Awarded to students and professionals working on a bibliographical project that intersects with and could be informed by RBS course content
Preference given to applicants early in their careers
One award given each year

Bibliographical Society of the University of Virginia (BSUVA) Scholarship

Awarded to students and professionals in all fields that intersect with RBS course content
Approximately five awards given each year

T. Kimball Brooker/Caxton Club Scholarship

Awarded to an individual living in the Midwest with professional interests in bibliography, book history, or the book arts who has not previously attended RBS
Preference given to applicants early in their careers who are ineligible for funding or financial aid through their places of employment
One award given each year

Geiss-Hsu Foundation Scholarship

Funds professionals whose work focuses primarily on the study or care of cultural artifacts from East Asia, as well as non-specialists who wish to develop an interest in this area
Covers full-tuition for one of Rare Book School’s courses on Asian books
Ten scholarships awarded in 2022

James Davis Scholarship

Awarded to an applicant who displays an especially strong record of good citizenship and stewardship in the bibliographical community, and who has not previously attended RBS
Two awards given each year

Jeremy Norman Scholarship

Awarded to applicants from all fields whose work or interests focus on the study of the physical book
One award given each year

Kenneth Karmiole Scholarship

Awarded to applicants from all fields whose work or interests focus on the study of the physical book
One award given each year

Kress Foundation Art of the Book in Europe Scholarship

Awarded to applicants working in art history or museum studies, with a focus on the arts in Europe from antiquity through the early nineteenth century
Two awards given each year, 2021–22

Claudia Skelton Scholarship

Awarded to applicants from all fields whose work or interests focus on the study of the physical book
One award given each year

Washington Rare Book Group Scholarship

Awarded to an individual living in the Washington, D.C., area with interests in bibliography, book history, book arts, or other aspects of rare-book scholarship
One award given each year

RBS Scholarship Committees

The 2022 Scholarship Committee comprises Laura Eidam (Director of Communications & Outreach, Rare Book School); Mireille Djenno (Librarian for African Studies, Herman B. Wells Library, Indiana University Bloomington); Jeannie Kenmotsu (The Arlene and Harold Schnitzer Curator of Asian Art, Portland Art Museum); Maria Lin (Assistant, Rulon-Miller Books); Kate Siebert Medicus (Special Collections Cataloger and Associate Professor, Kent State University). The members of the 2021 Buice Scholarship Committee are Rebecca Baumann (Head, Lilly Library Public Services, and Assistant Librarian, Lilly Library, Indiana University Bloomington); Julia Blakely (Special Collections Cataloger, Smithsonian Libraries); Ethan Henderson (Curator of Rare Books, Georgetown University Library); and Ruth-Ellen St. Onge (Associate Curator & Special Collections Librarian, Rare Book School).