The purpose of the SOF Research Grant Program (RGP) is to support new
research about Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, relating to his biography, his literary career, and the evidence that he was the true author of the Shakespeare canon.
The plan for 2023–24 is to award up to $4,000 in grants, depending on funds available and the number, merits, and nature of the proposals submitted.
- The SOF supports the grants program with funds derived from
membership fees and donations (both in general and taking into
consideration any donor-suggested targeting to the program). - Approximately two or three grants are envisioned, with the specific amounts subject (as noted above) to funds available and the number, merits, and nature of the proposals submitted.
- Grant recipients must be (or become) SOF members.
- New unpublished applicants will be preferred to encourage new researchers.
- In addition to the guidance provided in Rules 2 and 3 below, applicants and the SOF Board may suggest topics or activities in which they are interested.
- Proposals will be accepted through November 30, 2023, with the Selection Committee’s decision announced early in 2024.
- The Selection Committee this year consists of the following members:
Katherine Chiljan, Bonner Miller Cutting, Ramon Jiménez, John Hamill, and Don Rubin.
Research Grant Program Rules:
1. The Shakespeare Oxford Fellowship (SOF) intends to make 2 to 3 cash grants to scholars and researchers for the purpose of developing new knowledge about the 17th Earl of Oxford, and new knowledge that advances his case for the Shakespeare authorship. Members of the Research Grant Program Selection Committee, and of the SOF Board of Trustees, are not eligible to receive or be considered for any grant.
2. Research grant applicants must focus on a specific topic for research, and not general research. Applicants must outline a specific plan of action, identify the expected results, and how this will advance Oxfordian and Shakespeare authorship studies. Applicants must have pre-researched the topic, feeling confident of expected results. Applicants must already have information about the archives involved, verified access to use them, know the time when the archives are open, etc. If archives are in a foreign language (Latin, Italian, etc.), competence in that language is required. Applicants are advised that proposals for “outreach” activities (e.g. efforts to bring the authorship issue to academic, youth, or other communities) will not be funded by this program. Such proposals should be directed to the SOF’s Education Outreach Committee or to the SOF President or any SOF Trustee. The Board of Trustees is always glad to consider such proposals.
3. A successful research grant application will propose one or more of the following:
a. Examination of a neglected or previously unknown archive, library, or document that might lead to a discovery of importance about the 17th Earl of Oxford and his case for the Shakespeare authorship.
b. Research that will identify a previously unknown person or place mentioned in the Shakespeare canon that is related to the 17th Earl of Oxford, and that will support his case for the Shakespeare authorship.
c. Examples of specific research projects follow:
• Search for surviving letters of Oxford’s secretary, Anthony Munday (or John Lyly, Sturmius of Germany, etc.), and examine them for new information about Oxford.
• Research in archives of Italian cities for existing letters of Baptista Nigrone and Pasquale Spinola, who helped with Oxford’s finances during his European tour.
• New research on actor/author Robert Armin, who possibly referred to Oxford when he wrote that he would “take my journey (to wait on the right honorable good Lord my Master whom I serve) to Hackney.”
• Research in a private library in the United Kingdom, or libraries in Europe, that may have a connection with Oxford or his descendants for documents hitherto unknown.
• New research on the modern founder of the Oxfordian theory, J. Thomas Looney.
4. Proposals for research on cryptograms or ciphers, or using stylometry or computer analysis, are not acceptable.
5. Research grant applications must amount to no more than 2 pages (applications submitted with more than 2 pages will not be considered), and must concisely state the specific research topic, requested grant amount, proposed process and method of research, and list of planned expenses, including all the following elements:
a. Name(s) of Applicant(s) (please asterisk* Principal Applicant/Researcher)
b. Postal Address of Principal Applicant
c. Email Address of Principal Applicant
d. Short Title of Research Project
e. Amount Sought From SOF
f. Description of Project (1,000 Words Maximum)
g. Ideal Outcome (200 Words Maximum)
h. Why You Believe This Can Be Achieved (500 Words Maximum)
i. Activities You Expect to Undertake with This Grant (200 Words Maximum)
j. Background of Principal Researcher (500 Words Maximum)
k. Name(s), Background(s), and Function(s) of Other Researcher(s) involved with this project.
l. How will your application be affected if SOF can only give you part of the amount (for example, 50%) that you are seeking?
m. Itemized Budget (Total Amounts for Each Item with Brief Explanations, e.g. Travel, Accommodation, Meals, Other)
n. Total Budget Sought (Must Match “Amount Sought From SOF” in Item 5.e Above)
6. Grants will not be made to finance a student’s degree program unless they meet one or more of the above criteria.
7. Grant funds may be used for travel, materials, fees, and (where appropriate) living expenses.
8. Each applicant must describe the process and methods of his or her research project and explain how it meets one or more of the criteria listed above.
9. Each applicant must specify the amounts requested for travel, materials, fees, and (where appropriate) living expenses, and why they are necessary. Awards will not cover salaries or personal stipends.
10. Each applicant must be a member in good standing of the Shakespeare Oxford Fellowship in order to receive funds.
11. Proposals will be judged by a Selection Committee appointed by the SOF President, made up of individuals who are familiar with Oxfordian and Shakespeare Authorship studies.
12. Grants will be financed each year up to an overall maximum total of $4,000, depending on funds available and the number, merits, and nature of the proposals submitted. Grant funds are limited. The SOF prefers to give grants to persons who would not be able to complete a project as well, or at all, without a grant. The SOF grant may fund a project only in part. In that case, the grantee must be able to obtain the other funds needed, or reduce the scale of the project, or both.
13. The current grant proposal period runs through November 30, 2023, with the successful applicants announced early in 2024.
14. Grantees will be expected to complete their research within 9 months of receiving their grant award and are required to submit a written report to the SOF Board of Trustees within the following 3 months. If no written report is submitted, no consideration will be given to any future application by that grantee. A summary of the project will be published in one of the SOF publications, whether or not the project achieves the expected results. The SOF will announce the names of the grantees in the Shakespeare Oxford Newsletter and on the SOF website along with the amounts of awards, and either the title of the research grant or the general subject matter (in case confidentiality is necessary). Grantees must accept their grant funds during 2024. No grant funds for 2023 grantees will be disbursed after December 31, 2024.
15. Grantees will be encouraged to submit papers based on their research to mainstream journals. If this is unsuccessful, the relevant SOF editors will consider such papers for one of the SOF publications.
Submission Instructions For Grant Applicants:
1. Please submit application by November 30, 2023 to John Hamill, Chair, SOF Research Grant Program Selection Committee (by email to hamillx@pacbell.net).
2. Application must be 2 pages maximum (12-point type, double-spaced). We will not accept submissions longer than 2 pages (see Rule No. 5 above).
3. Application must contain all elements listed under Rule No. 5 above. Please carefully review all program rules stated above before submitting application.
Criteria For Consideration (50 points total):
35 points — research hypothesis and plan
10 points — background of applicant
5 points — new researcher (applicant has not yet published a Shakespeare authorship article)
