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How to Pursue Funding in the Humanities

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I am currently the Associate Dean for Research in the College of Humanities at the University of Utah. I have held that position for 6 years, and it has been very rewarding. Below, I articulate a battle plan for pursuing funding in the Humanities. Notably, this is a battle plan for scholars working in the book tradition. I share it here in the interest of providing everyone with this information.

With persistence, this approach will yield positive outcomes. For example, my partner, Dr. Robin E. Jensen, crafted an application to support the writing of her 3rd book. First, the application received a small award from the Science History Institute. Robin integrated archival material retrieved from a visit to the institute and submitted again. Her next award was an NEH Summer Stipend. That supported the crafting of a chapter. The application was revised again, with that work integrated in, and resubmitted, resulting in a successful NEH Fellowship application.

I hope this proves helpful to you too.

What is a good plan for pursuing support for my research?

Short Version:

Craft a three-page research narrative and submit it to the NEH Fellowship (due: April 14th, 2021). Revise the application, and submit a narrower version for the NEH Summer Stipend in September (your institutional deadline might be earlier). Use a revised version of the application to pursue internal (e.g., fellowship and seed grant programs) and external (e.g., ALCS Fellowship, APS Fellowship) funding in the Fall. Repeat this process each Spring until funding is obtained. 😊

Longer version:

For faculty working in a book model of scholarship, an optimal strategy is to focus on the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Fellowship. Applications are due in early April each year, and the fellowship provides a full year of research support (i.e., funds to cover a two-semester release from teaching). The key document in the application is a three-page narrative (single-spaced, 1-inch margins, 11-point font) that outlines the project. Crafting that three-page narrative is the first step in pursuing funding. For a full year fellowship, a common goal should be to collect resources (e.g., visit 1-2 archives) and craft approximately 2 book chapters.

You can read more about the NEH Fellowship program here:

Fellowships | The National Endowment for the Humanities (neh.gov)

NEH recorded an informational session about the NEH here:

(3) NEH Fellowships Information 2021 – YouTube

NEH has other programs as well. You can find a list of all funding opportunities here:

Grants Search | The National Endowment for the Humanities (neh.gov)

I’ve submitted an NEH Fellowship, now what should I do?

Now that you have a complete application in hand, you are well-positioned for the next 6 months. Next up is the NEH Summer Stipend. This is also a program managed by NEH, and it provides faculty with summer support to work on a project. NEH Program Officers expect that faculty who apply for NEH Fellowships in April will submit a slightly revised version of that application for the NEH Summer Stipend. Basically, faculty narrow the work scope of the project. For a summer fellowship, a common goal is to craft 1 chapter. NEH Summer Stipend applications are due to the funder in September, but your internal deadline might be earlier. At the University of Utah, NEH Summer Stipends are due early August.

You can read more about the NEH Summer Stipend here:

Summer Stipends | The National Endowment for the Humanities (neh.gov)

After submitting the NEH Summer Stipend, faculty can take either the full NEH Fellowship application or their revised NEH Summer Stipend application and submit to a wide-range of fellowship and grant programs throughout the fall. Internally, submit to fellowship and seed grant programs. Externally, many humanities/social science funders have fall deadlines to capitalize on the host of NEH fellowship applications that were crafted in April. Note: funders encourage you to apply to multiple funding sources with the same application.

The Hall Center for the Humanities maintains wonderful lists of funders here: Funding Resources | The Hall Center for the Humanities (ku.edu)

A few major funding opportunities to note:

Guggenheim Fellowship:

Due in mid-September, Guggenheim Fellowships provide faculty with a full year of research support. The application is three pages in length and that means many applicants submit a version of their NEH Fellowship proposal.

You can read more about the Fellowship here:

John Simon Guggenheim Foundation | Application Resources (gf.org)

National Humanities Center (NHC) Fellowships:

Due in early October, NHC Fellowships provide faculty with a full year of research support and residency at the center. The application consists of a 1,000 word project proposal and 1-page outline of the structure of the project. In practice, the NEH Fellowship application can often be revised to match both.

You can read more about NHC Fellowship programs here:

Residential Fellowships at the National Humanities Center

American Council for Learned Societies (ACLS) Fellowship:

Due in late September, the ACLS Fellowship provides faculty with a full year of research support. The application is slightly longer than the NEH Fellowship (5 pages instead of 3 pages), but most applicants simply extend their NEH Fellowship application when applying.

In 2020-2021, the program focused on untenured faculty (given the challenges of COVID), but typically it is open to all faculty regardless of rank. You can read more about it here:

ACLS American Council of Learned Societies | www.acls.org – ACLS Fellowships

Here’s some great advice on writing ACLS Fellowships:

Writing Proposals for ACLS Fellowship Competitions

American Philosophical Society (APS) Fellowships and Grants:

APS has multiple fellowship and grant programs. The programs often leverage their extensive collections in Philadelphia. A good move is to integrate an APS archive visit into your NEH Fellowship application, and then reuse that same application to pursue funding at APS.

Newberry Library Fellowship:

The Newberry offers both long-term residency fellowships (4-9 months at the Newberry) and short-term fellowships (1-2 months). Both can provide excellent support for your research. Note: the short-term fellowships are an excellent way to advance your research and bolster the strength of your application for larger fellowships (e.g., NEH, ACLS, Guggenheim). Receiving a short-term fellowship demonstrates that the project is advancing and provides excellent seed material.

You can read more about Newberry fellowships here:

Fellowships | Newberry

Other Foundations with Fellowships and Grants:

Other Humanities Research Centers with Fellowships and Grants:

Other Humanities Funding Agencies:

Other Research Libraries/Museums with Fellowships and Grants: