External Funding Sources

Deadline: August 16, 2024 
Budget/Amount: various

Purpose: The foundation aims to invest in bold ideas from contrarian thinkers—ideas that cross disciplinary boundaries and challenge conventional assumptions. It funds innovative programs that engage the public with these ideas, in an effort to open minds, deepen understanding, and inspire curiosity. The foundation welcomes grant applications to support field-leading research and high impact public engagement programs in these areas: 

Public Engagement:  funds grantees to create content, cultivate thought leadership, and develop campus programming. supports content projects that include video, audio, public events, and print media. 

Individual Freedom and Free Markets: supports education, research, and outreach projects to promote individual freedom, free markets, free competition, and entrepreneurship.  

Religion, Science, and Society: supports discovery of meaningful and practical insights into the religious, spiritual, and cultural dimensions of humanity.  

Character Virtue Development:  to advance the science and practice of character, with a focus on moral, performance, civic, and intellectual virtues such as humility, gratitude, curiosity, diligence, and honesty. 

Life Sciences:  research and engagement projects on questions such as: What is life, and what are its limits? How did it originate, what fundamental mechanisms allow for the startling novelty of form and function? What processes led to the evolution of humanity? Can we predict future evolutionary outcomes?  

Mathematical and Physical Sciences: research seeking to shed light on the fundamental concepts of physical reality and will also explore the interplay between these sciences and broader human experience. 

RFP: Grant Calendar (templeton.org) 

Webinar/Resources:  Grant Database (templeton.org) 

The National Humanities Center invites applications for year-long or semester-long residential fellowships. Mid-career, senior, and emerging scholars from all areas of the humanities with a strong record of peer-reviewed work are encouraged to apply.

Scholars from all parts of the globe are eligible; stipends and travel expenses are provided. Fellowship applicants must have a PhD or equivalent scholarly credentials. Fellowships are supported by the Center’s own endowment, private foundation grants, contributions from alumni and friends, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Located in the vibrant Research Triangle region of North Carolina, the Center affords access to the rich cultural and intellectual communities supported by the area’s research institutes, universities, and dynamic arts scene. Fellows enjoy private studies, in-house dining, and superb library services that deliver all types of research materials.

Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. ET, October 3, 2024.

Purpose: Supports outstanding junior faculty (for 4^th year of tenure-track position) committed to campus diversity and innovative research in the humanities and humanistic social sciences. Fellowship provides each Fellow with a six-month or one-year sabbatical grant; a stipend for research and travel or publication; and participation in an annual conference/retreat. The following groups are encouraged to apply (1) Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Programs alumni; (2) Minority junior faculty: African Americans, Latinos and Latinas, Native Americans, and Native Alaskans, and (3) Junior faculty with a demonstrated commitment to eradicating racial disparities, breaking down stereotypes, and promoting cross-racial understanding in their university communities. 

Eligibility: At time of application, must be in 3^rd year of tenure-track teaching appointment in one of the listed fields within Humanities and Social Sciences. PhD recipients only. US Citizens or permanent residents only. See additional Eligibility guidelines. Note that the two letters of recommendation must be submitted directly by referees prior to application submission. Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellows alumni (only) in the Physical Sciences may be eligible (see FAQ section for more information.) 

RFP: https://citizensandscholars.org/fellowships/for-scholars-education-leaders/career-enhancement-fellowship/ 

Webinar/Resources: 2025 Application will open August 19. Please direct any questions to Mellon Program Associate, Ritu Mukherjee at mukherjee@citizensandscholars.org. 

Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation

Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship

Deadline: November 1, 2024
Budget/Amount: $31,000 for 12 months of full-time dissertation writing. University cost share required (tuition/fee waiver)

Purpose: Supports doctoral candidates in their final year of writing, who are working in areas of religion, ethics, values, or morals. 

Eligibility: PhD candidates who have completed all course work, passed all preliminary examinations, and received approval for their research proposals or plans by the November deadline. Should plan to complete dissertation between April 1 and August 31 of fellowship year. Open primarily to fields of study in the humanities and social sciences. Scholars engaged in science, technology, engineering, and math fields may apply provided questions of religion, ethics, or values are central to the dissertation.

