Humanities Initiatives at Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Division of Education Programs
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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.
Past recipients have planned workshops, curricular enhancements, and public events about literary icons like Zora Neale Hurston, Ralph Ellison, and Albert Murray; integrated college history into humanities courses; and digitized and contextualized the papers of African-American writer Margaret Walker Alexander.
By supporting projects like these, Humanities Initiatives at HBCUs grants can help institutions better serve current students and position themselves to build on success for the future.
NEH welcomes applications for projects that are modest in scope, duration, and budget, as well as applications for expansive, long-term projects.
Recorded Webinar:
Live Q&A: 2:00 pm Eastern on March 12, 2024.
- Click here to join the meeting
- Or call in (audio only): 202-600-8430 (Phone Conference ID: 553 676 466#)
Optional Draft Review: Submit your materials as attachments to @email by 11:59 pm Eastern on March 26, 2024 to receive feedback from NEH staff.
Read the Notice of Funding Opportunity to ensure you understand all the expectations and restrictions for projects delivered under this program and are prepared to write the most effective application.
Application Materials
Humanities Initiatives Notice of Funding Opportunity 2024 (PDF)
Humanities Initiatives Grants.gov application package
Program Resources
Humanities Initiatives Frequently Asked Questions, 2024 (PDF)
Recent Humanities Initiative at Historically Black Colleges and Universities Awards
Sample Application Narratives
Grambling State University, Creating an Interdisciplinary Minor in Digital Humanities
Claflin University, Classical and Contemporary Literature from South Asia
Sample Budget Form and Justification
When you are ready to apply, register for an account with SAM.gov and Grants.gov; both are required. If you already have completed the registrations, make sure they are current.
Follow the instructions outlined in the Notice of Funding Opportunity and Grants.gov.
You will receive a confirmation from Grants.gov when you’ve successfully submitted your application. Subsequently, you will receive up to five more notices confirming different stages in the application process. Verify that you have received all confirmations. Note that email filters may send these messages to your spam or junk folder.
