Libraries

*East Asian Studies: Travel Grants

A few starting points for East Asian studies, and links to China, Japan, and Korea studies.

Travel Grant

University of Kansas East Asian Library FY 26 (August 2025 to July 2026) Travel Grant

The Center for East Asian Studies at the University of Kansas, a federally designated National Resource Center, offers a competitive travel grant to scholars from outside the Lawrence, Kansas area who wish to use the University's East Asian Studies and East Asian language collections held by KU Libraries. The Travel Grant of up to $400 will be awarded to cover travel and lodging expenses. Faculty members and graduate students engaged in thesis/dissertation research are eligible to apply. All applications will be reviewed by the Library Committee after the submission deadline (September 19, 2025), and the awardee(s) will receive the grant as reimbursement upon completion of their research visits.

ABOUT EAST ASIAN COLLECTION

The East Asian Collection has over 335,000 volumes in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean including substantial periodical holdings as well as electronic resources. The collection is especially strong in the fields of Chinese and Japanese art history, general history, literature, religion, Japanese women's studies, and Japanese popular/visual culture. Also, KU Libraries has Chinese and Japanese premodern prints and manuscripts at Spencer Research Library, though the numbers are limited. For further information about our collection, please visit https://lib.ku.edu/east-asian-collection/about.

APPLICATION FOR FY26 (August 2025-July 2026)

Applications should be submitted by September 19, 2025. Travel must be completed by July 31, 2026.

Application form is available here.

In addition to applicant’s contact information (including affiliation) the application must include:

  • Proposed travel dates and schedule;

  • Expected budget;

  • Current curriculum vitae;

  • A brief statement describing the applicant’s research, including reasons for accessing the East Asian Library collections;

  • List of resources the applicant would like to access while at the University of Kansas. (Applicants must check availability of these resources in KU Libraries’ online catalog or by contacting the relevant area studies librarian prior to submitting applications.) 

OTHER NOTES

  • This competitive grant will be awarded based on the merits of the proposed research.

  • The awardee will receive the grant as reimbursement.

  • The awardee must submit a reimbursement request with appropriate receipts by the end of July 2026.

 

Should you have any questions regarding the application process or the travel grant, please contact:

  • Michiko Ito (Japanese Studies Librarian, Chair of the Library Committee), mito[at]ku.edu
  • Cecilia Zhang (Chinese Studies Librarian), ceciliazh[at]ku.edu

    The Library Travel Grant is sponsored by the Center for East Asian Studies and managed by the Library Committee.

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    http://www.ceas.ku.edu/

Accomodation Information Guide in Lawrence

Maps & Directions to the KU Libraries

Lawrence is located on I-70 just 45 minutes' drive from the Kansas City International Airport (I-435 South to I-70 West; also see Airport shuttles). I-70 exit 202 is the most direct route to the KU Campus.

Directions to Lawrence from the Kansas City Airport (via I-70) (this route has tolls)

As you exit the airport, follow the signs to Topeka, which will direct you to:

  1. Turn left onto the 29 N / 435W ramp to St Joseph/Topeka. Continue for 3.5 miles.
  2. Take exit 17 to 435 S toward Topeka for 19 miles.
  3. Take exit 12 to 70W / Kansas Turnpike toward Topeka for 25 miles.
  4. Take exit 204 toward US-40/US-59/US-24/Lawrence

 

Tips for getting around in Lawrence

  • Numbered streets run east-west with 6th Street in the north and 31st Street in the south.
  • State streets run north-south roughly in the order they joined the union (east first).
  • West of Iowa St., 15th Street is Bob Billings Parkway, and 23rd Street is Clinton Parkway