Overview
The Council offers funding of $5,000 to $20,000 to support pairs or groups of faculty in developing a collaborative areas of focus that advance research or teaching in emerging or underrepresented fields in the humanities. We particularly welcome exploratory projects that identify potential partners and spark collaborations at Princeton, or that build a substantial Princeton component within multi-institutional and/or international initiatives.
For AY26-27, grants will be awarded for one-year projects. These may take innovative forms or follow regular academic models such as reading groups, conferences, workshops, and planning meetings. Collaborations already underway–including those launched by a Magic Grant–are eligible if the project has reached a new phase or direction and includes additional funding partners. Collaborative Humanities grants are intended to launch or reshape projects but cannot sustain ongoing projects for the long term.
We invite cross-disciplinary proposals that are collaborative and publicly engaged, and we especially encourage projects that align with the Humanities Council’s mission.
Eligibility
Regular Princeton faculty (assistant, associate, full professors; senior lecturers; University lecturers; and professors of the practice) may apply. Assistant professors are especially encouraged to apply. Preference will be given to applicants who have not received a substantial grant from the Humanities Council in the previous academic year.
For inquiries regarding eligibility, budget line items, or project components, please contact Kathleen Crown, Executive Director of the Humanities Council, well in advance of the application deadline to ensure adequate time for guidance.
How to Apply
The online application form (available one month in advance of the deadline) will require the following documents as attachments:
1. A brief, compelling abstract of the proposal (up to 250 words), clearly stating who is involved, how the funds will be used, and where, when, and how the project will be carried out. The abstract should highlight what makes the project innovative and potentially significant. Be sure to include the project timeline (start and end dates), key participants, costs covered, and locations. It should serve as a stand-alone overview, summarizing all essential aspects and goals of the proposal.
2. A detailed proposal for the full project, which must include the following:
- project title
- name(s) of proposer(s)
- principal units/institutions involved, and any financial commitments from those units
- start and end dates, schedule of when all work will be done
- collaborative nature of the project and any project history
- project’s benefit to Princeton University faculty and students
- names of Princeton faculty and students who will be involved
- intended non-University participants, with names and affiliations if known
- a detailed budget (travel, lodging, food, materials, honoraria) for the full project, indicating all amounts contributed by, or solicited from, other offices on campus, particularly the host department. Please note that the executive committee has established a benchmark of $750-$1500 for honoraria for public lectures and $75-$500 for a class visit or conference/colloquia participation.) If you propose greater amounts, please provide a compelling rationale. If you propose to bring international visitors to campus, please consider whether the goals of the project could be realized with a virtual visit.
- total cost of the project
- amount requested from the Humanities Council
3. Proposals require a statement of support from Chair/Director of the academic unit committing to manage the funds, provide logistical support, and (in most cases) offer some departmental financial support. This statement may be uploaded with the application or emailed directly to Chris Manoussakis (cmanoussakis@princeton.edu) within a week of the application deadline.
Proposals under serious consideration may be reviewed by faculty experts in the relevant fields, in consultation with the Council of Science and Technology, the Center for Digital Humanities, the McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning, the Lewis Center for the Arts, the Dean of Research, the Dean of the College, and other campus offices.
Grant ApplicationDeadlines and Grant Cycles
Note: There will be one cycle of grant applications in AY25-26.
- November / December 2026: Application portal will open.
- January 30, 2026: Deadline to submit application.
- February 2026: Executive Committee deliberations.
- March 2026: Notification of decisions.
- July 2026: Funds will be transferred after the start of the 2026 fiscal year (begins July 1, 2026).
- May 15, 2027: Grantees must submit final reports on completed projects using an online form. Links will be provided, along with reminders from the Council.
- See a full list of Humanities Council funding opportunities.
