National Humanities Conference Equitable Access Grants

Funder: Federation of State Humanities Councils (FSHC) and National Humanities Alliance (NHA), with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)

Program Status: Active, recurring annual program

Geographic Scope: United States-based applicants

Award Amount: Up to $1,895 per grant to reimburse conference registration, travel, and lodging expenses

Number of Awards: Varies by year (15 grants in 2022 and 2024; 30 grants in 2023)

Eligibility

• U.S.-based humanities students
• Humanities professionals and scholars
• Applicants from a range of organizations including:
  • State and jurisdictional humanities councils
  • Community colleges
  • Four-year colleges and universities
  • Museums
  • Community organizations
  • Libraries
  • Heritage centers
• Unaffiliated individuals also eligible
• Preference given to:
  • Individuals from marginalized populations and communities previously underrepresented at the National Humanities Conference
  • Those without institutional support for professional development
  • Members of the humanities council community
  • Employees or students at NHA member institutions
  • Those affiliated with NHA's scholarly society members
  • Applicants who can articulate barriers to access faced in humanities education/work
  • Those who can explain how conference participation will benefit professional development

What is Funded

• Conference registration fees
• Travel expenses
• Lodging expenses
• Some meals included in registration cost

Requirements

• Grant recipients must attend the entire National Humanities Conference
• Recipients participate in a cohort that gathers for networking, breakfast discussions, and meetings with NEH senior staff
• Recipients present/discuss work at roundtable sessions related to conference themes

Contact Information

• Federation of State Humanities Councils
• 1530 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 340
• Arlington, Virginia 22209
• Website: statehumanities.org

Additional Notes

• All applicants added to waitlist for discounted conference registration
• All applicants receive virtual attendance registration waiver
• Applicants who previously received discounted/waived registration due to need remain eligible
• NEH Research Misconduct Policy applies to all funded activities

Application Process

Submission Format: Brief application document submitted online

Required Components:

1. A description of barriers to access faced in humanities education and/or work
2. A description of how participation in the conference focused on deepening public engagement with humanities would contribute to professional growth
3. An explanation of how applicant plans to share knowledge from the conference in their work, community, or academic studies
4. Resume or curriculum vitae (2-page limit)

Application Materials:

• All materials submitted in one brief application document
• CV/Resume limited to 2 pages maximum

Key Dates (varies by year):

• 2022: Deadline September 30, 2022; notification by October 7, 2022
• 2023: Deadline July 8, 2023; notification by mid-August 2023
• 2024: Application deadline information not specified in provided text

Selection Process:

• Applications reviewed by selection panel
• Judges selected from humanities partners, former board members, and council board/staff of prior year's winners

Post-Award Requirements:

• Attendance at entire conference is mandatory
• Participation in cohort activities and networking events
• No formal reporting requirements mentioned in provided materials