Deadline: 06-Aug-2024
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Office of Challenge Programs is accepting applications for Graduate Education in the Humanities: A National Convening, a cooperative agreement to plan and host a national convening to evaluate the current state of graduate education in the humanities, to make recommendations for programs to prepare graduate students for a variety of humanities-related careers, and to develop a roadmap that articulates a strategic vision for graduate education in the humanities.
The project will be funded through a combination of federal matching funds and related fundraising from non-federal third parties.
Purpose
- NEH’s Office of Challenge Programs supports projects that strengthen the institutional base of the humanities and have long-term impacts on humanities institutions. Graduate Education in the Humanities: A National Convening will support a project to assess the current state of graduate education, explore and discuss current challenges, and disseminate innovative models and methods that meet those challenges. Those models and methods will help graduate programs in disciplines across the humanities expand training opportunities and prepare students for careers in a wide variety of fields and capacities, thereby opening new paths for graduates of humanities programs to help address the most complex problems of the time, such as climate change, racism, inequality, public health crises, the dangers and opportunities of technology, and other urgent issues.
- This cooperative agreement supports the planning and implementation of a national gathering to address challenges in graduate humanities education by providing opportunities for experts and practitioners to share best practices; offering meaningful guidance for departments, graduate programs, universities, and other organizations interested in improving graduate education in the humanities; and developing a strategic vision for graduate education in the humanities.
- The recipient of this cooperative agreement will be required to:
- assemble and support a steering committee and working groups with representatives who can speak to the geographic, demographic, institutional, economic, and social diversity of graduate education throughout the United States;
- plan and host an in-person, virtual, or hybrid national convening focused on the current state of, and future prospects for, graduate training in the humanities; and
- publish and disseminate a report based on the findings of the working groups and the national convening.
- Possible topics to be covered by working groups and/or the national convening include, but are not limited to:
- preparing graduate students for diverse humanities careers
- internships and experiential education
- diversity, equity, and inclusion
- alternatives to the graduate thesis and doctoral dissertation
- innovations in research training and methods
- opportunities for graduates in public humanities
- graduate student labor issues
- interdisciplinary graduate training
Funding Information
- You may request up to $500,000. This includes the sum of direct and indirect costs.
- NEH anticipates awarding approximately $500,000 to one recipient.
- You may request a period of performance up to 36 months with a start date between March 1, 2025, and July 1, 2025.
Program Outcomes and Outputs
- The primary output of Graduate Education in the Humanities: A National Convening will be a national convening addressing graduate education in the humanities. In addition, following the conclusion of the convening you must create, publish, and disseminate a post-convening report on the state of humanities graduate education in the United States no later than the last day of your period of performance. This report will be made widely available to external stakeholders through a robust dissemination strategy, including both traditional and digital media. Report(s) should include a summary of convening outcomes as well as high-level analysis of actions and priorities for the field.
Eligibility Criteria
- To be eligible to apply, your organization must be established in the United States or its jurisdictions as one of the following:
- a nonprofit organization recognized as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code
- an accredited institution of higher education (public or nonprofit)
- a state or local government or one of their agencies
- a federally recognized Native American Tribal government
- 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.
For more information, visit NEH.