The Joy R. Hilliard Fellowship supports a master’s or doctoral-level graduate student doing research in the fields of conservation or environmental history. Special Collections and Archives staff award one $3,000 Fellowship annually to support costs associated with travel to Denver to do research in Denver Public Library’s renowned Conservation Collection. The Hilliard Fellowship directly supports research toward completing a graduate thesis or dissertation. 

The application process is open from January 1-March 1, 2026. Applicants should submit a 500-word project statement, a CV or resume, and a letter of support, preferably from a faculty advisor. Materials can be submitted through the Joy R. Hilliard Application Form online.  The Fellowship awardee will be notified by May 1, 2026. 

The Fellowship recipient is expected to complete at least one week of on-site research at the Denver Public Library between June 1 and October 31, 2026. Successful applicants will describe how the library’s Conservation Collection holdings, including nearly 200 unpublished archival collections on the history of the American conservation movement, contribute to the student’s area of inquiry.