International Children's Literature Research Grant

About the grant

We are now accepting applications for the International Children's Literature Summer Research Grant. The application must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. on April 11, 2025, to be considered.

The summer research grant winner will receive $2,000 to cover travel and living expenses to Central Michigan University's Clarke Historical Library to research in the Clarke’s Lucile Clarke Memorial Children's Library, especially its international children’s literature resources.

Applicant qualifications:

• You are resident in the U.S. or Canada.
• You possess either a master’s or doctoral degree, or you are currently enrolled in a U.S. or Canadian master’s or doctoral program.
• You are available to carry out your research at the Clarke Historical Library on the CMU campus between May 1, 2025, and September 1, 2025.

Read about the Clarke’s collection of children’s literature.

The ICLRG honors Dr. Susan M. Stan (1946-2018), a renowned scholar of international children's literature and a generous donor to the Clarke Historical Library. Dr. Stan never missed an opportunity to share her exuberant passion for international children’s literature. She taught classes as an English professor at Central Michigan University, edited resource books such as The World Through Children's Books (Scarecrow Press, 2002) and presented at national and international children's literature conferences. In 2011, she was awarded a Fulbright to conduct research at the International Library for Children's Literature in Munich, Germany. Her last published book was Global Voices: Picture Books from Around the World (ALA Editions, 2014). Dr. Stan was past president of the United States section of International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY). During her career she served as a jury member of the prestigious Han Christian Andersen, Caldecott, and Batchelder children's literature awards.