Nov 2022-LEH Grant Workshop
Lehman College School of Arts & Humanities Dean James Mahon co-hosted a Hanover Research Funding or Grant Writing Workshop On Friday, November 4 that I attended. We discussed with slides:NEA, NEH, and their associated state councils are the primary government funders of arts and humanities. Awards grants to nonprofit organizations, creative writers and translators, state arts agencies, and regional arts organizations in support of arts projects across the country.Funds, promotes, and strengthens the creative capacity of our communities by providing all Americans with diverse opportunities for arts participation.Per the original 1960s “Great Society” legislation, matching funds are required for most programs.Investigators/project directors should initiate conversations with state arts and humanities councils to request matching funds.Alternate sources of matching funds include civic and community arts and humanities organizations.___________
NEA- Supports exemplary arts projects in communities nationwide through grantmaking, initiatives, partnerships, and events.NEA DisciplinesArtist CommunitiesArts EducationDanceDesignFolk & Traditional ArtsLiteratureLocal Arts AgenciesMedia ArtsMuseumsMusicMusical TheaterOperaPresenting & Multidisciplinary WorksTheaterVisual Arts
Grants for Arts Projects (formerly Art Works)- Supports artistically excellent projects that celebrate our creativity and cultural heritage, invite mutual respect for differing beliefs and values, and enrich humanity. Matching grants (1:1) generally range from $10,000 to $100,000.Challenge America- Supports projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved populations. Matching grants (1:1) are for $10,000.Our Town- Supports projects that integrate arts, culture, and design activities into efforts that strengthen communities by advancing local economic, physical, and/or social outcomes. Matching grants (1:1) range from $25,000 to $150,000.Research AwardsResearch Grants in the Arts- support research that investigates the value and/or impact of the arts, either as individual components of the U.S. arts ecology or as they interact with each other and/or with other domains of American life. Matching grants range from $10,000 to $100,000.NEA Research Labs- support transdisciplinary teams grounded in the social and behavioral sciences. Matching grants range from $100,000 to $200,000.o Investigators/project directors should initiate conversations with state arts and humanities councils to request matching funds.
“Unless specified in your Official Notice of Action (award notice), all NEA grants require a recipient cost share/match equal to the amount of the NEA award. In other words, your NEA grant must be matched 1:1 or ‘dollar for dollar.’” NEA TYPICAL REVIEW CRITERIA (GRANTS FOR ARTS PROJECTS) ▪ Artistic Excellence- 1. Quality of the artists or organizations involved in the project. 2. Artistic significance of the project. ▪ Artistic Merit- 1. Appropriateness of the project to the organization’s mission, artistic field, artists, audience, community, and/or constituency. 2. Ability to carry out the project. 3. Potential to serve and/or reach individuals whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by geography, ethnicity, economics, or disability, as appropriate. 4. Appropriateness of proposed performance measurements. 5. Plans for documentation and dissemination of project results, as applicable. 6. As applicable, engagement with: Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)Tribal Colleges and UniversitiesAmerican Indian and Alaskan Native tribesHispanic Serving InstitutionsAsian American and Pacific Islander communitiesOrganizations that support the independence and lifelong inclusion of people with disabilities_____________
SAMPLE NEA FUNDED PROJECTSSAMPLE NEA- FUNDED PROJECTS GRANTS FOR ARTS PROJECTS (formerly ART WORKS)Studio in a School Association (New York, NY), $45,000 – Through year-long residencies with teaching artists and professional development for educators, the awardee will develop, implement, and test instructional resources focused on historical and contemporary artists and artworks as well as instructional units influenced by student insights into their community and cultural heritage. CHALLENGE AMERICAArts Center of Cannon County (Woodbury, TN), $10,000 – Supports an annual summer theater conservatory for elementary and high school students in Cannon County, Tennessee. Students from rural and underserved areas will learn acting and other theater skills through a series of classes offered at the arts center. Each class series will end with a public performance by the students. OUR TOWN Friends of A Studio in the Woods (New Orleans, LA), $75,000 – Funds artmaking activities in communities on the southern Louisiana coast that respond directly to rising sea levels and other ecological impacts due to climate change. ___________NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES▪ Promotes progress and scholarship in the humanities. ▪ Supports research in the humanities, nurturing the nation’s humanities infrastructure, and expanding the reach of the humanities to all Americans. ▪ Enables individuals and institutions across the United States to study, preserve, and share the best of America’s history and culture. NEH DISCIPLINES The term ‘humanities’ includes, but is not limited to: ✓ Language, both modern and classical; ✓ Linguistics;✓ History;✓ Jurisprudence;✓ Philosophy;✓ Archaeology;✓ Comparative religion;✓ Ethics;✓ The history, criticism and theory of the arts;
