(Matt is apparently too busy guest-blogging at Big Brown to have remembered to send this our way, but I’ve cribbed this announcement from H-Net, which may be of interest to our readers doing comparative research on communalism.)

The Center for Communal Studies at the University of Southern Indiana
invites applications for a travel grant to fund research at the Communal
Studies Collection at USI’s David L. Rice Library. The Communal Studies
Collection’s rich archival materials contain information on over 600
historic and contemporary communal societies, utopias, and intentional
communities. A complete listing of communities can be found at
http://www.usi.edu/library/communalstudies.asp. Particular strengths
include the Harmonists, The Farm, Shakers, Twin Oaks, and Amana, but the
collection covers American communalism much more broadly. The
University of Southern Indiana (www.usi.edu) is located in Evansville,
25 miles from the historic communal town of New Harmony, Indiana.

Applicants may be graduate students or established scholars from any
discipline that involves the study of communalism (such as history,
English, anthropology, sociology, psychology, etc.) The grant will fund
research up to $2,000 to be used by April 15, 2010. Applications are
due May 1, 2009, and must consist of a letter detailing the project and
its significance to communal studies, a proposed budget, and a vita.

Applications can be sent to mjgrow@usi.edu or Matthew Grow, Center for
Communal Studies, 8600 University Boulevard, Evansville, IN 47712.