Orlando Ridout V Fieldwork Fellowships

Courtesy of the Maryland Historical Trust. Orlando drawing the granary at Whaley House, Worcester County, Maryland. To honor founding member Orlando Ridout V, who died in 2013, the Vernacular Architecture Forum has established a fieldwork fellowship in his name. Orlando, a mentor to so many of us, asked that donations in his memory be made to the VAF to support students’ and VAF members’  fieldwork training and activities. To fulfill his request, the Orlando Ridout V Fieldwork Fellowship was created, combining contributions to the Ridout memorial fund with the former Fund for Fieldwork, established by a generous gift from long-time VAF member Thomas Carter in 2012.

The Orlando Ridout V Fieldwork Fellowship will support and encourage students and VAF members in their field-based research and documentation projects, and in their efforts to learn and conduct fieldwork through apprenticeships, field schools, and continuing education and training projects.

The guidelines for the Orlando Ridout V Fieldwork Fellowship allow all VAF members, as well as students participating in field school programs, to apply to the VAF Ridout Fieldwork Fellowship Committee for monies to support their field-based projects and training opportunities. Projects that explore and document cultural diversity are especially welcome.

Orlando drawing the granary at Whaley House, Worcester County, Maryland. Courtesy of the Maryland Historical Trust. 

Support is available in five categories

1.    Field school directors (VAF members) may apply for grants of up to $1200 to support their programs and/or provide financial aid to participants;

2.    Students participating in field schools or other training opportunities may apply for stipends of up to $800 to attend such programs (prior VAF membership not required);

3.     VAF members may apply for grants of up to $1200 to support continuing education and professional training activities;

4.     VAF members may apply for grants of up to $1200 for support of fieldwork activities related to the pursuit of academic degrees;

5.     VAF members may apply for grants of up to $1200 to support fieldwork activities not related to fulfillment of academic degree requirements.

Orlando collecting paint samples from the Maryland State House dome. Courtesy of the Maryland Historical Trust.

Grants to field school directors

Grants of up to $1,200 are available to field schools organized and directed by VAF members.  These awards may be applied to program costs and/or stipends to participants at the discretion of the field school director.

Application Process

Deadline:  Applications are now being accepted on a rolling basis until November 1, 2024. Completed applications should be submitted electronically to the VAF Ridout Fieldwork Fellowship Committee by the field school director at least one month prior to the start of the field school.

The written application must define the field school’s:

  1. Scope

  2. Methodology

  3. Objectives

  4. Expected outcomes

Final Report Requirement


By the Field School Director: A final report will be submitted to the Ridout Fieldwork Fellowship Committee within three months of the completion of the field school describing the outcomes and impacts of the field school; if the funds were used to provide scholarships to individual participants, a list of the students who received the scholarships and amounts awarded should be included.

By the Individual Field School Participants: In addition, individual participants who received scholarship awards from the Field School Director should submit a brief report (up to three written pages, images, video, etc.) directly to the Ridout Fieldwork Fellowship Committee within three months of the completion of the field school discussing how the VAF Ridout Fieldwork Fellowship enabled them to obtain an understanding of fieldwork and how it will contribute to their future work/career. 

Grants to field school students/other training opportunities

Grants of up to $800 are available to both:

  1. Students currently enrolled in undergraduate or graduate programs, and 

  2. Current VAF members who are not students who will be participating in field schools or other training opportunities.  Prior membership in the VAF is not required for student applicants.  A one-year student membership to the VAF will be provided to grantees if they are not already members.

Application Process

Deadline:  Applications are now being accepted on a rolling basis until November 1, 2024. Applications should be submitted electronically to the VAF Ridout Fieldwork Fellowship Committee by the applicant at least one month prior to the start of the field school.

Requirements:

  1. A description of the field school/training program to which the applicant has applied (including the name and location of the program, the director, and dates)

  2. A description of what expenses the grant will cover

  3. The applicant’s CV

  4. A letter of recommendation from a faculty member, field school director, or employer

  5. A copy of the letter/email of admission to the field school

  6. A brief essay on what the applicant hopes to learn, why the particular training is important, and how it might influence the applicant’s later academic and professional career

Note: If the applicant applies to the VAF for support to attend a field school prior to receiving notification of admission, such notification must be submitted before the grant can be awarded.

