Funder: Music Library Association
Due Dates (Anticipated): August 2027 (Proposals and letters of support)
Funding Amounts: $6,500 total for the 2027 awards, distributed through one or more grants
Summary: Supports archival and library research worldwide on music directly connected with the United States.
Key Information: No restrictions on applicant age, nationality, profession, or institutional affiliation.
Description
The Music Library Association’s Dena Epstein Award supports research in archives and libraries, nationally and internationally, on any aspect of American music. For this award, “American music” means music directly relating to, or having a direct connection with, the United States. Established in 1995 through an endowment from Morton and Dena Epstein, the program advances research grounded in archival and library collections.
Supported projects have explored American composers, jazz, gospel, folk music, opera, music publishing, and relationships between music, race, politics, and cultural life. Past awards have supported research for books, dissertations, biographies, critical editions, bibliographies, digital exhibits, and online databases. Proposals are evaluated entirely on merit by the Dena Epstein Award Committee and the association’s Board of Directors.
