Mendel Sato Awards

A photo of a handwritten piece within the collection being studied.

The Mendel Sato Awards aim to promote engagement with the WashU Libraries’ Julian Edison Department of Special Collections through diverse opportunities for WashU faculty and students in support of their research and learning. The Mendel Sato Awards are:

  • The Sato Research Prize recognizes outstanding original research using special collections materials.
  • The Sato Research Fellowship encourages exploration of the department’s unique collection materials through learning opportunities designed to develop primary research skills.
  • The Sato Research Grant supports the scholarly use of the Libraries’ Special Collections for advanced research.

Please contact Special Collections ([email protected]) with any questions about the Mendel Sato Awards.

Sato Research Prize

The Sato Research Prize seeks submissions from students who are engaged in original research with collections from Special Collections in courses taught on WashU’s Danforth Campus.

Special Collections welcomes a broad range of projects and methods, from research papers, original film projects, book arts, and beyond. Prizes are awarded for research papers and multimedia projects. Bold applications of research that expand the understanding of special collections through innovative methods and lenses are encouraged.

  • Three Sato Research Prizes are awarded each cycle, one for each prize category of:
    • Undergraduate research paper
    • Graduate research paper
    • Multimedia projects, including, but not limited to: exhibitions, films, digital projects, and zines
  • Each winning student receives a $500 prize; awards are subject to taxes
  • Winning projects are preserved and publicly accessible in the Libraries’ Scholarly Repository
  • Information about prize winners (including names, faculty mentors, and project descriptions) is published on the Libraries’ website and on other promotional materials
  • WashU students at any class level studying any discipline may apply
  • Projects must use materials from Special Collections
  • Projects must be conducted as an assignment for a credit-earning course or Independent Study on Danforth Campus
  • Courses for the 2026-27 cycle must be during summer 2026, fall 2026, or spring 2027
  • Only one project per course may be submitted per applicant
  • Applicants may submit a group project; if selected, the prize money will be divided evenly among the project’s participants
  • Prizes are distributed within four weeks of notification
  • Description of Research: A 500-word description of the research methods and information gathering process used; include the collections used and staff who were of use to you in the completion of the project
  • A final version of the research project
    • Written projects: Submit your document
    • Media projects: Submit the research project in its media format (e.g., the PPT file of your poster slide or slide deck), the URL in a Word document if a Web project, or other appropriate format
  • A letter of support from the course instructor is required and must be uploaded with the submitted application
  • Submission deadline for the Sato Research Prize: May 21, 2027, by 5 pm for projects completed in courses during the academic year
  • Awardee notification by: June 30, 2027
Apply for the Sato Research Prize

Sato Research Fellowship

The Sato Research Fellowship invites students to explore Special Collections and increase visibility of the Libraries’ rare, archival, and primary source materials. The fellowship introduces emerging scholars to special collections and builds primary research skills to support further use of special collections in their scholarship.

The 2026-27 fellowship cycle focuses on the Modern Literature Collection (MLC), one of the Department of Special Collections’ main collecting areas. Fellows are encouraged to research on the margins of the collection, bringing attention to materials that expand and complicate our understanding of the MLC.

  • The fellowship stipend is $500 per student
  • Selected fellows will be required to:
    • Participate in a half-day workshop on special collections research in January 2027
    • Meet with an assigned Libraries mentor to develop a research project
    • Conduct independent research of materials from the Modern Literature Collection
    • Present their research at the Sato Fellowship open house event in April 2027
  • Stipends are distributed within two weeks of the April 2027 open house event

Eligibility for a Sato Research Fellowship is restricted to WashU undergraduate or graduate students.

  • Applicants must detail their fellowship proposal (max 500 words)
  • Identify collection material(s) interested in researching
  • A faculty letter of support addressing the applicant’s commitment to research and learning is required and must be uploaded with the application

Any WashU students with a strong interest in learning more about the Libraries’ Department of Special Collections and developing primary research skills are encouraged to apply. Prior experience researching special collections is not required.

Applicants are encouraged to review the Modern Literature Collection and the Libraries Digital Collections to identify collections of interest.

Students can apply at any stage of their research. Applicants may have developed research questions or interpretive lenses they intend to apply to special collection materials. Alternatively, applicants may be interested in a specific topic or theme they wish to develop into a project by investigating different collections. A demonstrated desire to develop archival research skills and an interest in exploring archival materials on the margins of the collection will be prioritized for fellowship selection.

Please contact Special Collections ([email protected]) with any questions.

  • Application deadline: December 4, 2026
  • Selected fellows are notified by January 8, 2027
Apply for the Sato Research Fellowship

Sato Research Grant

The Sato Research Grant is designed to promote the scholarly use of the Libraries’ special collections by WashU faculty and students for advanced research. Grantees receive a stipend to research any unique materials or collections from the Libraries’ Department of Special Collections to support an independent research project. The program prioritizes original topics and distinctive research proposals.

  • Stipend amounts are $1,000 for faculty and $500 for students; stipends are subject to taxes
  • Research with the Libraries’ Department of Special Collections must be conducted between July 1, 2027, and June 30, 2028
  • All Sato Research Grant recipients are required to complete a report about their research experience in Special Collections for a Libraries news article
  • Grant funds are distributed within four weeks of submitting the report

Eligibility for a Sato Research Grant is restricted to WashU faculty and students (undergraduate or graduate).

Applicants are required to submit a research plan that briefly describes their research topic and proposed use of specific collection materials from the Libraries’ Department of Special Collections to support the project.

Additional application details coming soon.

  • Application deadline: April 1, 2027
  • Awardees notified by: May 15, 2027
Applications for the Sato Research Grant Open in 2027

About Dr. Sato

A generous endowment established by Dr. Mendel Sato provides the vision and funding for this program. Dr. Sato hopes “to help awardees do well for themselves and enable them to do good for others.”

Sato received an undergraduate degree in biology from WashU in 1976 and a doctoral degree in dental medicine from WashU in 1979. Today, Dr. Sato and his wife, Sharon, live in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he operates a dental practice alongside his two sons. Inspired by his days as a student at WashU, where he learned by collaborating with faculty members, Sato created an endowment to provide ongoing funding that encourages student exploration into the Libraries’ archives. Forty years after leaving WashU, Sato is helping today’s students have the same powerful learning experience he had. 

Sato Research Award News

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