$500 Scholarship Available for the Gen-Fed Institute

Are you interested in attending the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records (Gen-Fed)? Are you an experienced researcher holding either a paid or volunteer position in the genealogical community? There is a $500 scholarship available and you may be the lucky person to win it. NIGRAA is still accepting applications, but time is short as the deadline is February 15^th. The scholarship application can be found at http://www.gen-fed.org/home/scholarships/

The Genealogical Institute on Federal Records is held at the National Archives in Washington D.C. and provides in-depth instruction on how to use federal records for genealogical research. This includes military, federal land, immigration, court and other federal records. For more information on the institute visit www.gen-fed.org.

The scholarship covers full tuition for the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records, ticket to the —alumni dinner; and partial travel, hotel, and meal costs. The application will ask you to list the name of the organization you work or volunteer for, and explain how attending the Institute would benefit the work you do for the genealogical community. 

NIGR Renamed Genealogical Institute on Federal Records (Gen-Fed)

I was interested to receive the following press release regarding the renaming of the National Institute on Genealogical Research (NIGR) as the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records (Gen-Fed). I attended NIGR in 2008 and taught at NIGR in 2011. It is an excellent institute program on researching in federal records, and I am excited about the changes for 2016. 

December 28, 2015

The Board of Trustees of the National Institute on Genealogical Research has announced that the institute’s name was changed to the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records (Gen-Fed) on December 22, 2015. The institute, held annually at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., was founded in 1960 as a three-week general course on genealogy. In 1987, it narrowed its focus to federal records.

The institute was incorporated in 1989 as a non-profit 501(c) (3) organization. Trustees are representatives of the American Society of Genealogists, Association of Professional Genealogists, Board for Certification of Genealogists, Federation of Genealogical Societies, National Genealogical Society, and the institute's alumni association. The National Archives, a non-voting member, provides strong support.

“Given the growth in genealogical education, it made sense to choose a name that clearly identifies the institute’s mission,” said Malissa Ruffner, JD, CG, director. “A new website, www.gen-fed.org, offers a closer look at the program, which is scheduled for July 11–15, 2016.  You can also follow the institute on Facebook and Twitter (@GenFedInstitute).”

Diane Dimkoff, coordinator of research customer support at the National Archives, stated, “We are pleased that the institute’s new name reflects the significance of federal records and look forward to continuing our traditional collaboration.”
   
Gen-Fed is for experienced genealogists, and for archivists, historians and librarians interested in using federal records for genealogical research. It is designed to instill a methodological framework and foster creative thinking about relevant records. Online registration for the 2016 session will be held in late February.

Malissa Ruffner, JD, CG℠
Director