Call for Participation 2026

Bertrand Library invites rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors to apply for a competitive fellowship to develop an independent digital scholarship project. This program is open to students from all divisions across the three colleges at the University.

Broadly defined, digital scholarship entails research that is made possible by digital technologies, or that takes advantage of technology to ask and answer questions in new ways. As a fellow, students will learn to use various digital tools and methodologies, and apply them to a digital research project of their design. Library & Information Technology staff will mentor fellows through the process of identifying a research question, understanding research methodologies, and discovering resources, such as locally-housed library and archival collections, that will support the project’s goals. Fellows will create a dynamic, accessible, and interactive digital resource rather than a static website. We are particularly interested in projects that engage with the Bucknell or local community. Fellows will work independently and collectively with a small cohort of peers to engage with and participate in a community of practice.

Digital Tools

These are examples of several techniques and tools that undergraduates have used for digital projects. You are not limited to these, nor is experience in using these tools expected before beginning the fellowship.

• Text analysis and annotation: Voyant Tools, TEI-XML
• Mapping and timelines: ArcGIS Online, StoryMapJS, TimelineJS, Neatline
• Data Visualization: Tableau 
• Online presentation tools: WordPress, ArcGIS StoryMaps

• Participate in a structured, programmed, 8-week curriculum designed to provide you with skills and information relevant to digital scholarship; this may include assigned readings, training sessions, and workshops. The fellowship runs from May 26 – July 17, 2026.
• Create documentation of any processes, procedures, tools, and code used in the creation of their digital projects.
• Partner with Library & Information Technology to ensure preservation of your projects after your fellowship ends. Projects will be preserved and publicly accessible via Bucknell’s institutional repository, Digital Commons. Fellows retain copyright of their project.

Reflect upon the fellowship experience and engage with the wider digital scholarship community

• Write one weekly blog post that engages a question or issue in digital scholarship
• Present projects in a public presentation after completion of the fellowship
• Fellows will engage with topics related to diversity and inclusion in the practice of digital scholarship, and commit to maintaining a culture of diversity and inclusion during the fellowship.

Application and Statement of Interest

Please address the following questions in a single statement of 500 to 750 words:

1. Why are you interested in the Digital Scholarship Student Research Fellowship, and what do you hope to learn and accomplish during the fellowship? 
2. Please describe one research project you would like to pursue. What question(s) would you hope to answer through this project?
3. How do you think technology and/or digital tools can enhance your research project?
4. Briefly tell us about technology you have previously used or are interested in learning that may be used to create a digital scholarship project.

Please provide the name and email address of a faculty member who will serve as a reference. We advise you to choose a faculty member who can potentially support any research consultations that may come up during your fellowship. We also encourage you to share this application with them prior to submission so they are aware of your interest. 

Applications due: Sunday, February 22, 2026

Interviews: Potential Fellows will be selected from the first round of the application process to participate in a 30-minute interview with members of Library & IT. Interviews will be conducted in late February and early March.

Notification of acceptance by or after: Monday, March 16, 2026

If you encounter any issues submitting your application through this link, please contact Carrie Pirmann (carrie.pirmann@bucknell.edu) or Ilse Allen (ida002@bucknell.edu).

Payment and Time Commitment

This fellowship is a full-time (32-40 hours per week) commitment. It is expected that all fellows will attend all scheduled class and/or workshop sessions, cohort meetings, and other occasional events. This is an in-person only program; students will need to be on campus (or local to campus) in order to participate. All events that fall outside of normally scheduled time will be announced in advance, with as much notice as possible.

Fellows will receive $500 per week for eight weeks of full-time scholarly work, totalling $4000 for the summer. Students will also be eligible for on-campus summer housing for the duration of their project. Those in university housing will be paid an additional $100 per week to cover the full cost of housing during the research period.

The total payment (whether $500 or $600/week) is subject to both income tax and FICA tax withholding. Payments to domestic students who are exempt from income tax withholding (e.g. because they anticipate their annual earnings will be below the income tax threshold) must still have FICA taxes withheld under applicable law. Students will be paid every two weeks after they start their research. Questions about any of the above can be directed to Carrie Pirmann (carrie.pirmann@bucknell.edu) or Ilse Allen (ida002@bucknell.edu).

Priority will be given to students who have not previously participated in other Bucknell summer research programs.

Because recipients are expected to work full-time on their research throughout the duration of the DSSRF program, students may not undertake additional coursework, employment, or internships that would encumber their time beyond 10 hours per week.