Opportunity Information: Apply for 20170112 AE
Humanities Initiatives at Community Colleges is a discretionary grant program from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) designed to strengthen the role of the humanities at two-year institutions. The core idea behind the opportunity is that humanities learning helps community college students expand their intellectual horizons while building practical academic skills like close reading, analytical writing, and clear communication. In NEH's view, these skills support both workforce preparation and long-term civic engagement, making the humanities a meaningful part of community college education across many different programs and career paths.
The program funds projects focused on curriculum development and faculty development. Successful proposals are expected to do more than add a few readings or one-off events; they should be built around a clearly defined central topic or set of themes grounded in humanities fields such as history, philosophy, and literature. In addition, each project needs to connect to a broader institutional vision for humanities education at the applicant community college, showing how the work fits into larger goals like student success, general education, transfer pathways, or strengthening humanities offerings campus-wide.
NEH lists several types of activities that can fit within this program. Grants may support bridge programs aimed at at-risk and nontraditional students, especially efforts that help them transition into college-level humanities work. They may also fund the integration of substantial humanities content into required or developmental courses, particularly when those courses emphasize skills like reading texts carefully, writing analytically, and speaking effectively. Colleges can use the program to launch new humanities programs or enrich existing ones, including possibilities such as new minors, first-year seminar structures, or capstone experiences. Another eligible direction is weaving humanistic perspectives into professional and technical training, for example in business, law, engineering, technology, hospitality, nursing, or medicine, where humanities content can deepen students' ethical reasoning, cultural understanding, and critical thinking.
The opportunity also supports structural and collaborative improvements that help humanities learning take root over time. This can include creating or improving curricular pathways that make it easier for students to graduate and/or transfer to four-year institutions, as well as faculty learning communities or structured opportunities for instructors to study and plan together so they can teach humanities content more effectively. NEH also encourages partnerships between the applicant college and other organizations, such as universities, K-12 schools or school systems, museums, libraries, and historical or cultural societies, especially when those partnerships contribute expertise, resources, or experiential learning opportunities. Applicants are specifically encouraged to involve outside scholars who can bring specialized knowledge and new perspectives to the project.
Eligibility is limited to U.S. nonprofit, tax-exempt two-year colleges. The funding opportunity is listed under CFDA 45.162, uses the grant funding instrument, and is categorized under humanities activity. The posted award ceiling is $100,000. The opportunity referenced in the source data had an original closing date of January 12, 2017, and was created July 5, 2016.Apply for 20170112 AE
- The National Endowment for the Humanities in the humanities sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Humanities Initiatives at Community Colleges" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 45.162.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2016-07-05.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-01-12. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $100,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Humanities Initiatives at Community Colleges grant program?
Humanities Initiatives at Community Colleges is a discretionary grant program from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). It is designed to strengthen the role of the humanities at two-year institutions by supporting projects that expand humanities learning and build practical academic skills such as close reading, analytical writing, and clear communication.
What is the main purpose of this funding opportunity?
The program aims to make humanities education a meaningful and lasting part of community college learning. NEH emphasizes that humanities learning can broaden students' intellectual horizons while also supporting workforce preparation and long-term civic engagement.
What types of projects does NEH want to fund under this program?
The program funds projects focused on curriculum development and faculty development. Projects are expected to be more substantial than small add-ons or one-off events and should be organized around a clearly defined central topic or set of themes grounded in humanities fields such as history, philosophy, and literature.
Does a project need a central theme or topic?
Yes. Successful proposals are expected to be built around a clearly defined central topic or set of themes grounded in humanities disciplines (for example, history, philosophy, or literature) rather than scattered or unrelated activities.
How should the project connect to the college's broader goals?
Each project is expected to connect to a broader institutional vision for humanities education at the applicant community college. The proposal should show how the project fits into larger goals such as student success, general education, transfer pathways, or strengthening humanities offerings across campus.
What kinds of student populations can the project focus on?
NEH notes that grants may support bridge programs aimed at at-risk and nontraditional students, especially programs that help students transition into college-level humanities work.
Can the grant support humanities content in required or developmental courses?
Yes. NEH indicates that projects may integrate substantial humanities content into required or developmental courses, particularly when those courses emphasize skills like careful reading, analytical writing, and effective speaking.
Can colleges use the grant to start new humanities programs or improve existing ones?
Yes. The opportunity may support launching new humanities programs or enriching existing ones. Examples mentioned include new minors, first-year seminar structures, and capstone experiences.
Is it allowable to integrate humanities into professional or technical programs?
Yes. NEH specifically lists weaving humanistic perspectives into professional and technical training as an eligible direction. Examples include business, law, engineering, technology, hospitality, nursing, or medicine, where humanities content can strengthen ethical reasoning, cultural understanding, and critical thinking.
What faculty-focused activities are supported?
The program supports faculty development approaches such as faculty learning communities and other structured opportunities for instructors to study, plan, and strengthen how they teach humanities content.
Does the program support transfer and pathway improvements?
Yes. NEH notes that projects can include creating or improving curricular pathways that make it easier for students to graduate and/or transfer to four-year institutions.
Are partnerships encouraged, and who can be a partner?
Partnerships are encouraged. NEH mentions potential partners such as universities, K-12 schools or school systems, museums, libraries, and historical or cultural societies, especially when partnerships add expertise, resources, or experiential learning opportunities.
Are applicants encouraged to involve outside scholars?
Yes. Applicants are specifically encouraged to involve outside scholars who can contribute specialized knowledge and new perspectives.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to U.S. nonprofit, tax-exempt two-year colleges.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The posted award ceiling for this opportunity is $100,000.
What federal listing or program identifier is associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is listed under CFDA 45.162.
What is the funding instrument for this opportunity?
The funding instrument is a grant.
How is this opportunity categorized?
It is categorized under humanities activity.
What were the key dates shown in the source information?
The source information indicated the opportunity was created on July 5, 2016, and had an original closing date of January 12, 2017.
Does NEH expect projects to be ongoing rather than one-time events?
Yes. NEH indicates that successful proposals should go beyond one-off events or minor additions. The program supports projects and structural improvements that help humanities learning take root over time.
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