Next Generation Humanities PhD Grants | Apply Online

What is the NEH Next Generation Humanities PhD Grants program?

The NEH Next Generation Humanities PhD Grants program is a discretionary grant opportunity from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) designed to help U.S. universities rethink and modernize doctoral training in the humanities. It responds to the reality that many humanities PhD graduates build careers outside the traditional tenure-track professor pathway, while many doctoral programs still primarily train students as though most will become tenure-track faculty.

Why is NEH encouraging changes to humanities PhD training?

NEH points to evidence (including findings highlighted by Humanities Indicators) that humanities doctorate holders work across a wide range of fields both within and beyond higher education. At the same time, tenure-track openings have been shrinking and career outcomes have been shifting. The program supports reforms that better align doctoral education with today’s employment landscape and broaden how humanities scholarship and public engagement are defined and supported.

Who is this grant opportunity meant to support?

The opportunity is meant to support U.S. universities that want to redesign humanities doctoral education. It is geared toward institutions that either need time to plan significant reforms (Planning Grants) or are ready to put major reforms into practice (Implementation Grants).

What are the two grant types offered under this program?

NEH structures the program around two related grant types:

• Planning Grants: For universities that are not yet ready to roll out major changes but want time and resources to convene stakeholders, assess needs, and design a detailed roadmap for reform.
• Implementation Grants: For universities that are prepared to put substantial reforms into practice and roll out a redesigned doctoral model.

What is the main goal of a Planning Grant?

The main goal of a Planning Grant is coordination and strategy. Supported work can include bringing together the right mix of faculty, administrators, students, and external partners (as needed) to assess current doctoral training and produce a concrete, detailed plan for reform. The intent is to create a roadmap that can transform doctoral preparation so students can translate humanities training into multiple career directions.

What is the main goal of an Implementation Grant?

An Implementation Grant is intended to fund the actual rollout of a redesigned doctoral model. NEH expects implementation projects to make meaningful changes in how doctoral programs train students and to serve as examples of best practices for the broader humanities field.

Does NEH require a specific model or template for doctoral reform?

No. NEH explicitly states it is not prescribing a single template. Funded activities can be tailored to each institution’s circumstances as long as they advance broad reform goals, including preparing students for varied careers and strengthening the humanities presence in public life.

What kinds of activities can be supported by these grants?

Supported activities can include reforms and initiatives such as:

• Multi-departmental collaboration (for example, joint training across several humanities units)
• Curriculum changes that explicitly prepare students for varied professional futures
• Adjustments to stipend structures
• Alternative dissertation formats that align with different kinds of scholarly and public-facing work
• Systematically tracking and reporting alumni career outcomes
• Building partnerships with non-university organizations (cultural institutions, nonprofits, government entities, or private-sector partners)
• Explicit commitments to encouraging doctoral students to explore and prepare for multiple career trajectories

What does NEH mean by broadening the definition of humanities scholarship?

Based on the opportunity description, NEH’s emphasis includes recognizing and supporting scholarly and public-facing work that connects humanities research and skills to a wider range of careers and public life. This can be reflected through reforms such as alternative dissertation formats and partnerships beyond the university.

How does the program address careers beyond the tenure-track?

The program is built around the idea that doctoral training should prepare students for multiple career directions, not only tenure-track faculty roles. It encourages universities to redesign training so students can translate humanities expertise into varied professional futures and to treat non-academic career paths as legitimate and expected outcomes rather than secondary options.

Are partnerships outside the university encouraged?

Yes. The grants encourage institutions to build partnerships with non-university organizations, including cultural institutions, nonprofits, government entities, and private-sector partners, as part of strengthening doctoral preparation and expanding the humanities’ role in public life.

Does the program encourage tracking alumni career outcomes?

Yes. The opportunity description specifically encourages universities to systematically track and report alumni career outcomes as part of building more realistic and accountable doctoral training models.

What is the maximum award amount?

The award ceiling listed for this opportunity is $350,000.

Is cost sharing (matching funds) required?

Yes. A major requirement is cost sharing: recipient institutions must match NEH funds dollar-for-dollar using their own funds or nonfederal third-party funds. NEH will only release grant funds when the institution provides an equal amount from eligible matching sources.

What does "dollar-for-dollar match" mean for applicants?

It means that for every dollar provided by NEH, the recipient institution must provide one dollar from eligible matching sources (either the institution’s own funds or nonfederal third-party funds). NEH grant funds are contingent on the institution providing the equal match.

What type of grant program is this and who administers it?

This is a discretionary grant program administered by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).

How is this opportunity categorized in federal assistance listings?

The listing categorizes it under Humanities activity, with CFDA number 45.130.

What is the official funding opportunity title and number?

The official title is "Next Generation Humanities PhD Grants." The opportunity number is 20160217 ZA.

When was this opportunity posted, and what was the application closing date listed?

The posted and creation dates were October 20, 2015. The application closing date listed was February 17, 2016.

What is the central purpose of the program overall?

The central purpose is to modernize humanities PhD education so it aligns with today’s employment landscape, prepares students for a wider set of careers, and helps the humanities engage more directly with society outside the university. NEH also aims for funded projects to generate models that other institutions can learn from and adopt.

How do Planning and Implementation Grants relate to each other?

They are described as two related grant types that support different stages of change. Planning Grants focus on designing a detailed roadmap for reform through coordination and assessment, while Implementation Grants support institutions that are ready to carry out and institutionalize substantial reforms in doctoral education.

What kinds of doctoral program changes does NEH seem to prioritize?

From the description provided, NEH prioritizes changes that make doctoral training more realistic and career-diverse, such as curriculum reforms aimed at multiple professional futures, collaborations across humanities units, support for alternative dissertation formats, improved alignment of funding structures (including stipends), stronger connections to organizations beyond the university, and systematic tracking of alumni outcomes.