Final Report Requirement

The grantee will provide a brief, but substantive, report (up to three written pages, photo essay, video, or other presentation) to the VAF Ridout Fieldwork Fellowship Committee within three months of the completion of the field school about the experience and how it has benefited the grantee and increased his/her understanding of the importance of fieldwork as a research activity.

Grants to VAF members to support continuing education and professional training activities

VAF members may apply for grants of up to $1200 to support continuing education and professional training related to fieldwork.

Application Process

Deadline:  Applications are now being accepted on a rolling basis until November 1, 2024. Applications should be submitted electronically to the VAF Ridout Fieldwork Fellowship Committee by the applicant at least one month prior to the start of the program. 

Requirements:

  1. A description of the program to which the applicant has applied (including the name and location of the program, the director, and dates)

  2. A description of what expenses the grant will cover

  3. The applicant’s CV

  4. A copy of the letter/email of admission to the program

  5. A brief essay on what the applicant hopes to learn, why the particular training is important, and how it might influence and/or further the applicant’s career

Note: If the applicant applies to the VAF for support to attend an educational/training program prior to receiving notification of admission, such notification must be submitted before the grant can be awarded.

Final Report Requirement

The grantee will provide a brief, but substantive, report (up to three written pages, photo essay, video, or other presentation) to the VAF Ridout Fieldwork Fellowship Committee within three months of the completion of the educational/training program describing how it has benefitted the grantee,  increased his/her understanding of the importance of fieldwork as a research activity or ability to conduct such work, and the future benefits that the acquired knowledge/experience will bring to their work.  If possible, be specific about how the new knowledge will be applied.

Grants to VAF members for support of fieldwork activities related to the pursuit of academic degrees

VAF members may apply for grants of up to $1200 for support of fieldwork activities that are related to the achievement of an academic degree.

Application Process

Deadline:  Applications are now being accepted on a rolling basis until November 1, 2024. Applications should be submitted electronically to the VAF Ridout Fieldwork Fellowship Committee by the applicant at least one month prior to the start of the project.

Requirements:

  1. A description of the fieldwork project to be undertaken, including:

    • The resource(s) to be studied

    • Methodology to be employed

    • Expected outcomes and impacts

    • Project timeline

  2. A description of expenses the grant will cover

  3. The applicant’s CV

  4. A letter of support from a faculty member or academic advisor

Final Report Requirement

The grantee will provide a brief, but substantive, report (up to three written pages, photo essay, video, or other presentation) to the VAF Ridout Fieldwork Fellowship Committee within three months of the completion of the project.  The report should describe the contributions made by the project with regard to fieldwork methods, deeper investigation of specific resources, and professional development of the participants.

Grants to VAF members for support of fieldwork not related to pursuit of an academic degree

VAF members may apply for grants of up to $1200 for support of non-academic research projects involving fieldwork related to a publication, exhibition, etc., or for preservation-related fieldwork such as documentation of threatened resources.

Application Process

Deadline:  Applications are now being accepted on a rolling basis until November 1, 2024. Applications should be submitted electronically to the VAF Ridout Fieldwork Fellowship Committee by the applicant at least one month prior to the start of the fieldwork project.

Requirements:

  1. A description of the fieldwork project to be undertaken, including:

    • The resource(s) to be studied

    • The reasons for undertaking the fieldwork

    • Methodology to be employed

    • Expected outcomes and impacts

    • Project timeline

  2. The applicant’s CV

  3. If partnering with an organization, please describe the organization and include:

    • A letter from the organization describing their involvement and any contributions they might make (financial or otherwise)

    • At least one letter of support for the project

Final Report Requirement

The grantee will provide a brief, but substantive, report (up to three written pages, photo essay, video, or other presentation) to the VAF Ridout Fieldwork Fellowship Committee within three months of the completion of the project describing the outcomes and impacts of the project on the resource, community, and/or their own understanding of and ability to conduct fieldwork.  The report should describe the contributions made by the project with regard to fieldwork methods, deeper investigation of specific resources, and professional development of the participants.

Reports submitted by grantees to the VAF Ridout Fieldwork Fellowship Committee may be submitted at the discretion of the Committee Members for posting on the VAF web page, blog, or newsletter (VAN).

The Fellowships are not on a dated submission and can be submitted to Ridout Fellowship.

Ridout Fellowship Committee

Beth King, chair

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