Named after DAHS founders Arnold and Edith Bodtker, Bodtker Grants are intended to support scholarly and creative research into various aspects of Danish heritage and the Danish American experience. Each recipient of a Bodtker Grant is required to submit an article for publication in The Bridge, journal of the Danish American Heritage Society, within one year of receiving the grant.
Bodtker Grants, which provide stipends of up to $5,000, are primarily designed to fund research travel, either within North America, Denmark, or other Danish-related sites. Approaches can range from the historical to the genealogical to the artistic, literary, and culinary. Projects involving research at the major Danish American archives —at the Danish American Archive and Library in Blair, Nebraska; the Danish American Archive at Grand View University; and the Museum of Danish America in Elk Horn, Iowa — are particularly encouraged. Bodtker Grants cannot be used as salary replacement or to pay tuition at an educational institution. However, in some cases, they may be used for publication or translation subvention, so long as the project can still be excerpted in The Bridge.
Deadlines:
March 15 (Notification: April) or September 15 (Notification: October)
Stipend Amount: Up to $5,000
Minimum Requirements:
Applicant is currently enrolled at or graduated from a university level institution. Preference will be given to applicants currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program.
For researchers/students in Denmark, project requires a stay in the USA or Canada.
For researchers/students in North America, project requires a stay in the USA, Canada, or Denmark.
Required Documents:
Proposal
Name
Contact information (address, email, phone)
Project description
Tentative timeline
Estimated budget
Curriculum vitae or resumé
Two letters of reference
Expectations of Recipients:
Complete a final report on the project, and
The Arnold N. Bodtker fund was created by the DAHS in 1998 to honor Arnold Bodtker, who founded the Danish American Heritage Society in 1977. After Arnold Bodtker’s death at age 95 in 2000, the Bodtker fund was endowed by a generous contribution from the Bodtker family. The DAHS subsequently created the Edith and Arnold N. Bodtker Grants for Research and Internship (henceforth referred to as the “Bodtker Grants”) to allow Bodtker funds to be used to support historical research in areas of interest.
The first Bodtker Grant was approved by the Danish American Heritage Society Board in 2001. We have compiled a list of brief biographical data for most recipients and would like to expand to provide more.
Click the button below to view this information and please contact DAHS if you have additional details available for past recipients.
If you would like to help support DAHS' Bodtker Grant Fund, click the Donate button below and select Bodtker Grant Fund from the Use this donation for dropdown menu.
© 2021, Danish American Heritage Society