✓ Those aspects of social sciences which have humanistic content and employ humanistic methods; and ✓ The study and application of the humanities to the human environment with particular attention to reflecting our diverse heritage, traditions, and history and to the relevance of the humanities to the current conditions of national life. ____
REPRESENTATIVE NEH PROGRAMS (COST MATCHING NOT REQUIRED) AWARDS FOR FACULTY AT HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTIONS These awards strengthen the humanities at HSIs by encouraging and expanding humanities research opportunities for individual faculty and staff members. Maximum award amounts: $5000/month for 2-12 months. FELLOWSHIPS These competitive awards granted to individual scholars provide recipients time to conduct research or to produce books, monographs, peer- reviewed articles, e-books, digital materials, translations with annotations or a critical apparatus, or critical editions resulting from previous research. Maximum award amounts: $5000/month for 6 to 12 months. HUMANITIES INITIATIVES AT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES These awards strengthen the teaching and study of the humanities at institutions of higher education by developing new humanities programs, resources (including those in digital format), or courses, or by enhancing existing ones. Maximum award amount: $150,000 over 1-3 years. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT These awards support projects that address major challenges in preserving or providing access to humanities collections and resources. Maximum award amounts: $75,000 over 1-2 years (Tier 1), $350,000 over 1-3 years (Tier 2)._________
TYPES OF NEH FUNDING NEH supports projects with outright funds, matching funds, or a combination of the two. ▪ Because matching awards enable NEH to provide support to a greater number of projects, applicants are encouraged to request complete or partial support in the form of matching awards. ▪ Whenever possible, applicants requesting federal matching funds should identify potential sources of gift funds at the time they submit an application to NEH. _______
NEH GENERAL REVIEW CRITERIA- General NEH Review Criteria (Specific review criteria may vary across programs) o Humanities significance – includes the project’s value to humanities scholars, general audiences, or both o Applicant’s abilities and qualifications – as an interpreter of the humanities o Proposal’s clarity of expression – definition, organization, and description of the project o Project’s feasibility, design, cost, and work plan – includes soundness of dissemination and access plans, and the likelihood that the applicant will complete the project. Source: https://research.arizona.edu/development/proposal-development/funder-review/proposa
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SAMPLE NEH FUNDED PROJECTS The University of Dayton, Ohio Funding supported a new interdisciplinary curriculum in computer science, sociology, history, and music using the life and work of Paul Laurence Dunbar to examine significant themes in American history and culture. Dunbar was a Dayton native who went on to become a prominent African American writer of the late 19th and 20th centuries. A grant of $35,000 developed a set of related courses that explore the breadth of Dunbar’s life, context, works, and influence. The project also developed experiential learning opportunities that make use of Dayton’s rich collection of Dunbar material objects and artifacts. The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX The awardee received a $315,000 grant to process and upload approximately ten art journals and 1,500 documents by notable Latin American and Latino artists, critics, curators, and historians into a digital archive that integrates artists’ sketches and notes, lectures, manuscripts, correspondence, and newspaper articles documenting 20th-century Latin American and Latino art. The project has also involved improving the functionality of the database and user interface, enhancing access to thousands of primary-source documents that are fundamental resources for Latin American and Latino studies. Source: NEH Annual Report, www.neh.gov
INSTITUTE OF MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES (IMLS) In 2021, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) awarded $425.7 million through grant-making, research and policy development, to advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations. REPRESENTATIVE IMLS PROGRAMS Community Catalyst Initiative- The Community Catalyst Initiative challenges museums and libraries to transform how they collaborate with their communities. Amounts: Review the program website and communicate with a program officer. Digital Humanities Advancement Grants- The Digital Humanities Advancement Grants (DHAG) program —a joint effort with the NEH, posted on the NEH website —is designed to support innovative, experimental, and computationally challenging digital projects at different stages of their lifecycles. Inspire! Grants for Small Museums __Inspire! Grants are designed to inspire small museums to apply for and implement projects that address priorities identified in their strategic plan. Amounts: $5,000-$50,000 for up to 2 years. Museum Assessment Program (MAP)- Supported through a