Eadington Fellows

Special Collections and Archives invites interested scholars to apply for a William R. Eadington Fellowship. The Eadington Fellowships are intended to facilitate on-site research into any aspect of gaming, gambling, or Las Vegas using collections at the University Libraries. 

This year's application cycle opens on May 15, 2026 and closes on July 1, 2026.  

Named in honor of economist William R. Eadington, one of the first academics to study gambling, Eadington Fellowships facilitate on-site research at SCA into any aspect of gaming and gambling. Projects about Las Vegas or Southern Nevada unrelated to gaming and gambling will be considered, but projects focused on gaming and gambling will receive priority.

Two types of fellowship are awarded:

• four-week resident fellowships with a $3,000 stipend
• two-week visiting fellowships with a $1,500 stipend.

Applicants must indicate which type they are applying for on the application form and in their cover letter. Note: SCA will be closed on Fridays during the 2026-2027 academic year. 

Fellows are required to complete their residencies in Las Vegas at SCA between September 1, 2026 and June 30, 2027, and to deliver a public talk, which will be live streamed and recorded for the University Libraries YouTube channel.

Eligibility

The Eadington Fellowships Program is open to enrolled graduate students (with a preference for PhD candidates with in-progress dissertations) and university faculty members. We welcome applicants from any discipline. Scholars in the fields of history, sociology, law, literature, and media studies are especially encouraged to apply. Independent scholars will also be considered.

Eadington Fellowships are meant to support a wide array of research interests. Suggested research topics include: casino marketing and the branding of Las Vegas, prominent figures in the gaming industry, gaming law and regulation, gambling mathematics, casino architecture and design, gambling in literature, problem gambling and its treatment, anti-gambling campaigns, and the evolution of specific games of chance. Visit SCA’s website for a full list of past recipients of the Eadington Fellowship. 

Applicants must specify some of the materials they plan to use in their research statement, so please review the scope of our collections before applying.

Application process 

Applicants should email their application to Sarah Quigley, Director of Special Collections and Archives, at sarah.quigley@unlv.edu, by July 1, 2026.

The application packet must be sent as a single PDF and should include the following documents: 

• Cover Sheet with your name, contact information, enrollment status or job title (Master’s Student, PhD Candidate, Assistant Professor of History, Independent Scholar, etc.), project title, an indication of the fellowship type for which you’re applying, and preferred dates for residency.
• Cover letter introducing yourself and briefly describing your project.
• Research Statement (750 words) detailing your research agenda at SCA, stating the goal of your research (article, dissertation chapter, conference paper, etc.), and explaining the significance of your project. 
• Short C.V. (1-2 pages) with contact information, education, select publications and presentations, select grants and fellowships received, and any other relevant information.
• Letters of recommendation are NOT required. 

Selection process 

Applications will be reviewed by the selection committee in late July, and applicants will be notified of the committee’s decision by email in early August. 

Requirements

Eadington Fellows are required to complete a residency in Las Vegas at Special Collections and Archives and to deliver a public talk, which is live streamed and recorded for the University Libraries YouTube channel.

About the Eadington Fellowship

Awarded since 2007, and renamed in honor of William R. Eadington in 2013, Eadington Fellowships have supported dozens of researchers and brought attention to the rare and unique archival collections at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Dr. Eadington (1946–2013) pioneered the academic study of gambling, both in Nevada and worldwide. He was the first holder of the Philip J. Satre chair in Gaming Studies, a professor of economics, and founding director of the Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR).