Supporting Your Research and Teaching with Funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities: What’s New for 2024

AHA Session 293
Sunday, January 7, 2024: 9:00 AM-10:30 AM
Continental Ballroom 1 (Hilton Union Square, Ballroom)
Chair:
Jennifer Serventi, Office of Digital Humanities, National Endowment for the Humanities
Panel:
Jacquelyn Clements, Division of Preservation and Access, National Endowment for the Humanities
Meridith Mink, Division of Research Programs, National Endowment for the Humanities
Daniel Sack, Division of Education Programs, National Endowment for the Humanities

Session Abstract

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is an independent federal agency created in 1965 and one of the largest funders of humanities programs and history projects in the United States. The proposed session will give attendees the opportunity to learn from Endowment representatives about the many NEH funding opportunities. We will briefly cover the longstanding programs offered by the Divisions of Research Programs, Education Programs, Preservation and Access, Public Programs, and the Offices of Digital Humanities and Federal/State Partnership, while also drawing attention to new programs and special initiatives launched in 2022 and 2023.

In November 2022, NEH Chair Shelly Lowe (Navajo) set forth her vision for the American Tapestry initiative. As she noted in her announcement, “Today we face some of our greatest challenges as a nation: among them, sustaining our democratic institutions, building a more just and equitable society, and protecting our cultural inheritance from the effects of climate change.” In response to these challenges, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has launched a new special initiative, American Tapestry: Weaving Together Past, Present, and Future.” American Tapestry also incorporates NEH’s preexisting A More Perfect Union initiative, which supports the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026 by funding projects through NEH’s existing grant programs that enhance our understanding of the country’s founding period.

The American Tapestry Initiative offers some exciting new funding opportunities for historians. Among them are: 1) Cultural and Community Resilience, a program that supports community-based efforts to mitigate climate change and COVID-19 pandemic impacts, safeguard cultural resources, and foster cultural resilience through identifying, documenting, and/or collecting cultural heritage and community experience; 2) Dangers and Opportunities of Technology: Perspectives from the Humanities, which supports humanistic research that examines the relationship between technology and society; and 3) Spotlight on Humanities in Higher Education, which supports the development of small projects that benefit historically underserved populations through the teaching and study of the humanities at two- and four-year colleges and universities and higher education nonprofits.

Staff members from across the agency will each address two related questions:

1) What opportunities are available to historians, including updates to existing grant programs and new funding available under the American Tapestry Initiative?

2) What kinds of strategies can historians employ to take advantage of these opportunities?

Format

  • The chair will start the session with a brief overview of the Endowment and its grantmaking.
  • Representatives from the agency’s divisions or offices will deliver five-minute presentations.
  • Staff members will take questions from attendees.
  • Time permitting, NEH staff will be available for short introductory meetings with attendees after the session.
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