The Michigan Wallenberg Institute will become a leading center for cutting-edge research on issues related to the mission of the institute.
Major Research Initiatives
The Michigan Wallenberg Institute will directly sponsor and oversee major collaborative research initiatives at the University of Michigan.
Recipients of funding will be expected to present their findings to scholarly workshops every semester, creating an institute-specific workshop series. Workshops may include scholars and students at the University of Michigan and elsewhere.
Current Research Projects
Pure Michigan: A History of Hatred in the Great Lakes Region
This project investigates the role of several prominent Michiganders, most notably Father Charles Coughlin and Henry Ford, in manufacturing and spreading hatred and antisemitism throughout America in the period of 1900-1950. It is envisioned that the project will be developed into a book and a museum exhibition.
Student researchers will work with original primary source documents in the Bentley Library, including the Dearborn Independent and the sermons and radio addresses delivered by Father Coughlin. Researchers will also assist in compiling a bibliography of existing literature.
Santa in School: History of Religious Celebrations in American Public Schools
This project examines the ways in which religious holidays have historically been celebrated in public schools in the United States. The study will look at the interactions between educators, students, and parents regarding holiday celebrations and the ways they have included and excluded those who do not celebrate Christian holidays traditionally recognized in school settings. The study will examine the legal and social implications of holiday celebration and what it tells us about the role of religion in American life.
Students will conduct and compile research in legal cases and events covered in the press dealing with religious celebrations in public schools over the course of the 20th century. Students will conduct online and archival research through newspapers and legal databases on issues regarding the celebration of religious holidays in public schools.
Research Funding Support
Each year, the Michigan Wallenberg Institute will solicit proposals from across U-M for smaller research projects that advance the mission of the institute. Recipients of research grants will be expected to attend and present their work at Wallenberg research workshops.
Residential Fellowships
The Michigan Wallenberg Institute will also provide 2-3 fellowships for scholars and practitioners whose work advances the mission of the institute and enhances its intellectual community. These fellowships can include U-M faculty, emeritus/emerita faculty, visiting faculty, postdoctoral scholars, and practitioners (researchers, journalists, NGO members, activists, governmental and intergovernmental officials on leave, and independent scholars), and can include short term and/or longer term fellowships of up to three years. Fellows will pursue their own projects while interacting and collaborating with the institute and other resources at the University of Michigan.