Deadline: November 13, 2024 at 11:59pm PST. Notification April 15, 2025

Budget/Amount: $8,000. Indirect/overhead costs allowed. Stipend paid directly to recipient; may incur tax obligation.

Purpose: Provides support to scholars to prepare research manuscripts for publication, with ultimate goal of assisting the scholar in obtaining tenure and other promotions. Must have time for eight consecutive weeks of final writing and editing in response to issues raised in critical reviews. Applicants must demonstrate that the support will result in a reduction of their ongoing work-related activities during the eight-week period. Activities undertaken during the grant period can include drafting, editing, or modifying manuscripts; replicating research components (research verification); responding to issues raised through critical review; and other initiatives to increase the likelihood of publication. 

Eligibility: Open to women, including people who identify as women, in all fields of study at an accredited institution of higher education. Tenure-track, part-time, and temporary faculty, and both new and established researchers. Tenured professors not eligible. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

RFP: https://www.aauw.org/resources/programs/fellowships-grants/current-opportunities/american/

The Asian Cultural Council (ACC) is committed to advancing international dialogue, mutual understanding, and respect through supporting cultural exchange projects by individuals and organizations between Asia and the United States and between Asian countries.

The ACC provides grants for long-term, immersive exploration of other cultures. ACC’s individualized programmatic support expands the horizons of grantees by nurturing their perspectives, fostering creative growth, and fostering valuable international connections.

More information and application link available here. 

The Marion and Jasper Whiting Foundation awards fellowships to teachers in colleges and universities for travel related to teaching for the purpose to stimulate and broaden the minds;to improve and enhance the& quality of their instruction. Grants are primarily for travel and related expenses and not as salary substitutes scholarships or grants in aid.

Full details about applications and requirements are available here. 

Applications are due January 5, 2024. 

Bard Graduate Center (BGC) is pleased to continue its annual Fields of the Future fellowship and mentorship program, which aims to help promote diversity and inclusion in the advanced study of the material world. These fellowships—for both scholars and artists—reflect Bard's commitment to explore and expand the sources, techniques, voices, and questions of interdisciplinary humanities scholarship from different perspectives.

Applications and more information available here. The application is due January 15, 2024.   
To apply, email fellowships@bgc.bard.edu with the following items:

• The application form;
• a cover letter explaining why Bard Graduate Center is an appropriate research affiliation;
• your 150-word abstract of project;
• a detailed project description;
• your CV;
• a publication or academic writing sample of approximately twenty to thirty pages;
• the names and contact information for two references.

Please note: Remember that funding that binds Tufts to external terms needs to be approved by the Tufts research administration office, and should be approved by an authorized signer. Please visit 
 the provost's research administration page to find out the name of your research administrator. 

Budget: maximum $10K, generally less. They award a total of $10-15K annually, usually split between 2 recipients, sometimes more than 2. Budget may cover costs other than travel; provide a budget that details the various elements. They prefer not to fund visas and insurance.

Purpose: to foster research and/or exploration that involves travel as part of the project. The travel must be intimately involved with the research and/or exploration.  The Fund does not pay for travel unless it is intimately involved with the project. For instance, the fund will not pay for travel for someone who wants to spend time studying in a foreign city. Funded grants: https://www.travellersfund.org/recent-grants

RFP: https://www.travellersfund.org/application

Webinars/Resources: The program officer is responsive to questions. Please contact Susan.lewis@tufts.edu for more information.

Deadline: March 13, 2024, 9pm EDT. Fellowships begin September 2024 

Budget: Stipend of $70,000 yr1 and $72 yr2 plus health insurance, professional development funding, and up to $5,000 in relocation funds. 

Purpose: Promoting Social Justice in communities. 2-year fellowship places recent PhD recipients with a participant non-profit organization. Specific topics and duties vary by partner organization. Partner organizations are located across the US. Some opportunities are in-person, some hybrid, some remote. 

Eligibility: Applicants must have PhD conferred between 9/1/2019 and 8/31/2024 in a field of the humanities or interpretive social sciences (guidelines about eligible and ineligible fields is all the way at the bottom of the RFP webpage and marked with *Note). Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States. ACLS and host organizations will not sponsor visas. 

