Berry International Jazz Collections Fellowship
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Fellowship Details
- Award Amount:
- $4000
- Eligibility:
- Undergraduate and Graduate Students currently enrolled in a University of Idaho program
- Application Period:
- October 01 - October 31
Questions?
Contact the Special Collections department at libspec@uidaho.edu
Description
This program funds one student each year to collaborate with the faculty and staff at the University of Idaho Library to increase the visibility and use of the International Jazz Collections (IJC) through work on a specific research project.
Call for Applications
The University of Idaho Library invites students from any discipline at the University of Idaho to apply for the Berry International Jazz Collections Fellowship. This program funds one student each year to collaborate with the faculty and staff at the University of Idaho Library to increase the visibility and use of the International Jazz Collections (IJC) through work on a specific research project. Research should focus on the primary sources in the IJC, and applicants are encouraged to think creatively about the format of their research output. Past projects have taken the form of digital collections, oral histories, physical archival exhibits, and digital essays created with the guidance of Library staff.
The applicant may base their research on any IJC collection. Not sure where to begin? See the the abbreviated list of collections below for project ideas.
The fellowship will conclude with an exhibition of the student’s work at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival as part of the Library’s International Jazz Collection exhibits.
The fellow should plan to spend approximately 10-15 hours per week between January and April in order to accomplish the goals of the project. This award includes a $4,000 student fellowship given as a stipend and up to $500 in research funds to help cover the cost of materials and supplies, project-related travel expenses, etc.
How to Apply
Applicants must submit:
- A letter of no more than 500 words detailing the proposed project; outlining how the project increases the visibility and use of the International Jazz Collections (IJC), and how your previous experience, education, and/or training prepares you for the work of this fellowship.
- A current resume or CV.
- A letter of support from a U of I faculty member. (The faculty member may assist the student in preparing the application, but the application must be the student’s own work.)
The next Berry IJC Fellowship period is currently pending.
Application Criteria
- Application materials are clearly written and demonstrate the applicant’s understanding of the nature and purpose of the project, how it relates to other work in the field, and it includes a plan for accomplishing project goals.
- The project forwards the goals of increasing the visibility and use of the University of Idaho’s International Jazz Collections (IJC).
- Proposed project allows student to take intellectual ownership and can be reasonably completed in the allotted time period.
- Student is prepared for the project (coursework, experience, interest and ability to navigate and use primary sources, etc.)
- Faculty member has submitted supportive recommendation.
IJC Sample Collections
Note: The following collections are suggested opportunities for research. Applicants are welcome to focus their research on other International Jazz Collections (IJC) not included in this list.
Pete and Conte Candoli Collections
- Pete and Conte Candoli were jazz trumpeters. These collections include original music manuscripts, arrangements, musical scores, correspondence, newspaper clippings, clothing, and photographs.
- Buddy Tate was a jazz tenor saxophonist and clarinetist. This collection includes band books, performance suits, photographs, and ephemera.
- Doc Cheatham was a jazz trumpet player. This collection contains photographs, autobiography, manuscript scores, audiotapes, clothing, and miscellaneous items.
Past Projects
Choirs at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival
Gus Labayan
2026 • Lionel Hampton School of Music
Gus Labayen is the 2026 Berry Fellow, highlighting vocal ensemble groups that have historically participated in the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival. H...
Alice Coltrane, Jazz Spiritualism
Irene Koreski
2024 • Lionel Hampton School of Music
A digital collection exploring Alice Coltrane's contributions to jazz spiritualism, showcasing a rare oral history recording from the U of I Leonar...
Doc Cheatham Collection
Esther David
2022 • Education and English
A digital exhibit featuring photographs, newspaper articles, letters, clothing, and jazz charts of trumpeter Adolphus Anthony “Doc” Cheatham (1905-...
Ella Fitzgerald Collection
Destiny Angel-Hubble
2021 • Lionel Hampton School of Music
A digital exhibit celebrating Fitzgerald’s fashion and style through her clothing, photographs, and album covers.
Oral History Interviews with Lynn "Doc" Skinner
Spencer Manning
2020 • Lionel Hampton School of Music
A digital essay presenting a series of oral history interviews conducted with Doc Skinner, an influential figure in the history of the Lionel Hampt...
Leonard Feather Blindfold Tests
Mitchell Gibbs
2019 • Lionel Hampton School of Music
A digital collection of transcribed interviews between Leonard Feather and renown jazz artists.