The Center for German and European Studies announces the first
Gisela Imm Bloomenkranz* Memorial Graduate Student Travel Prize, 2017-2018
Up to $5,000
ELIGIBILITY
Students must satisfy the following requirements:
-Full-time graduate student status at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
-Completion of at least one full academic year of classes in a UW-Madison graduate program by September 2017
-Preference will be given to graduate students who are currently engaged in preliminary research for their interdisciplinary work on topics related to modern Germany, global diplomacy, cultural exchange, and Germany’s relationship to Europe and/or the EU or the world more broadly. Students from a wide range of disciplines will be considered, including (but not limited to) Political Science, German, History, Education Policy Studies, Environmental Studies, Journalism & Mass Communication, Law, etc.
CGES will provide travel support for the following types of students:
-Ph.D. candidates engaged in a course of study that will lead to a dissertation in German and European Studies (terminal M.A. students are not eligible)
-Professional school students (law, business, education) currently developing expertise in German and European topics
TERMS OF THE GRANT
-The travel grant will be paid out through reimbursement of lodging, local travel and per diem charges at approved State of Wisconsin rates
-Economy airfare must be booked through the campus Fox Travel agency (Concur)
-Reimbursement will cover expenses of up to 21 working days incurred in Germany and one other European country only upon receipt of original documentation
-Funds can be used in combination with other grant awards under certain circumstances but must be utilized in full by August 31, 2018
APPLICATION GUIDELINES
To apply, send the following materials as PDF files to europe@international.wisc.edu:
-A one-page cover letter with the following information: name, contact information, departmental affiliation, title of research project, amount of funding requested, and the name of one UW-Madison affiliated faculty member familiar with your work. See the full list of European Studies affiliated faculty here: https://europe.wisc.edu/affiliated-faculty/
-One-page abstract of your research project and travel plans, including a statement about where your research fits into your plan of study (e.g., pre-dissertation work, dissertation)
-A current curriculum vitae
-A carefully considered paragraph explaining how your award fits into the spirit of Mr. Sol Bloomenkranz’s gift as described below
DUE DATE
Friday, October 27th (for travel between October 27, 2017 and August 31, 2018)
*Mr. Sol Bloomenkranz (1923-2017), a friend of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, established this research prize through the Center for German and European Studies as a living tribute to the life and memory of his wife, Gisela. Sol and Gisela Bloomenkranz spent the majority of their married life in major European capitals and US cities and wished to share the very international aspect of their lives with young scholars.
Mrs. Gisela Bloomenkranz was born in Morogoro, Tanzania, and became fluent in German, English, French and Spanish. She held a position as interpreter for Germany’s leading newspaper, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Sol was born in Chicago, visited his family in Poland in the 1930’s, studied political science at Northwestern and history at Zurich, and worked for the US government for over a decade after his military service in World War Two. Sol and Gisela were married in the 1950’s after a long courtship in Frankfurt, Germany. They raised their two sons in Frankfurt, Milan, Brussels, Düsseldorf and Paris, cities where Sol made a career in advertising. Sol described his wife of 58 years as “the most gentle soul who was selflessly committed to making everybody’s life a brighter experience.” A committed transatlanticist, Sol also helped the Center for German & European Studies establish its own Madison Warburg Chapter of the American Council on Germany. Sol and Gisela Bloomenkranz embodied the strong partnership between Europe and the US, which has been so central to peace and prosperity in the era since 1945.