Calling all undergraduate researchers at Eastern Kentucky University! EKU’s Library Research Award for Undergraduates (LRAU) is your chance to turn your academic passion into a noteworthy achievement. The award, made possible by the Friends of EKU Libraries, recognizes EKU students whose research makes expert and creative use of library services, resources, and collections to produce a scholarly or creative work.
While the LRAU award bestows a monetary prize (first place is awarded $1,000 and honorable mention is $500), this award is about more than just money. Winning the LRAU is also a powerful addition to your academic portfolio and a potential highlight for future academic or professional opportunities. Whether you're aiming for graduate school or a competitive career, this award would be a meaningful addition to your resume.
The most successful LRAU applicants tell a compelling story about their research process, explaining how they've delved deeply into library resources and emerged with a genuine intellectual or creative contribution to their field.
Take, for example, the LRAU winner from 2024–James Nash. His honors thesis, “Richard Hakluyt: Elizabethan Propaganda, English Identity, and the ‘Black Legend’”, epitomizes exactly what the LRAU is all about: careful, intentional research; clear, sophisticated writing; and a meaningful contribution to the field of history. More importantly, James’ explanation of his research process explicitly details how his research unfolded and what strategies he used to find, evaluate, and synthesize EKU Libraries resources to support his argument.
Check out the LRAU website for up-to-date information including the application process, timeline, and previous winning examples. You can also email dana.kendrick@eku.edu if you have any questions.
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