NEH Humanities Connections Program (US)

Humanities Connections projects should plan or implement a curriculum connecting the humanities to one or more non-humanities fields, including but not limited to the physical and natural sciences; pre-service or professional programs, including law and business; or computer science, data science, and other technology-driven fields. Projects must incorporate the approaches and learning activities of both the humanities and the non-humanities disciplines involved. If your project does not include faculty outside the humanities, you may consider a different grant from the NEH’s Division of Education Programs.

Competitive Humanities Connections proposals will demonstrate:

• how your project expands the role of the humanities in your institution’s undergraduate curriculum;
• how your proposed curriculum would substantively and purposefully integrate the subject matter, approaches, and learning activities of two or more disciplines (with a minimum of one in and one outside of the humanities);
• how faculty from each relevant discipline would collaborate to plan, implement, and/or deliver the curriculum;
• how your institution would sustain the curriculum over the long term, whether through interdisciplinary minors or certificates; curricular pathways such as concentrations within majors or general education programs; or other models appropriate to your institution

Funding Information

• Award amounts
  • You may request up to $50,000 for Planning or up to $150,000 for Implementation. This includes the sum of direct and indirect costs.
  • NEH anticipates approximately $1,500,000 to fund an estimated twelve Planning and six Implementation recipients.
  • NEH will award successful applicants outright funds, which are not contingent on additional funding from other sources.
• Period of performance
  • You may request a period of performance of 12 months for Planning or 18 to 36 months for Implementation with a start date between June 1, 2025, and September 1, 2025.

Funding Levels

• The Humanities Connections program includes two funding levels: Planning and Implementation.
• Planning
  • Planning awards (up to $50,000 and between six to 12 months) provide the opportunity to create a firm foundation for an interdisciplinary undergraduate curricular program or initiative.
  • You may develop an entirely new program or initiative, or build on an existing one, including those currently managed by a single department.
  • You may use a Planning award to:
    • establish and convene a collaborative team representing the disciplines involved
    • set project goals and outcomes
    • consult outside experts on curriculum design or interdisciplinary collaboration
    • develop interdisciplinary learning opportunities (including but not limited to undergraduate research projects, field or laboratory research, and community-based, project-based, or site-based learning)
    • organize workshops or other professional development for faculty and administrators on substantive issues related to the success of the project
    • coordinate focus or discussion groups, which may include students, around issues central to the project’s rationale
    • design or revise courses, instructional models, and/or learning activities
    • work with institutional leadership to establish long-term support
    • complete other tasks that introduce your interdisciplinary initiative or curriculum to your campus
• Implementation
  • Implementation awards (up to $150,000 and from 18 to 36 months) support the introduction or revision of sustainable and interdisciplinary undergraduate curricula or initiatives. An Implementation 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 may use an Implementation award to:
    • develop, implement, assess, and refine curricula (such as pathways, majors, minors, and certificates), courses, course modules, and assignments
    • 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
    • create and implement outreach strategies to attract students
    • conduct mid- and long-range feasibility studies
    • complete other tasks that prepare your interdisciplinary curriculum or initiative to enroll students

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible applicants include U.S. two- or four-year public or private 501(c)(3) accredited 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.
• The recipient may not function solely as a fiscal agent but should make substantive contributions to the success of the project.

For more information, visit NEH.