We have received an incredible challenge from the William G. Pomeroy Foundation but we need your help.

If we can raise $20,000 to fund our Bicentennial Research Project the Pomeroy Foundation will match $20,000 but if, and only if, we reach that goal. We are about 30% of the way there but still have a long way to go before our deadline at May 22, 2025 at 11:59 PM.

We hope to use this historic anniversary period and moment of increased interest to address the lack of modern, multi-dimensional, diverse narratives in Erie Canal scholarship. This project seeks to address this gap by encouraging scholars to develop original research that provides a more inclusive, holistic perspective of the Erie Canal. In partnership with historical organizations, colleges, and universities across New York, the Erie Canal Museum has announced a public call for new research on the Erie Canal. Scholars will have the freedom to choose their research topics, with special consideration given to research focusing on marginalized communities and unique aspects of Canal history.
But we need help. The William G. Pomeroy Foundation has offered us an extraordinary challenge gift of $20,000 to accomplish our goals but we can only unlock these crucial funds if the canal community steps up and helps us raise $20,000 to match it. With your financial commitment, this project will establish the Erie Canal Museum as the preeminent center for new research on Canal history and allow us to support a new internship position to assist our Education team in the outreach, content collection, review, and subsequent publication to ensure our success.

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More Information About the Bicentennial Research Project

In partnership with historical organizations, colleges, and universities across New York, the Erie Canal Museum is excited to announce a public call for new research on the Erie Canal. This initiative aims to produce original, transformative research papers that enhance our understanding of the Erie Canal and contribute to a forthcoming publication. Scholars will have the freedom to choose their research topics, with special consideration given to scholars who explore the Erie Canal Museum’s bicentennial theme of (R)Evolutions, work towards the Museum’s objectives of broadening Canal narratives, or focus their research on place-based history.

The Erie Canal Museum’s theme for 2025 will be (R)Evolutions as described below:

Throughout its history, the Erie Canal has been an agent of change and transformation, both gradual and abrupt. The Canal has been revolutionary in its own right while simultaneously being shaped by and influencing other revolutions of its day. It has been a continually evolving waterway, adapting throughout its history to meet the needs and demands of the communities it flowed through and connected. These changes echo into the present in both positive and negative ways that we continue to grapple with historically. As we commemorate the bicentennial of the Erie Canal’s completion in 2025, the Erie Canal Museum aims to examine these diverse, transformative impacts on peoples and places in the past, present, and future.

Submissions will be judged by a panel of canal experts, with top papers being awarded prizes and/or being reproduced in a publication produced by the Museum. The Bicentennial Research Project is made possible by the William G. Pomeroy Foundation, with additional support from the Richard Mather Fund and the Kiwi Foundation.

Purpose

The bicentennial of the Erie Canal (2017-2025) has sparked increased interest and investment. We hope to use this historic anniversary period and moment of increased interest to address the lack of modern, multi-dimensional, diverse narratives in Erie Canal scholarship. This project seeks to address this gap by encouraging scholars to develop original research that provides a more inclusive, holistic perspective of the Erie Canal. Our goal is to foster scholarly work that broadens interpretations of the Canal and preserves recent insights through a published collection, benefiting both the academic community and the Erie Canal Museum’s sustainability. We can also identify within the research submitted potential applicants for the Pomeroy Foundation Marker Grant Program and provide application assistance as needed.

Timeline

• Fall 2024: Initial call for research
• June 30, 2025: Submission deadline for final research papers
• Summer 2025: Judging period for submissions
• September 2025: Announcement of awards by Labor Day and presentation of awards at the Buffalo World Canals Conference in late September
• End of 2025: Publication of selected research, timed for October 26, the bicentennial of the Canal’s opening

Eligibility

This call is open to all, including students and faculty from history departments, as well as independent researchers. There are no restrictions on the number of papers a single individual may submit.

Prizes

Top papers will be considered for cash prizes to be awarded at the World Canals Conference in September. The cash prizes are- 1st Place: $1000 , 2nd Place: $500. 3rd Place: $250

Submission Guidelines:

Submit your final research papers by June 30, 2025. These should be well-researched, adhere to academic standards, and align with the project’s bicentennial theme.

Special consideration will be given to research focusing on marginalized communities, unique aspects of Canal history, and place-based history that could inform Pomeroy Foundation historic markers throughout New York State. We encourage you to visit local archives near you. You may wish to refer to the

Erie Canal Museum’s finding aids (https://www.empireadc.org/search/repositories/nysyecm)

or the New York States Archives’ Guide to Canal Records (https://www.archives.nysed.gov/sites/archives/files/res_topics_trans_canal.pdf).

The maximum word limit for final papers is 15,000 words, though this is flexible. All citations must conform to the Chicago Manual of Style. Include a short bio in your submission package (less than 200 words). Ensure the final submission package is in PDF format.

Contact

For more information and to submit final papers, please contact the Erie Canal Museum at research@eriecanalmuseum.org.

We look forward to your contributions to this pivotal exploration of Erie Canal history and its enduring legacy.