The Humanities Connections grant program seeks to expand the role of the humanities in undergraduate education at two- and four-year institutions. Grants will support innovative curricular approaches that foster productive partnerships among humanities faculty and their counterparts in the social and natural sciences and in pre-service or professional programs (such as business, engineering, health sciences, law, computer and data science, and other technology-driven fields), in order to encourage and develop new integrative learning opportunities for students.
Humanities Connections projects must include:
- substantive and purposeful integration of the subject matter, perspectives, and pedagogical approaches of two or more disciplines (with a minimum of one in and one outside of the humanities)
- collaboration between faculty from two or more separate departments or schools at one or more institutions
- experiential learning as an intrinsic part of the curricular plan
- long-term institutional support for the proposed curriculum innovation(s)
Competitive applications will demonstrate:
- that the proposed curricular projects expand the role of the humanities in addressing significant and compelling topics or issues in undergraduate education at the applicant institution(s);
- a substantive and purposeful integration of the subject matter, approaches, and learning activities of two or more disciplines (with a minimum of one in and one outside of the humanities)
- collaboration between faculty from two or more departments or schools (with a minimum of one in and one outside of the humanities)
- a curricular structure that the institution could sustain over the long term, including interdisciplinary minors or certificates; curricular pathways such as concentrations within majors or general education programs; and other models appropriate to the institution
The Humanities Connections program is accepting applications in two categories:
Planning Grants (up to twelve months) support the interdisciplinary collaboration of faculty from two or more separate departments or schools (a minimum of one in and one outside of the humanities), with the goal of designing a new, coherent curricular program or initiative. The award provides the institution(s) the opportunity to create a firm foundation for implementing the program. Project activities include identifying the members of a collaborative team and organizing the planning process; defining the rationale, design, and structure that would undergird a comprehensive and institutionally sustainable effort; and establishing potential scenarios for curriculum development and experiential learning opportunities. Institutions may draw on current short-term initiatives or curricular programs run by individual departments in this effort. The outcome of a successful planning award should be a project in, or ready for, the implementation stage.
Planning awards may be used to:
- establish and convene a collaborative team to develop overall project goals and outcomes
- consult outside experts on curriculum design or experiential learning opportunities (such as individual or collaborative undergraduate research projects, or a structured experience with community-based, project-based, or site-based learning)
- organize seminars for faculty and administrators on substantive issues related to the success of the project
- coordinate focus or discussion groups around issues central to project rationale
- design or revise courses, instructional models, and learning activities
- work with institutional leadership to outline long-range planning and sustainability
Implementation grants (18 to 36 months) support the introduction or revision of sustainable and interdisciplinary undergraduate curricula or initiatives at two- and four-year colleges and universities. Projects must involve faculty from two or more departments or schools (a minimum of one in and one outside of the humanities) and integrate the approaches and learning activities of the disciplines involved. Implementation proposals must show unambiguous evidence of prior planning and present a defined rationale with clear intellectual and logistical objectives supported by institutional leadership. The award provides the opportunity to build on faculty, administrative, or institutional partnerships and to develop and refine the project's intellectual content, design, and scope. You should clearly demonstrate any partners' or collaborators' commitments; outline preferred approaches to curriculum building/consolidation; and explain outreach strategies to attract students to the new educational opportunity. The outcome of an Implementation award should be a sustainable curriculum or initiative ready to enroll students.
Implementation awards may be used to:
- convene a core faculty team and develop working groups on issues central to project rationale
- engage outside experts on issues pertinent to project content, design, and sustainability
- develop, implement, assess, and refine curriculum (such as new courses, modules, and pathways) and instructional models for effective pedagogy
- create and implement outreach strategies to attract students to new educational opportunities
- conduct mid-and long-range feasibility studies
Recipients of Implementation awards must prepare a final lessons learned” white paper for a broad professional audience, which may be made available on the NEH website.
NEH Areas of Interest NEH is especially interested in supporting projects that advance humanities-related work in the following areas.
American Tapestry: Weaving Together Past, Present, and Future
A special initiative at NEH that leverages the humanities to tackle some of the most pressing challenges of our time: strengthening our democracy, advancing equity for all, and addressing our changing climate. The initiative encourages humanities projects that elevate the role of civics in schools and public programs, advance knowledge of the country's history and political institutions, and examine threats to its democratic principles. The initiative also encourages projects that explore the untold stories of historically underrepresented groups and build capacity at cultural and educational institutions to benefit underserved communities. Finally, the initiative welcomes projects that promote research into the historical roots and cultural effects of climate change and support the cultural and educational sectors in building climate resilience
United We Stand: Connecting Through Culture
An initiative that uses the humanities to combat hate-motivated violence and promote civic engagement, social cohesion, and cross-cultural understanding. As a part of this initiative, NEH encourages humanities projects that further our understanding of the nation's racial, ethnic, gender, and religious diversity; examine the sources of hate and intolerance in the United States; and explore progress towards greater inclusiveness.
In addition, NEH encourages projects that include Native American organizations and communities as lead applicants and project partners.
Links to recent Planning and Implementation Grants, as well as sample application narratives from some previous awardees can be found on the project page at https://www.neh.gov/grants/education/humanities-connections
If the project addresses core or general education requirements, or requirements for specific pathways or pre-professional programs, it must incorporate a fresh approach. For example, applicants might consider:
The prohibitions above also apply to subawards, including the experiential learning activities developed in collaboration with external contributors (such as community partners).