GLBT Historical Society Research Fellowships

The GLBT Historical Society Research Fellowships are designed to enable researchers to consult our archives in San Francisco. The fellowships honor the memory of Allan Bérubé, a historian and founder of the GLBT Historical Society, and Don Price, the late husband of longtime GLBT Historical Society volunteer Bill Lipsky.  

Applications for the 2026-27 cycle open on September 16, 2026. You can review the details below, and when you are ready to apply, the form is here. 

Fellowship Information & Application Form

The fellowship committee expects to make two grants of up to $4,000 each in the 2026-2027 funding cycle. The two fellowships have identical requirements, and both recipients will be chosen from the same applicant pool. 

Eligibility: Applications are welcome from anyone working on topics in LGBTQ history whose project would benefit from consulting the archives of the GLBT Historical Society. Before applying, potential applicants must consult with our archival staff (reference@glbthistory.org) to establish a need to consult specific collections in person. Applicants can be based locally or elsewhere; many applicants use the grant to fund travel to the archives, but it is intended to be flexible and to suit different needs in different ways. 

Preference will be given to: 

  • Independent scholars, researchers and creators; 

  • Graduate students; 

  • Early career academics (assistant professors, lecturers, adjuncts, visiting assistant professors or other contingent faculty, etc.); 

  • Members of the LGBTQ community; 

  • Members of historically marginalized communities. 

The application has three questions that require you to upload documents: a narrative statement of up to 1,000 words, a CV, and a budget. These can be uploaded in .docx or .pdf format. Attachments must be under 10MB each. 

Application Timeline

9/16/2026 Applications Open 

11/1/2026 Application Deadline 

1/1/2027 References will be requested from finalist candidates 

2/15/2027 Fellowship recipient announced

Scoring Criteria

  • Applications will be scored primarily on the criteria listed below. Applicants are encouraged to respond directly to these criteria in the required narrative. 

  • Importance of the proposed project to the applicant’s field of research, or to the field of LGBTQ history, broadly conceived. 

  • Feasibility of the proposed project within the budget and timeline submitted. 

  • Impact of the fellowship on the applicant’s career growth and trajectory. 

  • Applicant’s impact on the diversity of their field of research, including members of the preference categories listed above.

Eligible expenses 

The research fellowships are intended to fund anything that enables you to focus deeply on your research during the period funded by the fellowships. This may include travel, living expenses, rent, childcare, or home care for loved ones or yourself. The sole exception is any illegal activity. 

Participation requirements 

Fellowship recipients must complete their proposed archival research at the GLBT Historical Society within a year of the announcement of their fellowship. They are also required to give a presentation on their findings to GLBTHS members within two years of completing the research, via a virtual or in-person talk. They will also be asked to help promote the fellowship via an interview in the GLBTHS’ newsletter and/or a post on GLBTHS’ social media.

About Allan Bérubé

Portrait of Allan Bérubé, ca. 1990; photographer unknown, Allan Bérubé Collection (1995-17), GLBT Historical Society.

Allan Bérubé (1946–2007) was a queer historian and founding member of the GLBT Historical Society. His best-known work was the book Coming Out Under Fire, which examined the stories of gay men and women in the U.S. military between 1941 and 1945. His extensive personal and research papers are preserved in the society’s archives, as are the files for many of his research projects. The fellowship that honors him was created by the Allan Bérubé Memorial Trust for Historical Research, Preservation and Education and the GLBT Historical Society. 

To stay up-to-date about this program and all of the GLBT Historical Society’s work, you can subscribe to our newsletter or become a member.

ABOUT DOn price 

Portrait of Don Price, 1996, courtesy of Bill Lipsky.

Donald Dean Price (1956–2022) was the husband, best friend, and traveling companion of longtime GLBT Historical Society volunteer Bill Lipsky. Don moved to San Francisco with Bill in 1981. He worked as a marketing and communications analyst, and devoted his time after retirement to charity work, serving as a volunteer or board member with AIDS Benefits Counselors, Under One Roof, the San Francisco Zoological Society, Pets Are Wonderful Support, and the San Francisco SPCA's outreach adoption program. The fellowship honoring him was created by Bill Lipsky.