Humanities Initiatives at Historically Black Colleges and Universities – US

Historically Black Colleges and Universities are an important segment of the American education system and possess a rich history of service to their students and communities. Humanities Initiatives grants can help strengthen the teaching and study of the humanities at HBCUs by supporting the development of new or enhancement of existing programs, educational resources, or courses that explore, interpret, and preserve the diversity of human cultures, ideas, and practices, past and present.

Purpose

• Projects must address a core topic or set of themes drawn from humanities areas such as history, philosophy, religion, literature, or humanities-informed composition and writing skills. NEH welcomes applications for projects that are modest in scope, duration, and budget, as well as applications for expansive, long-term projects. Projects may, but need not be, related to the cultural identity of the applicant institution. For example, a Hispanic-Serving Institution could submit a proposal on ancient Greek drama.
• The Humanities Initiatives programs support activities such as:
  • Curriculum development
    • developing and/or revising a course or set of courses (e.g., general education courses, honors courses or programs, capstone courses)
    • creating teaching materials (e.g., course modules, readers, primary document collections, digital collections)
    • planning and piloting a major, minor, or certificate program
  • Student enrichment
    • developing frameworks for humanities-focused internship programs
    • creating opportunities for hands-on, place-based, or experiential learning
  • Faculty development
    • constructing pedagogy or curriculum through shared reading programs
    • organizing a series of guest speakers for faculty and community audiences
  • Partnerships
    • creating bridge programs or dual enrollment programs between high school and college, or between community colleges and four-year institutions
    • collaborating with museums or libraries to create teaching materials
    • producing humanities programming for students and community members

NEH Areas of Interest

• American Tapestry: Weaving Together Past, Present, and Future
• United We Stand: Connecting Through Culture
• NEH’s Support for the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative

Award Amounts

• You may request up to $150,000. This includes the sum of direct and indirect costs.
• NEH anticipates awarding approximately $3,000,000 among an estimated 20 recipients.
• You must request a period of performance between one and three years with a start date between February 1, 2025 and September 1, 2025.

Program Outcomes and Outputs

The outputs of a successful Humanities Initiatives award may include, but are not limited to:

• New or revised courses, programs, or curriculums
• Teaching materials
• Humanities-based internship or experiential-learning programs
• Faculty development programs
• Partnerships with school districts, institutions of higher education, and/or community organizations

Eligible Applicants

• The Humanities Initiatives programs are for U.S.-accredited public or 501(c)(3) private institutions of higher education.
• Individuals and other organizations, including foreign and for-profit entities, are ineligible.
• If your organization is eligible, you may apply on behalf of a consortium of collaborating organizations. If NEH selects your proposal for funding, you will be programmatically, legally, and fiscally responsible for the award.
• U.S.-accredited public or 501(c)(3) private Historically Black Colleges and Universities, as defined by Executive Order 13532, are eligible.

For more information, visit NEH.