Each year, the General Omar N. Bradley Foundation normally provides research awards of $2,000 to up to ten U.S. Army officers engaged in research related to military history. In exceptional circumstances, the committee may recommend a larger award for particularly meritorious projects with demonstrated funding needs. The committee may also recommend awards to more than ten applicants when there is a sufficient number of qualified applicants and available funding. Funds are intended for original, archival historical research (including digital humanities research and digital research in archival sources); research should be in pursuit of a graduate degree or scholarly publication.
Who May Apply. U.S. Army officers who are actively engaged in the study of military history. Preference will be given to individuals on active duty. “Active engagement in the study of military history” includes, for example, research toward a master’s degree or doctorate in military history or research toward a scholarly article or monograph in military history, and can include digital humanities projects (the creation of databases, map collections, and the like). The committee normally prioritizes projects with greater long-range scholarly value, for example Ph.D. dissertations over master’s theses, books over articles.
The selection committee interprets “military history” in the broadest sense. Recent award winners included Crusading ideology and rhetoric outside the Mediterranean Crusades; the U.S. Army’s reactions to the First World War before 1917; the Russian Civil War battle of Tsaritsyn; U.S. armor in the Second World War; U.S. aid to China during the Second World War; the U.S. intervention in the Dominican Republic in 1965; Tom Clancy and U.S. national security; the use of military power by the UN; the Signal Corps during the 1990s and 2000s; and the U.S. Army Asian Studies Detachment in Okinawa.
Officers who have received an award in the past may apply again. In such cases, the officer should indicate the receipt of the previous grant and how it was employed, including any publication (or degree thesis) to which it contributed.
How to Apply. Officers meeting the criteria above should apply to Professor Samuel Watson, Chair, Omar Nelson Bradley Awards Committee, electronically at samuel.watson@westpoint.edu, or Professor Samuel Watson, Chair, Omar Nelson Bradley Awards Committee, Department of History, United States Military Academy, West Point, New York 10996. The committee strongly prefers electronic applications. These may consist of a single PDF or several documents, but should be sent in a single email. Transcripts, SRBs, and OMPFs are not necessary. Applications are due NLT January 1, 2027.
Letters of application should include:
- name, rank, e-mail address, surface address (we will need this to send your check if you are selected), phone number, and duty position of the applicant.
- the objective of the proposed research, progress of research to date, any distinctive methodology to be used, a specific statement of needs for funding (for example, specific archives or collections to be examined, and costs expected to be incurred in doing so), and the proposed method of publishing or disseminating the results of the research. Note that microfilm, PDFs, or other downloads can be purchased with this funding.
- Additional materials that will assist the committee in evaluating the application may also be submitted: letters of recommendation, preferably from scholars (for example, thesis or dissertation advisers, or other scholars who have read your scholarship) and writing samples (of no more than chapter or article length) are recommended. Curriculum vitae (for those working on a post-dissertation project) may be valuable. (You may also note any previous scholarly publications, or those under review or accepted for publication, in your application letter.)
Required Application Items (must be received NLT January 1, 2027):
- Name, rank, duty position, contact information (including surface address).
- Topic, scholarly value, and concrete objective (expected outcome—publication or degree) of the research.
- Methodology, particularly if digital, quantitative, or oral history, or otherwise not the traditional written form—make sure the committee can understand what you are trying to do.
- Progress of research to date.
- Location and archive where research is proposed. Specificity is of value here: for example, you do not need to list every collection you want to look at, but “National Archives” is pretty vague—provide Record Group numbers.
- Itemized cost estimate Again, specificity is of value, and cost calculations should not normally exceed what DTS would allow.
- Proposed method of disseminating research results (thesis, dissertation, article, chapter, essay in edited collection, etc.). Electronic publication is entirely acceptable, particularly for digital humanities projects.
Suggested Supporting Items:
- Letters of Recommendation: no more than one or two; they should focus on your scholarship.
- Writing Samples or Manuscripts: article or chapter-sized at most.
- Curriculum Vitae (particularly for those working on a post-dissertation project).
Application Timeline:
- Applications due no later than January 1, 2027
- Announcement of recipients in February.
- Funding normally arrives in March, as a physical check to you.
Send Application Materials electronically to:
Or to:
Professor Samuel Watson
United States Military Academy
Department of History
Suite 251, Building 601
West Point, NY 10996
The committee strongly prefers electronic applications.