Robert F. Munn Library Scholars Award for the Humanities and Social Sciences
The Robert F. Munn Library Scholars Award is presented annually to students for outstanding research contributions in the humanities or social sciences that have culminated in the production of an exceptional thesis or capstone research paper.
Winners will be awarded $1,000 and be recognized publicly by the University and the Libraries. The Robert F. Munn Library Scholars Award judges may select up to three winners.
Eligibility
To be eligible to win, applicants must:
- Be a student enrolled at West Virginia University as a full-time undergraduate student in good academic standing; conducted original research using resources from the West Virginia University Libraries; and used this research to produce a paper that reflects individual work, not that of a group or class project. Research papers should reflect substantial effort, such as a thesis or capstone.
- Agree to permit West Virginia University Libraries to use their name, photographs, video images, etc., to promote The Robert F. Munn Undergraduate Library Scholars Award to future participants.
- Agree to be recognized in University and Library publicity.
- Agree to have their work published in the Research Repository @ WVU.
Submission Process
The completed paper can be submitted anytime during the fall and spring semesters. The deadline is Friday, June 6th, 2025.
Applicants should submit:
- An electronic copy of their paper
- A short reflective memo, no more than 500 words, describing how they used WVU Libraries
- An abstract of no more than 100 words
Email paper, memo, and abstract to the Head of the Libraries’ Student Success and Instruction unit, Kelly Diamond, Kelly.Diamond@mail.wvu.edu.
Subject
The research topic must be in the realms of the humanities or social sciences.
Criteria
Judges will evaluate the submissions on:
- Research goes beyond mere summary of past scholarship
- Correct use of a standardized citation format
- Clarity of writing
- Originality*
- Use of West Virginia University Libraries' resources: this can include consultations with subject librarians
*Submission is student's own work rather than to assist a faculty member's current research.
History
The Robert F. Munn Library Scholars was established during the fall of 2008 in honor of Dr. Robert F. Munn, Dean of Library Services from 1957-1986. Dean Munn nurtured the West Virginia and Regional History Collection, the Appalachian Collection, and a unique East Africa collection. He maintained strong collections in the humanities, especially American history and literature. The Libraries’ collections in these areas today are remarkably complete and are a legacy of Dean Munn’s consistent care.
Munn was born in Seattle and grew up in Pittsburgh, where his father was director of the Carnegie Library. He received his bachelor’s degree from Oberlin, his master’s degree from the University of Chicago, and his doctorate from the University of Michigan.