MARA students can apply for travel awards to support their participation in the Society of American Archivists’ annual conference, ARCHIVES * RECORDS 2024!

Students can apply for multiple awards in a single cycle, but may only receive one.

Link to all four awards: https://www2.archivists.org/awards/travel-awards

Brenda S. Banks Travel Award

Recipients will be selected based on their submission of a completed application and the strength of their personal statement/essay. Personal statements/essays must be no more than 500 words and will be evaluated on: 

Overall clarity;

Understanding of professional goals and experience with and/or commitment to working with, or documenting and preserving the histories of communities of color;

Description of the benefits of attending the SAA Annual Meeting; 

Description of commitment to SAA, diversity and inclusion, and the profession.

Prize: 

One award may be given during each awards cycle. The recipient receives full complimentary registration and related expenses for hotel and travel to attend the SAA Annual Meeting during the year in which the award is received. In addition, the recipient receives a complimentary one-year membership in SAA.

Donald Peterson Student Travel Award

Prize:

Up to $1,500 in support of registration, travel, and accommodation expenses associated with the SAA Annual Meeting.

Eligibility:

Awarded to an SAA member in good standing who is currently enrolled in an archival education degree program or who graduated from an archival education degree program in the previous calendar year. Applications are evaluated based on the merits of the applicant’s essay and letters of recommendation. If the scholarship is declined by an individual selected by the subcommittee, the subcommittee may select an alternate from the pool of applications received for that year. If, for any reason, the subcommittee is unable to select an awardee, it may choose not to award the scholarship for that year.

Harold T. Pinkett Student of Color Award

Eligibility:

Awarded to students of color, with preference given to full-time students enrolled in a graduate program focusing on archival management during the academic year preceding the date on which the award is given. 

Prize:

Up to two awards may be given during an awards cycle. Each recipient receives full complimentary registration and related expenses for hotel and travel to attend the SAA Annual Meeting during the year in which the award is received. In addition, each recipient receives a complimentary one-year membership in SAA.

Oliver Wendell Holmes Travel Award

Prize:

A certificate and a cash award of $1,000.

Eligibility:

Applications are evaluated based on archivists who are not U.S. or Canadian citizens or permanent residents.