The Women’s History Association of Ireland is pleased to announce the competition for the 2027 Anna Parnell Travel Grant, an annual grant awarded to a member of the Women’s History Association of Ireland to assist their scholarship on Irish women’s or gender history. Anna Parnell was the fifth of eleven children born to Delia Tudor Stewart Parnell and John Henry Parnell, an Irish Protestant landowner. Michael Davitt’s proposal to establish an Irish Ladies’ Land League led him to propose Anna as its organiser as he has previously worked alongside her in New York and recognised her administrative ability. Anna Parnell’s life provides a vivid illustration of the immense difficulties faced by intelligent and energetic women in the nineteenth century to find a role and have their voices heard. The travel grant is named in her honour to reflect her vigorous campaigning, which saw her travel widely, and her intellectual and political contributions that were largely ignored in her lifetime.  The list of previous prize-winners can be found here.

Guidelines for applicants

1. The Anna Parnell Travel Grant Award is intended to support travel for research on or conference presentations related to the field of women’s or gender history in any historical era. The travel grant cannot be used to support conference attendance without presentation. The grant can be used in whole or in part towards research-related travel and can be combined with other awards. Travel must take place in 2027 and awards cannot be carried forward.

• Applicants must complete the application form in full, outlining their intended use of the fund, and should email it in either Word or PDF format to the Secretary of the Women’s History Association of Ireland at womenshistoryassociation@gmail.com before the deadline. Postgraduate students must also attach a letter of support from their supervisors confirming their student status and topic of research.

• The research grant is open to any scholar living on the island of Ireland who is a member of the Women’s History Association of Ireland (with current dues paid at time of application) or to any member of the Women’s History Association of Ireland living overseas who wishes to travel to Ireland for research-related activity.  The research grant is not limited to those with institutional affiliations; independent scholars are most welcome to apply. Preference will be given to applicants without access to institutional support for research-related travel.

• The amount for the travel grant is valued at up to €500. Please note that 50% of costs will be issued to the successful applicant in advance of the proposed trip and 50% will be issued up to three months afterwards upon submission of receipts (to cover the entire amount of the award) and a c.500-word account of the use of the travel grant to appear on the WHAI website. If receipts total less than €250 the lesser amount will be issued to the applicant.

• Applicants should credit the award of the Anna Parnell Travel Grant in presentations or subsequent publications arising from the travel grant.

• The deadline for application to the 2027 Anna Parnell Travel Grant is 31 October 2026. Applications received after this date cannot be considered. The competition for the award will be judged by a select panel of the WHAI Executive Committee and the decision is final.

Applicants should email a copy of this form in either Word or PDF format to the Secretary of the Women’s History Association of Ireland: womenshistoryassociation@gmail.com
 

APPLICATION FORM

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Signature of Applicant

typed is sufficient if you do not have an electronic signature

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Date