National Museum Lagos Library and Archives Research Grant

As part of both its programs on Digital Humanities and Nigerian History and Heritage Conservation, IFRA-Nigeria has launched a research project on the digitization of the Archives of the National Museum Lagos in Collaboration with the National Commission for Museums and Monuments in its ongoing project that is funded from the grant that forms a part of a wider project entitled Fonds de Solidarité pour les Projets Innovant (FSPI Project).

 The National Museum Lagos Library and Archives holds one of the largest collections of Maps, Ethnography pictures documentation, Intelligence and Assessment reports of Nigeria districts and Provinces, Archaeological field notes, and Ethnographic photographic collections in Nigeria, covering different provinces and regions in Nigeria, the library maintains special and archival collections such as timetables, pamphlet, and rare books and journals. It also holds a substantial collection of mid-20th to early 21st-century newspapers.  A substantial part of these archives is being digitized through the FSPI project and will be available online for public access by the first quarter of 2024.

This research grant was written into the FSPI project to facilitate and support research projects that significantly benefit from substantial onsite use of the National Museum Archives' unique technical, special, and archival collections.

The museum collections include amongst other things:
A) detailed collections of well-annotated maps of different districts and provinces of Nigeria. The maps are in good condition
B) a wide range of assessment and intelligence reports on Nigerian districts and provinces. Intelligence and assessment reports were produced in the early 1920s and these are more of an ethnography of the different provinces and districts
C) early 19th-century ethnography pictures of different rituals and practices of the people of Nigeria as captured by ethnographers
D) Ethnography report of surveys carried out by the colonialist government officers and staff of the Department of Antiquity
E) Private picture albums deposited in the archives with different subject matter
F) Report on archaeological excavation and findings in Nigeria
G) Annual report of the Department of Antiquity.

Funding

• Grants will be awarded to reimburse expenses for transportation, accommodations, and meals for one or more on-site visits to the National Museum Library and Archives.
• Grants will be awarded as a stipend for researchers hours use in conducting and writing the research.

Eligibility

• Open to academic and independent researchers. We encourage applications by those working in traditional academic practice as well as those whose research is interdisciplinary, or oriented towards creative arts and practices, Anthropology and Archaeology, History, Digital Humanities and other fields of Humanities.
• There are no restrictions as to the applicant’s nationality or academic status. Women and Early Career researchers are highly encouraged to apply.
• Research may be in any field supported by the collections of the National Museum Library and Archives.
• At the discretion of the selection committee, five (5) grants will be granted these grants may be awarded to an individual applicant or a team.

How to apply

To apply, please submit the following:

1. A project proposal (1,200 words max) that:
   • Describes the proposed research, its originality and the methodology
   • Explains the significance of the collection materials to the project
   • Propose specific outcomes (e.g., dissertation, article, book, creative or artistic work) that will result from this research
2. A curriculum vitae highlighting experiences in relation to the project
3. A detailed budget indicating the total amount requested with an itemized list of projected expenses for transportation, accommodations, meals, and other related/qualified expenses. Applicants should indicate any other sources of funding that will be applied to the project, if applicable
4. Applicants should submit one (1) letter of recommendation from someone qualified to judge the quality, feasibility, and significance of the proposal and the qualifications of the applicant to complete the project to be sent in support of their proposed project. Those writing recommendations should submitted with their application containing an active contact detail of their referees who should not be a relative or too close relations

All application should be submitted to the following email on before 11:59 PM of the 26^th of November, 2023.

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