Social Science & Humanities Grants

Last updated October 11, 2026

Grantable tracks 1,108 active social science & humanities grants in its free grants database, drawn from foundation sources and updated daily. 26 of them have a verified open deadline or accept applications on a rolling basis. 687 list an award amount, with a median of $5,000.

Grants tracked: 1,108; from 423 funders
Median award: $5,000; middle half $2,000–$25K
Total listed funding: $38.6M; across 687 grants that list an amount
Rolling deadlines: 14; 50 with a published date

On this page: Foundation · Updated daily

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Grant	Deadline ▲	Amount
Gerda Henkel Foundation: PHD Scholarships Grant Gerda Henkel Foundation · Foundation Not published · Varies The Gerda Henkel Foundation offers PhD scholarships aimed at supporting young scholars in the historical humanities. Applications are accepted year-round, with recipients selected quarterly.	Not published	Varies
Barbara Hodgdon Award Grant Shakespeare Association Of America · Foundation Not published · Varies The Barbara Hodgdon Award, presented by the Shakespeare Association of America (SAA), honors exceptional scholarship in the field of Shakespeare and Performance.	Not published	Varies
Dean F. Failey Grant Decorative Arts Trust · Foundation Not published · Up to $15K The Dean F. Failey Grant, offered by the Decorative Arts Trust, supports impactful research, exhibition, and conservation projects within the decorative arts field.	Not published	Up to $15K
Project Grants Illinois Humanities Council Inc · Foundation Not published · Up to $4K The Vision Grants by Illinois Humanities support nonprofit organizations in Illinois, focusing on planning, evaluation, and DEI initiatives.	Not published	Up to $4K
ELDP: Major Documentation Project (MDP) Grant Endangered Languages Documentation Programme (ELDP) · Foundation Not published · Up to €300,000 The Endangered Language Documentation Programme (ELDP) invites applications for the Major Documentation Project (MDP), aimed at documenting endangered languages worldwide.	Not published	Up to €300,000
Cultural Vision Grants Arts & Science Council Charlotte/Mecklenburg Inc · Foundation Not published · Up to $10K Grants respond to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community's interest in arts, science, history and heritage programming. Funds high-quality arts and culture projects that advance specific community goals.	Not published	Up to $10K
The George and Ann Bass Endowment for Nautical Archaeology Publications Grant Institute of Nautical Archaeology · Foundation Not published · Up to $25K The George and Ann Bass Endowment for Nautical Archaeology Publications, established in 2018 by the Institute of Nautical Archaeology, provides funding of up to $25,000 annually to support the publication of archaeological research.	Not published	Up to $25K
Oral History Grant Utah Humanities Council · Foundation Not published · Varies Awarded in partnership with the Utah Historical Society to support local organizations in the collection, transcription, and public presentation of oral histories relevant to Utah.	Not published	Varies
SMT-40 Dissertation Fellowship Grant Society For Music Theory Inc · Foundation Not published · $5K The SMT-40 Dissertation Fellowship, offered by the Society for Music Theory, supports PhD students in completing their dissertations with a $5,000 award for two months of focused research.	Not published	$5K
Bridging Michigan Grants Michigan Humanities Council · Foundation Not published · Up to $3K	Not published	Up to $3K
APA: Arthur Danto/American Society for Aesthetics Prize Grant American Philosophical Association Inc · Foundation Not published · $1K The Arthur Danto/American Society for Aesthetics Prize honors exceptional work in aesthetics by members of both the American Philosophical Association (APA) and the American Society for Aesthetics (ASA).	Not published	$1K
Princeton Society of Fellows in the Liberal Arts: Humanistic Studies Grant The Trustees of Princeton University · Foundation Not published · Varies The Princeton Society of Fellows in the Liberal Arts offers postdoctoral fellowships in the humanities, fostering interdisciplinary scholarship and teaching.	Not published	Varies
The Paton Historical Studies Fund Grant The Physiological Society · Foundation Not published · Up to £1,000 The Paton Historical Studies Fund, established by Sir William Paton in 1990, offers small grants aimed at promoting research and engagement in the history of modern physiology.	Not published	Up to £1,000
CT Humanities: Public Presentation Planning Grants Connecticut Humanities Council Inc · Foundation Not published · $5K – $25K Connecticut Humanities offers Public Presentation Planning Grants of up to $25,000 to support the research and development of humanities projects.	Not published	$5K – $25K
Holocaust Research Education & Documentation Grant Program Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany Inc · Foundation Not published · Varies The Holocaust Research Education & Documentation Grant Program, managed by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, aims to support projects related to Holocaust education, research, and documentation.	Not published	Varies
Raymond J. Cunningham Prize American Historical Association · Foundation Not published · Varies The American Historical Association offers the Raymond J. Cunningham Prize annually for the best article published in a journal written by an undergraduate student.	Not published	Varies
HBCU Faculty Fellowships Grant American Council of Learned Societies · Foundation Not published · $30K – $50K The ACLS HBCU Faculty Fellowships provide financial support ranging from $30,000 to $50,000 for faculty at Historically Black Colleges and Universities to advance their research projects.	Not published	$30K – $50K
Gerda Henkel Foundation: Funding Programme Democracy: Contours of Future Democratic Society Grant Gerda Henkel Foundation · Foundation Not published · $69K – $134K The Gerda Henkel Foundation's funding program focuses on democracy, exploring its historical context and future transformations.	Not published	$69K – $134K
SAA First Book Award Grant Shakespeare Association Of America · Foundation Not published · Varies The SAA First Book Award, presented by the Shakespeare Association of America (SAA), honors the legacy of Jerome Singerman and supports early career scholars.	Not published	Varies
Research Incubation Fund Grant Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University · Foundation Not published · $30K The Research Incubation Fund by the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs supports early-stage research projects in social sciences. With annual awards of $30,000, it aims to help faculty develop proposals for major funding agencies.	Not published	$30K
Defining Democracy: The '1619' Summer Incubator Grant Pulitzer Center · Foundation Not published · Up to $2K The Pulitzer Center's '1619 Summer Incubator' is a unique program designed for educators to create impactful projects that engage their communities in discussions around democracy using materials from The 1619 Project.	Not published	Up to $2K
Walter D. Love Prize Grant The North American Conference On British Studies Inc · Foundation Not published · $250 The Walter D. Love Prize, awarded by the North American Conference on British Studies, recognizes the best scholarly article in British history published by a North American scholar during the previous year.	Not published	$250
ISRF: Political Economy Fellowships Grant Independent Social Research Foundation · Foundation Not published · Up to €75,000 The Independent Social Research Foundation (ISRF) offers Political Economy Fellowships aimed at scholars in Europe with permanent academic positions.	Not published	Up to €75,000
Call for Proposals for Community-Based Archives The Andrew W Mellon Foundation · Foundation Not published · Varies The Mellon Foundation invites community-based archives in the United States and its territories to submit applications for general operating support.	Not published	Varies

