The Council will be accepting co-sponsorship requests for AY26-27 beginning in August 3, 2026. For urgent requests in July, please email Esther Schor, Council Chair.
Overview
The Council provides co-sponsorship for humanities-related programs, including conferences, workshops, colloquia, lectures, readings/performances, interdisciplinary courses, and reading groups. In most cases, the Council co-sponsors events that already have support from their home departments, typically offering amounts less than or equal to the home department’s contribution. Grants typically range from $250 to $2,000 for conferences or one-time co-sponsorships. Requests for greater amounts will be considered for special projects in the humanities and for those that require the primary sponsorship and administrative support of the Humanities Council.
Graduate student requests are typically funded at a maximum of $1,000, and they require an email from the chair of the home department, supporting the proposal (date, budget, requested amount). See the graduate application timelines under “Deadlines” below.
Eligibility
Priority is given to faculty and graduate members of the Council’s participating departments and programs, although interdisciplinary humanities-related requests from other units are encouraged. Regular Princeton faculty (assistant, associate, full professors; senior lecturers; University lecturers; and professors of the practice) may apply.
The Council’s co-sponsorship fund does not support individual research projects or individual travel for faculty or graduate students. Events that require an admission fee will not be considered for funding or publicity. Named lecture series and ongoing/recurring events are not funded by this program.
Please note that Humanities Council funding is limited to transfer of the awarded funds and does not include event services or logistical support.
Listings for all public events supported by Council funds should be submitted to the Council’s campus-wide Calendar of Events, as soon the date and venue are determined, and at least two weeks in advance of the event. Listings in the Calendar will be publicized through our weekly newsletter.
Proposals initiated by graduate students must be presented by a faculty sponsor and followed by a brief email from the department chair endorsing the project.
Additional funding resources are available for Council-based projects, including the David A. Gardner ’69 Magic Grants for Innovation and the Collaborative Humanities grants, which can support larger-scale or multifaceted initiatives. Departments and programs may apply for funds through the Visiting Fellows program and the Faber Lectures.
If you have questions about whether your project is eligible for consideration, please email humanities@princeton.edu.
How to apply
Please complete the online funding request form (requires a Princeton University login). Your proposal should state clearly the event’s main sponsor (i.e., the academic unit managing finances, logistics and communications), as well as include the amount contributed by the home department and any amounts solicited from or contributed by other campus units. Requests must be submitted at least one month in advance of the proposed event.
The executive committee has established a benchmark of $750-$1500 for honoraria for public lectures and $75-$500 for conference/colloquia participation.
Deadlines
Faculty proposals for co-sponsorship are accepted throughout the year and considered on a rolling basis.
Graduate-student-initiated proposals for events in Fall 2025 are due September 30, 2026 and Spring 2026 conferences must be received by no later than January 29, 2027. All proposals must be endorsed by a department chair.
