The American Bach Society is pleased to offer several grant and award opportunities for Bach research. We are particularly proud to offer several grants for younger scholars. The descriptions that follow are organized according to eligibility by career stage, beginning with Undergraduate.
The Frances Alford Brokaw Grant
Open to: Undergraduates in the US and Canada
Application date: February 15, 2024
This grant provides a $1000 stipend to support undergraduate research. Research must make use of the extraordinary materials housed at the Riemenschneider Bach Institute (RBI) at Baldwin Wallace University (Berea, OH). As part of this grant, students will also receive expert guidance from a faculty advisor. Research must be completed within a calendar year of award.
Conference Travel Stipend
Open to: Any graduate or doctoral student currently enrolled in a North-American Ph.D. program in Musicology who is writing a dissertation related to J. S. Bach (broadly construed).
These funds are also available to any student or independent scholar whose paper has been accepted for presentation at an upcoming ABS conference.
Language Study Grant
Open to: Students enrolled in PhD programs in the US and Canada who require language training in German (or in old German script) in order to undertake Bach-related projects.
Application date: Grants are awarded on a rolling basis until the year’s funds have been dispersed.
There are a number of excellent language study programs designed to rapidly build language competency (Middlebury Language Schools, The Goethe Institute, etc.). This grant will fund up to $6000 toward tuition and other directly related participation expenses.
William H. Scheide Research Grant
Open to: PhD candidates, junior faculty, independent scholars, and those without sufficient institutional support. Scheide Grant recipients must be citizens or permanent residents of the US or Canada whose primary residence is in North America.
Application date: Nov. 15, 2023
Scheide Research Grant stipends range from $500 to $2000. The amount is tailored to the request. These grants usually help pay for research and publication expenses such as travel to archives, high-resolution copies of primary sources, and music encoding.
The American Bach Society Diversity Grant
Open to: Performers and scholars working in the US or Canada. Preference is given to those at the early stages of their careers.
Application date: Nov. 15, 2023
This grant is designed to encourage projects and people that explore or embody diversity in the teaching of, approach to, and/or performance of Bach’s music. Diversity is defined broadly to include race, gender, ability, identity, socio-economic status, or any other axis that expands the welcome of Bach’s music and its study.
All of our grants are described in more detail on our website (https://americanbachsociety.org), along with the names of past winners. Please write to our Vice President, Ellen Exner, with any questions or to apply: vicepresident@americanbachsociety.org
