The Leifur Eiríksson Foundation has offered fellowships for study since the fall of 2006. This page will be updated annually as application materials and information become available.
Leifur Eiríksson Foundation Fellowships
The Leifur Eiríksson Foundation funds scholars who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents from U.S. universities for graduate research or study at universities in Iceland, and scholars who are Icelandic citizens or permanent residents from universities in Iceland to conduct graduate research or study at universities in the United States. One fellowship per year (the Robert Kellogg Memorial Fellowship) is designated for a graduate student from Iceland to study at the University of Virginia, or a University of Virginia student to study in Iceland. Students interested in receiving this fellowship should apply through the regular application process.
A committee of experts, comprised of former Leifur Eiriksson scholars, evaluate scholarship applications and make a proposal to the Foundation´s Board of Trustees. Up to $25,000 in project costs, including travel to and from the research or study site will be paid on the scholar’s behalf.
Please note: Non-educational expenses may be taxable.
Travel costs are provided only for the scholar or fellow; no allowances are made for spouses, partners, or individuals who are not engaged in the scholarly endeavor.
Please read the General Instructions Eligibility Requirements before applying.
General Instructions
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- Applications must be received by November 17, 2023. Supporting documents, i.e. letters of reference and transcripts, must be received no later than December 4, 2023.
- Letters of reference may be submitted electronically from the author to Karen Torgersen at Eiriksson.Foundation@gmail.com. Transcripts will also be accepted electronically.
- Applications/applicants that do not meet the specified requirements will not be considered.
Submit paper documents to:
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- Karen Torgersen
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Coordinator Leifur Eiríksson Foundation Fellowship Program
1209 Redbud Road
Blacksburg, VA 24060
USA
434-981-2061
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants will be considered without regard to age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and/or physical disability. Applicants must meet all of the following eligibility requirements.
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- Admitted to a graduate program at an accredited institution of higher education in the United States or Iceland prior to receiving the first payment of the Fellowship
- A well-defined research or scholarly project that necessitates an exchange to the host country
- English language proficiency
- An undergraduate (bachelor’s) degree must be completed by the start of the exchange
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Supporting Documents: Academic Transcripts
Applicants should have official transcripts for all college/university undergraduate and graduate work sent directly to the Leifur Eiríksson Foundation.
Supporting Documents: Letters of Reference
Three letters of reference must be submitted by persons qualified to evaluate your academic and professional work. Reference letters should speak to your capability to conduct the research or complete study, as well as the merit of the project. (Reference letters used for other purposes or applications will not be considered.) Letters must be typed and submitted with an original signature, or may be submitted electronically from the author to Eiriksson.Foundation@gmail.com. For doctoral candidates or recent doctoral degree recipients, one letter should be from your principal advisor. If you are working with a different primary advisor on your proposed (exchange) research project, that advisor should provide one of your reference letters as well. For professionals, at least one letter should be from a colleague in your discipline from outside your home institution. Letters of reference cannot be written by the individual(s) with whom you will work during your exchange. We recommend that you provide a copy of your application form and/or project statement to those individuals who will be writing your reference letters. Please do not exceed three reference letters; only three will be considered.
Supporting Documents: Research Purpose
Write a clear and concise “research purpose” that a non-expert can understand.
Signature Page
Applicants who submit their application online must mail or email in a signature page by the December 4th deadline. This document is available for download by clicking here: Signature Page
ONLINE APPLICATION
You can apply for the Leifur Eiríksson Foundation Fellowship through an online application process.
Applicants will be considered without regard to age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and/or physical disability.
Applications/applicants that do not meet the specified requirements will not be considered.
Past Fellowship Winners
Read more about past recipients of Leifur Eiríksson Foundation Fellowships.
Robert Kellogg Memorial Fellowship
The Robert Kellogg Memorial Fellowship funds one scholar or fellow annually from the University of Virginia for graduate research or study in Iceland, or an Icelander to conduct research or study at the University of Virginia. Work may be in any area including but not limited to the sciences, the humanities, the arts, history, or architecture. Recipients are chosen by the Board of Trustees of the Foundation.
Robert Kellogg, who died in January 2004, served the University of Virginia for nearly five decades as a teacher, scholar, administrator, and mentor to many. As chair of the English Department, he guided the department through an era of growth and change, and made it an even stronger department than it was before his time. As dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, he organized the Alumni Council (now the College Foundation) and began the ongoing effort to attract private support for the College.
Mr. Kellogg was dedicated to education. He loved literature and studied it broadly. The Nature of Narrative, written with Bob Scholes, traced the development of story telling from Homer to Joyce and Faulkner.
Mr. Kellogg’s interests ranged from the earliest English and the northern oral narrative traditions to the Middle Ages, the Renaissance (especially Edmund Spenser), and James Joyce. He is particularly well known for the work with which he began and concluded his career: editing and translating the sagas and other Icelandic materials, and especially his magisterial concordance to the saga literature.
After retiring from the University, Mr. Kellogg taught courses on Icelandic and Irish literature for retirees in Charlottesville, Virginia and also at Reykjavík. He and his wife lived in Reykjavík for several months each year. Mr. Kellogg served as academic consultant to Iceland’s Ministry of Education, and he was a director of the Iceland Fulbright Commission. He was the first chair of the Board of Trustees of the Leifur Eiríksson Foundation.