Internship Grants
Apply today for 2026 summer internships!
In 2026, the Virginia Center for Civil War Studies will offer grants to support undergraduate or graduate students at Virginia Tech who are conducting Civil War era internships. The deadline to apply is Friday, Feb. 6, 2026.
Sites available include:
Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park -- Housing provided by the National Park Service. $3,500 stipend from VCCWS.
Appomattox Court House National Historical Park-- Housing may be available through the National Park Service, $3,500 stipend from VCCWS.
The Virginia Museum of History & Culture (Richmond) -- The VMHC stewards and provides access to one of the largest collections of Civil War manuscripts and print material held by a private institution in the United States. With the support of library staff, the intern will conduct research into the Civil War era (broadly conceived) on behalf of the VMHC’s Research & Publications, Curatorial Affairs, and/or Education teams for:
-- upcoming exhibitions and public programming.
-- updating research resources, guides, and finding aids to widen access to the VMHC collection.
-- authoring blogposts and creating social media posts to promote the VMHC’s collection.
The internship will primarily require working in the VMHC’s E. Claiborne Robins, Jr. Research Library and will largely involve working with original Civil War material including letters, diaries, memoirs, and print matter. The intern may also assist library staff with day-to-day operations such as retrieving and shelving collection materials, scanning collection items for patrons, and handling basic reference questions. The intern will also participate in research colloquiums and in executing library programs, like the VMHC’s Scholar Series lectures and public displays of collection items. $3,500 stipend from VCCWS.
- Other museums or historical sites with approval -- If you'd like to create your own internship with a museum or site close to where you live, please contact Paul Quigley by Friday, Jan. 30. These internships are eligible for a $3,500 stipend from the VCCWS.
To apply, email center director Paul Quigley (pquigley@vt.edu) with a letter of interest (specifying which opportunity you’re applying for; you may submit multiple letters if you’re interested in more than one) and a resume that includes current GPA.
Summer 2025 Paid Internship Program:
Four Virginia Tech undergraduate and graduate students were chosen for our 2025 paid internship program. Read more about our 2025 interns here:
Susan Stanfield
Sterling Bryant is a Graduate Student in History at Virginia Tech. He researches immigration and labor in the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth century. Bryant graduated from undergrad at Virginia Tech in May 2024, and will be graduating with a Master’s in May 2026. Additionally, Bryant is a veteran who served in the United States Navy from 2013 through 2020. He was an intern at the Shenandoah Valley Battlefield Park and enjoyed working with the general public and improving his public speaking.
Conrad Hamm is a senior at Virginia Tech, majoring in history, and planning to graduate in May 2026. Hamm was an intern at Appomattox Court House, and he was able to further his knowledge of the American Civil War, conduct research, and collaborate with other internees. Hamm said he is grateful for this opportunity as he has a strong and dedicated passion for history.
Ben Warburton is a rising senior double majoring in History and Industrial Engineering who interned at The Virginia Museum of History & Culture in Richmond. "I had a fantastic Summer with the Virginia Museum of history and culture! The research team was extremely welcoming, and I was given all the assistance I needed to complete my responsibilities. What's more, whenever I came up with a new idea, I was able to pursue it, whether it was ordering new material to the library or reaching out digitally to other archives across the country. The chance to work firsthand with Civil War materials, both obscure and famous, was one of the highlights of the experience. That, and the museum cafe."
Madison Smith is a Graduate Research Assistant with the Virginia Center for Civil War Studies and a graduate student in the History M.A. program at Virginia Tech, expected to graduate in May 2026. In 2025, she was an intern at the Salem Museum in Salem, Virginia, working on a major project exploring daily life during the post-Civil War and Reconstruction Era through the lens of a single family. A graduate of Roanoke College, Smith was excited to once again collaborate with the museum staff and continue developing her skills as both a student and an emerging historian.
