Humanities Project Grants

Overview

The Council offers funding of $5,000 to $20,000 to support special projects that require the primary sponsorship of the Humanities Council. The Council particularly welcomes proposals for projects that

1. Support pairs or groups of faculty in collaborations that advance research in emerging or underrepresented fields in the humanities. These partnerships may be centered entirely at Princeton or may support collaboration between Princeton and partners at other institutions in the United States and abroad
2. Extend humanities research in new directions
3. Demonstrate broad significance across humanistic disciplines and/or cultivate meaningful public engagement with the humanities

These grants will be awarded for one-year projects beginning July 1, 2027, and concluding no later than June 30, 2028.

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

Projects that have received past support from the Council – such as a Magic Grant – are eligible for support only if the project has reached a new phase of development or implementation and if additional partners have been secured as co-funders

For inquiries regarding eligibility, budgets, or project components, please contact humanities@princeton.edu well in advance of the application deadline to ensure adequate time for guidance.

How to Apply

The online application form (available October 1, 2026) will require the following documents as attachments:

1. An 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 the significance of the project and its intended outcome(s). 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 of the proposal.

2. A detailed proposal for the full project, which must include the following sections:

• Project description
  • Project title
  • Name(s) of proposer(s)
  • Principal units/institutions involved
  • Nature of the project and any project history
  • Alignment of the project with the mission of the Humanities Council and university priorities
  • Envisioned outcomes
• Project timeline
  • Start and end dates, and a provisional schedule of work
• Project participants
  • Names of Princeton faculty and students who will be involved
  • Intended non-university participants, with names and affiliations if known
• Project budget
  • 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-$1,500 for honoraria for public lectures and $150-$500 for a class visit or conference/colloquia participation.)  If you propose larger amounts for these activities, 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
  • Financial commitments from participating units, if applicable

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 must be uploaded with the application by the application deadline.

Proposals under serious consideration may be reviewed by faculty experts in the relevant fields, in consultation with the Center on 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 units and administrators.

The application portal will open on October 1, 2026. All proposals must be received by January 25, 2027.