Overview:
The Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) and its project the Civil War Governors of Kentucky Digital Documentary Edition (CWGK) are proud to announce the opening of another application cycle for their Graduate Research Associates (GRAs). With the generous support of the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), a branch of the National Archives, CWGK is hiring four Graduate Research Associates (GRAs) to conduct editorial work for the project over the period February 1, 2024 to January 31, 2025. GRAs are compensated with a production-based stipend of $4,000 and can work remotely from their home institutions.
CWGK is an annotated, searchable, and freely accessible online edition of documents associated with the chief executives of the Commonwealth from 1860 to 1865. However, CWGK is about more than the nominal governors; it is about reconstructing the lost lives and voices of tens of thousands of Kentuckians who interacted with the governor’s office during the war years. Collectively, the staff of CWGK identify, research, and link together every person, place, and organization found within its corpus of documents. To see the project’s work to date, visit discovery.civilwargovernors.org.
This year, CWGK is prioritizing the completion of transcription work for the edition. To date, CWGK has transcribed and uploaded approximately half of the potential edition. Prioritizing the completion of transcription work is CWGK’s main focus over the next two years. To aid in that work, GRAs in 2024 will transcribe 500 documents and complete XML mark-up on 300 documents. CWGK anticipates that this work will take between 250 and 300 hours of work over the course of the year. The new GRAs will continue a successful seven-year program that has involved 23 other emerging scholars and digital humanists.
Transcription and mark-up work will take place on the platform, FromThePage, which is free to use for transcribers. CWGK will provide GRAs with training as documentary editors and with XML mark-up, providing them opportunities to grow as historians, editors, and digital humanities professionals in their year working with the project.
Eligibility:
All applicants must be a graduate student who has completed at least one semester of an M.A. program in history, or a related humanities discipline (doctoral students/candidates preferred). Applicants must be an enrolled graduate student during the entire grant period.
Experience with nineteenth-century United States history, digital history, or documentary editing is also preferred.
Application:
To apply for one of these GRA positions, applicants should submit the follow materials:
1) A cover letter (no more than 2 pages)—that describes the applicant’s professional abilities, relevant research experience, familiarity with digital history and/or documentary editing work, and professional ability
2) A curriculum vitae
3) A list of two references (including email) who can submit letters of support/recommendation. CWGK will contact these references for applicants who advance to the second stage of interviews.
Applicants may also include optional, supplemental materials, including, but not limited to examples of digital history/humanities work, a writing sample, or proof of editorial experience.
Submission:
DUE January 5, 2024
All application materials should be submitted to Dr. Chuck Welsko, Digital Documentary Editior at charles.welsko@ky.gov.
Review:
The Kentucky Historical Society will evaluate the applicants based on their research ability, familiarity with the Civil War and Reconstruction eras, as well as relevant experience with digital or documentary editing work, as demonstrated through their applications materials.
CWGK staff anticipate conducting interviews in late to mid-January and hiring new GRAs in the early part of February.
About KHS:
KHS has welcomed more than 1 million visitors since its anchor building, the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History, opened in 1999 in historic downtown Frankfort. Our mission is to educate and engage the public through Kentucky history in order to meet the challenges of the future. KHS is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and is fully accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.