cooperative agreement between IMLS and the American Alliance of Museums, MAP offers museums an opportunity to strengthen operations and plan for the future through a low-cost, year-long process of self- assessment and consultative peer review. Amounts: Review the program website and communicate with a program officer. Source: www.imls.gov/grants/grant-programs 22 INTERDISCIPLINARY OPPORTUNITIES ▪ Federal agencies like NSF and NIH often fund interdisciplinary projects with connections to arts and humanities themes and topics. o These opportunities include projects focused on: • Student engagement and student learning • Human social organization and human behavior, and • The use of historical, philosophical, and/or social scientific methods. ▪ A research orientation is typically required. ▪ Strong collaborations and partnerships are the hallmarks of competitive projects. ▪ Award searches are the best starting point to see what is being funded and by which programs. 23 FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES FROM FOUNDATIONS, ASSOCIATIONS, AND OTHER SOURCES PRIVATE FUNDING FOR THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES A varied universe of private funders supports a wide range of arts and humanities projects and organizations. o National foundations maintain programs with priorities in the arts/humanities. o Local or regional foundations invest in projects relevant to communities in geographic areas of interest. o Independent associations/councils award small grants and fellowships within disciplinary focus areas. 25 NATIONAL FOUNDATIONS The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation ▪ The largest supporter of the arts and humanities in the US ▪ ... “believes that the arts and humanities are where we express our complex humanity . . . we believe that everyone deserves the beauty, transcendence, and freedom to be found there.” ▪ Seeks to build just communities enriched by meaning and empowered by critical thinking, where ideas and imagination can thrive. Source: www.mellon.org/programs 26 MELLON FOUNDATION PROGRAMS Higher Learning Supports multiple types of funding opportunities in inclusive humanities education and diverse learning environments, including investments in core humanities fields as well as support for interdisciplinary studies necessary for the evolution of those traditional humanities disciplines. Anticipated grants: $250,000- $500,000 for up to 3 years. Arts and Culture- Supports exceptional creative practice, scholarship, and conservation of arts and culture, while nurturing a representative and robust arts and culture ecosystem, to ensure equitable access to excellent arts and cultural experiences. Anticipated grants: Submit an inquiry. Public Knowledge- Supports the creation and preservation of our cultural record to increase equitable access to deep knowledge that helps build an informed, culturally diverse, and civically engaged society. Anticipated grants: Submit an inquiry. Humanities in Place (new program)- Supports expanding the public expression of the histories that have made us and the values we hold. (Per a news release, the first 19 grants in FY 2021 ranged from $150,000 to $3.5 million.) Source: www.mellon.org/programs 27 LOCAL AND REGIONAL FOUNDATIONS ▪ At most universities, Offices of University Advancement or Development have the responsibility for establishing and maintaining relationships with local or regional foundations, including corporate and family foundations. ▪ Make sure to communicate your interest in obtaining arts and/or humanities funding to appropriate individuals whose role is to assist you in navigating those relationships. o This will help you avoid making an ask interrupting a larger request from your university for capital campaign or other university-wide funding. 28 ASSOCIATION American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) ▪ Supports the creation and circulation of knowledge that advances understanding of humanity and human endeavors in the past, present, and future, with a view toward improving human experience. ▪ Leading private institution supporting scholars in the humanities and related social sciences at the doctoral and postdoctoral levels. ▪ In 2020-21, ACLS awarded over 350 fellows and scholars approximately $25 million through its grant programs, supporting humanistic work at over 100 US institutions of higher education and more outside the United States. Source: www.acls.org 29 OTHER SOURCES ▪ Fellowships are professional development opportunities sponsored by organizations wanting to support new leadership in a given field, typically lasting short periods of time (from a few months to a few years). ▪ Arts and humanities fellowships and other grants are offered by federal and state agencies, corporate and private foundations, private and professional associations, local and civic organizations, and even individuals. 30 ARTS AND HUMANITIES FUNDING LISTS Some institutions collect information on arts and humanities opportunities for faculty and staff to explore. Below are sample listings: o Humanities Fellowships and Grants (Boston University) o Institute for the Arts & Humanities (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) o Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Fellowships and Grant Agencies (University of Nevada, Reno) o Funding Sources for the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (Florida International University) 31