Showing 841–864 of 1,107

About humanities grants

Humanities grants support scholarship, public programs, education, preservation, and digital projects in fields like history, literature, philosophy, and cultural studies. The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is the primary federal funder, supporting research, public programming, and infrastructure through its divisions and the Office of Digital Humanities. The Mellon Foundation is a leading private funder of the humanities, and state humanities councils distribute funds to local organizations.

A long list is the starting point, not the shortlist. Our grant prospecting guide shows how to narrow social science & humanities grants down to the funders most likely to say yes, using their giving records.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much money do social science & humanities grants award?

Of the 1,108 social science & humanities grants Grantable lists as of October 11, 2026, 687 publish an award amount. The median listed award is $5,000, and the middle half fall between $2,000 and $25K. The largest is $7.5M. Amounts are each grant's stated maximum, so a typical award can be smaller.

Which funders offer the most social science & humanities grants?

By number of active listings, the leading funders are American Historical Association (37), The Newberry Library (24), American Council of Learned Societies (17), American Philosophical Association Inc (16), and American School of Classical Studies at Athens (ASCSA) (15). In all, 423 funders have at least one active grant in this category.

When are social science & humanities grants due?

Of 1,108 grants listed, 14 accept applications on a rolling basis, 50 have a published upcoming deadline, 117 run on a stated cycle (such as annual or quarterly) without a published date, and 927 don't publish a deadline, so check the funder's site. Among dated deadlines, 58% fall in October–December.

What grants are available in the humanities?

Humanities funding supports scholarly research, public programs, curriculum and teaching, preservation and access, and digital humanities projects. The NEH offers many grant programs spanning fellowships, public programming, preservation, and digital infrastructure, while the Mellon Foundation and state humanities councils support research, institutions, and community-based humanities work.

Who funds the humanities?

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is the leading federal funder, and the Mellon Foundation is among the largest private sources of arts, culture, and humanities funding in the country. State humanities councils re-grant federal funds to local organizations, and universities, libraries, and private foundations provide additional research and programming support.

Do humanities grants go to individuals or institutions?

Both. The NEH and other funders award fellowships and stipends directly to individual scholars, writers, and educators, while many larger grants support nonprofit institutions such as universities, libraries, museums, and humanities councils. Individuals pursuing organizational grants often partner with an eligible nonprofit or use a fiscal sponsor.

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