Humanities Connections

Overview

The Humanities Connections program seeks to expand the role of the humanities in undergraduate education at two- and four-year institutions by encouraging partnerships between humanities faculty and their counterparts in other areas of study. Awards support the planning or implementation of curricular projects connecting the humanities to the physical and natural sciences; pre-service or professional programs, including law and business; computer science, data science, and other technology-driven fields; or other non-humanities departments or schools. Projects must incorporate the approaches and learning activities of both the humanities and the non-humanities disciplines involved.

Competitive Humanities Connections proposals will demonstrate: 

• how the proposed project expands the role of the humanities in the undergraduate curriculum at the applicant institution(s) 
• substantive and purposeful integration of the subject matter, approaches, and learning activities of two or more disciplines (with a minimum of one in and one outside of the humanities) 
• collaboration between faculty from two or more departments or schools (with a minimum of one in and one outside of the humanities)
• a curricular structure that your institution could sustain over the long term, including interdisciplinary minors or certificates; curricular pathways such as concentrations within majors or general education programs; and other models appropriate to the institution

The Humanities Connections program includes two funding levels: Planning and Implementation. 

Planning:

Planning awards support the interdisciplinary collaboration of faculty from two or more departments or schools (a minimum of one in and one outside of the humanities). The award provides institutions the opportunity to create a firm foundation for an interdisciplinary undergraduate curricular program or initiative. Projects may build on existing programs or initiatives, including those currently managed by a single department, or may develop entirely new ones.

Implementation:

Implementation awards support the introduction or revision of sustainable and interdisciplinary undergraduate curricula or initiatives at two- and four-year colleges and universities. Projects must involve faculty from two or more departments or schools (a minimum of one in and one outside of the humanities) and integrate the approaches and learning activities of the disciplines involved. Implementation proposals must show unambiguous evidence of prior planning and present a defined rationale with clear intellectual and logistical objectives supported by institutional leadership. The award provides the opportunity to build on faculty, administrative, or institutional partnerships and to develop and refine the project’s intellectual content, design, and scope.

Maximum award amount up to $50,000 for Planning; up to $150,000 for Implementation

Period of performance 12 months for Planning; 18-36 months for Implementation

Expected notification date April, 2024

Project start date June 1, 2024 September 1, 2024