Humanities Initiatives at Tribal Colleges and Universities | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the "Humanities Initiatives at Tribal Colleges and Universities" grant?

It is a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) discretionary grant opportunity designed to strengthen and enrich humanities education and scholarship at Tribal Colleges and Universities. It supports projects that deepen humanities content in existing academic offerings, launch new humanities-focused programs, or lay the groundwork for larger, longer-term humanities efforts.

Who is the funder and what is the funding opportunity number?

The funder is the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). The Funding Opportunity Number is 20090115 AD.

What is the CFDA number for this opportunity and what does it relate to?

This opportunity was offered under CFDA 45.162, Promotion of the Humanities. It aligns with teaching, learning resources, and curriculum development.

Who is eligible to apply based on the announcement?

Eligible applicants included public and state-controlled institutions of higher education as well as private institutions of higher education. The opportunity is specifically described as supporting humanities education and scholarship at Tribal Colleges and Universities.

What is the main purpose of the program?

The program aims to improve humanities teaching and learning at Tribal Colleges and Universities by supporting faculty development, program planning and development, and stronger use of humanities resources (including digital humanities), as well as strengthening areas of basic need in the core humanities curriculum.

Is there a required focus or organizing principle for proposals?

Yes. Every proposal must be organized around a clear central topic or a coherent set of themes so that the work is unified, not a collection of unrelated activities.

What kinds of activities can the grant support?

The grant supports a range of activities aimed at improving humanities teaching and learning, including faculty study and discussion efforts, planning and building new humanities programs, making better use of underused humanities resources (including digital humanities), and strengthening core curriculum areas where there is basic need.

Does the program support faculty development activities?

Yes. One project type, Faculty Humanities Initiatives, is geared toward faculty development and typically convenes faculty within one institution or across partner institutions for sustained collaborative study to improve their ability to teach humanities subjects.

Does the program support creating or expanding academic programs?

Yes. Funding can help faculty and administrators plan and build new humanities programs and strengthen core humanities education. Examples listed include writing programs, foreign language programs, new humanities minors, first-year seminars, capstone courses, and summer bridge programs serving at-risk high school students.

Are digital humanities activities mentioned as an area of emphasis?

Yes. The opportunity highlights making better use of underused humanities resources and specifically points to opportunities in digital humanities.

Does the opportunity encourage collaboration?

Yes. It encourages collaboration and relationship-building across multiple institutions of higher education, between college and secondary school educators and students, and between higher education faculty and professionals in museums, libraries, and community organizations such as historical and cultural societies.

What are the two project types applicants can choose from?

Applicants choose between two distinct project types: (1) Faculty Humanities Initiatives and (2) Institutional Grants for Core Humanities.

How do the two project types differ?

Faculty Humanities Initiatives focus on faculty development through collaborative study that increases faculty capacity to teach the humanities effectively. Institutional Grants for Core Humanities are more programmatic and structural, supporting projects that expand, improve, or strengthen an institution's core humanities education programs. The announcement emphasizes selecting the category that best matches the intended outcomes.

What is the maximum award amount?

The award ceiling was $100,000.

Is there a minimum award amount stated?

No minimum award amount was stated in the provided announcement details.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The opportunity stated there was no cost-sharing or matching requirement.

When was the opportunity posted and what was the application deadline?

It was posted on November 10, 2008. The application deadline was January 15, 2009. The listing was archived on February 14, 2009.

Where were the full guidelines located?

The announcement pointed to the guidelines at http://www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/hifacultytcu.html.

Who was listed as the NEH contact for this program?

The NEH Division of Education Programs was listed as the contact point: education@neh.gov, 202-606-8500, Room 302, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20506.