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Please see the full solicitation for complete information about the funding opportunity. Below is a summary assembled by the Research & Innovation Office (RIO). Please note the matching/cost-share requirements referenced in the Award Information and Matching Requirements section below.

Program Summary

Graduate Education in the Humanities: A National Convening will support the planning and implementation of a national gathering to address challenges in graduate humanities education by providing opportunities for experts and practitioners to share best practices; offering meaningful guidance for departments, graduate programs, universities, and other organizations interested in improving graduate education in the humanities; and developing a strategic vision for graduate education in the humanities. The recipient will be required to:Ìý

• assemble and support a steering committee and working groups with representatives who can speak to the geographic, demographic, institutional, economic, and social diversity of graduate education throughout the United States;
• plan and host an in-person, virtual, or hybrid national convening focused on the current state of, and future prospects for, graduate training in the humanities; and
• publish and disseminate a report based on the findings of the working groups and the national convening.

Possible topics to be covered by working groups and/or the national convening include, but are not limited to:Ìý

• preparing graduate students for diverse humanities careers
• internships and experiential education
• diversity, equity, and inclusion
• alternatives to the graduate thesis and doctoral dissertation
• innovations in research training and methods
• opportunities for graduates in public humanities
• graduate student labor issues
• interdisciplinary graduate training

See the solicitation for full details.

Deadlines

CU Internal Deadline: 11:59pm MST June 3, 2024

NEH Optional Draft Deadline: June 26, 2024

NEH Application Deadline: August 6, 2024

Internal Application Requirements (all in PDF format)

• Project Summary (3 pages maximum): Components should comprise a: 1) narrative including a) intellectual rationale; b) design, content, and implementation; c) project staff; d) institutional expertise and resources; e) impact and dissemination; and 2) work plan describing the activities to achieve project objectives and a timeline for each activity.
• Matching Commitment Letter (1 page maximum): Please provide a letter from the dean or chair including a list of potential donors, fundraising personnel and detail the strategies to be used for securing matching funds.
• Resumes (2 pages maximum per person): Include resumes for the project director(s), members of the steering committee and working groups (if available), consultants, speakers, and other key personnel that are integral to the project.
• Budget Overview (1 page maximum): A basic budget outlining project costs is sufficient; detailed OCG budgets are not required.

To access the online application, visit:

Eligibility

Please see the solicitation for full eligibility information.

Limited Submission Guidelines

An organization may submit only one application.

Award Information and Matching Requirements

Amount: $500,000

Duration: 3 years

You may request up to $500,000 in federal matching funds to leverage third party funding. Funds to satisfy a matching requirement must be from sources outside of the applicant institution (a third party) consistent with the You must raise third-party non-federal gifts dollar-for-dollar.  NEH will not release funds until you raise and certify eligible gifts. In-kind gifts and funds derived from the recipient organization are not eligible sources of certified gifts in this program.Ìý

Review Criteria

Intellectual rationale and significance

• addresses national issues and themes and topics of critical significance to graduate education in the humanities ÌýÌý
• demonstrates a clear understanding of the relevant fields and broader environments (e.g., demographic, social, institutional, technological, and economic) that affect graduate humanities education
• demonstrates a thorough knowledge of graduate education in the humanities
• presents multiple viewpoints based on a clear understanding of the state of the field and the broader environment affecting faculty, students, and other professionals working in diverse institutional, geographic, educational, and demographic settings
• demonstrates a thorough understanding of how implementation of strategic actions will impact a diverse range of stakeholders, including students, educators, funders, and the general public
• presents a fully developed argument for the intellectual rationale and the objectives of the national convening in a clear, persuasive manner.

Design and feasibility 

• demonstrates that the applicant institution and collaborating institutions and partners (if any) have relevant experience in designing and implementing gatherings of similar scope and reach and the necessary administrative infrastructure to plan and host the convening
• identifies a sufficient number of qualified key personnel with relevant experience, representing a range of institutional and organization types
• develops a coherent and detailed design and schedule for assembling a steering committee and working groups and for planning the convening, emphasizing major issues and objectives, such as the strengths and needs of the audience, project team (including the presenters), organizational partners, and host sitesÌý
• demonstrates an understanding of levels of engagement, pacing, and logistics, and includes related activities, such as a robust communication plan leading up to, during, and following the convening
• provides specific plans for recruitment and selection criteria for steering committee and working group members, foregrounding strategic collaborations with key stakeholders, who have or can build on national partnerships
• demonstrates cohesion in its format and schedule
• describes post-convening analysis and evaluation of topics of critical importance

Fundraising and budget

• demonstrates a successful history of fundraising and/or feasible plan for raising the required third-party, nonfederal gifts
• includes a timeline and plan for fundraising that is realistic and aligned with the project schedule and goals
• provides an appropriate and reasonable budget and budget justification

Impact and dissemination 

• describes plans for assessment and synthesis of ideas and topics presented by the steering committee, during and after the convening
• offers a compelling strategic vision for implementing changes within graduate humanities education
• demonstrates that the project will engage the proposed audiences of higher education professionals, national leaders, students, and the general public, including plans for publicizing the convening and resulting dissemination material
• demonstrates a methodology for assembling and evaluating key topics in graduate humanities education that reflects knowledge of current strategic initiatives in these areas
• develops robust plans for the creation, publication, and dissemination of the final report(s), actions, and priorities to a range of stakeholders