RFP: https://www.acls.org/competitions/acls-leading-edge-fellowships/. Participating non-profits and position descriptions are in a combined PDF and linked individually of RFP page. 

Webinars/Resources: Webinars 2/13 at 2pm and 3/8 at 4pm. Registration required; links on RFP page. 

The Center for the Study of Federalism is offering research grants to further the study of American federalism. Grants will be awarded for original research and/or writing that advances thinking about federalism as a principle of American government, law, or politics. Areas of focus may include but are not limited to: political philosophy and theory, political history and development, public policy, law (including constitutional law), political institutions, political behavior, and political culture. Research should focus solely on U.S. federalism but consideration will be given to comparative research in which U.S. federalism is a significant component and from which can be drawn a better understanding of U.S. federalism.

Budget/Amount: up to $15K

Eligibility: PhD and published research record. Faculty and scholars eligible.

Creative Capital is committed to groundbreaking ideas that challenge what art can be. As Creative Capital Awardees have demonstrated, socially impactful ideas are embedded in a myriad of artistic forms and practices. We invite artists to propose experimental, original, bold projects in the visual arts, performing arts, film/moving image, technology, literature, multidisciplinary, and socially engaged forms which push boundaries formally and/or thematically. Will award 50 grants.

Deadline: LOI due April 4, 4 pm, ET invitation to submit a project by June 2024 
Budget/Amount: $15,000 - $50,000; up to 3 years

RFP: Creative Capital Open Call | Creative Capital (creative-capital.org)
Webinar/Resources: 
Application Handbook;  
Creative Capital Curriculum

Purpose: This grant program funds individual research projects undertaken by doctorates in anthropology or a closely related field. Our goal is to support vibrant and significant work that furthers our understanding of what it means to be human. There is no preference for any methodology, research location, topic, or subfield. The Foundation particularly welcomes proposals that integrate two or more subfields and pioneer new approaches and ideas. 

Deadline: May 1, 2024 

Eligibility: Doctorates in Anthropology, Doctorates in Related Fields, Independent Scholar 

RFP: Post-PhD Research Grant | Wenner-Gren Foundation (wennergren.org) 

Webinar/Resources: Application deadlines are May 1 (for project start dates between January 1 and June 30 of the following year) and November 1 (for project start dates between July 1 and December 31 of the following year).

Tufts Springboard is an intramural grant program sponsored by the Office of the Provost, the Office of the Vice Provost for Research (OVPR), and Tufts Medicine. The goal of Tufts Springboard is to stimulate high impact research, scholarship and educational initiatives that have an explicit plan leading to extramural funding or other outcomes that influence research, scholarship, educational outcomes, and/or policy.  Moreover, the Tufts Springboard program aims to further the priorities of the University and its schools and to fortify Tufts' status as a R1, very-high research activity university and member of the Association of American Universities.  

Submissions are due May 8th for projects starting August 1st. 

Purpose: To honor a second full-length print book of original poetry, in English, by a living poet, forthcoming in the next calendar year.

Eligibility: Award is to poet, but submissions are done by publisher. To be eligible for the award in 2024, a book must be under contract with a U.S. publisher and scheduled to be published between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2025. Winning books must be published by December 31, 2025. Submitted book must be 48 pages or more. Author must have at least one previously published book of 48 pages or more and meet US citizenship or residency eligibility guidelines.

Budget/Amount: $5,000 prize plus an all-expenses-paid weeklong residency at The Betsy Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida, and distribution of the winning book to approximately one thousand Academy of American Poets members. Prize is considered taxable income.

Deadline: May 15, 2024 11: 59 PM ET

Resources: Questions to: awards@poets.org

Starting in 2021, the Collective Futures Fund began awarding a yearly total of $80,000 in grant funding to collaborative and public-facing projects by visual artists, curators, and collectives across Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Middlesex, and Plymouth counties. Next application cycle opens April 19, 2024 in the following three categories: Sustaining Practice, New Projects Grants, and Ongoing Platforms Grants. 

Deadline: Applications are due June 16, by end of day. 

Prizes: Prize awards range from $2,000 to $7500. 

The New England Humanities Consortium (NEHC) funds seed grants every academic year in the amount of $5,000. Deadline is typically in October.