Graduate Education in the Humanities: A National Convening | 20240806 CHC

Opportunity Information: Apply for 20240806 CHC

Graduate Education in the Humanities: A National Convening is a discretionary funding opportunity from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), offered through the Office of Challenge Programs. The award is structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning the recipient would not simply receive funds and work independently; NEH is likely to have an active role in shaping, guiding, or collaborating on key parts of the project. The core purpose is to support the planning and hosting of a national-level convening focused on the condition and future direction of graduate education in the humanities in the United States.

The convening is intended to take a clear-eyed look at the current state of humanities graduate training and to produce practical, field-facing outcomes. Specifically, the project should evaluate how graduate programs are functioning now, identify challenges and opportunities, and then translate those findings into recommendations for improving graduate education. A major emphasis is preparing graduate students for a wider range of humanities-related careers, not only traditional academic pathways. The convening should therefore bring together the kinds of voices that can speak to multiple career trajectories and professional outcomes, such as faculty and graduate program leaders, current or recent graduate students, administrators, employers and partners in cultural institutions (libraries, museums, archives, historical societies), publishers and media organizations, public humanities leaders, government or nonprofit stakeholders, and others with direct experience in humanities workforce development.

Beyond discussion, the grant expects the convening to culminate in concrete deliverables. Two are highlighted: first, recommendations for programs that better prepare graduate students for varied career paths; and second, a roadmap that articulates a strategic vision for graduate education in the humanities. A roadmap implies more than a summary report. It suggests an organized plan with priorities, steps, and possibly timelines or roles for different stakeholders, aimed at helping the field move from ideas to implementation. The convening, in other words, should be designed as a national catalyst that produces a usable framework for reform and innovation rather than a one-time event.

Funding is capped at an award ceiling of $500,000, and NEH anticipates making one award. The financial model is a matching structure: the project will be funded through a combination of federal matching funds and fundraising from non-federal third parties. In practice, applicants should be prepared to show a credible plan to secure the required non-federal contributions, whether through philanthropy, institutional support, foundation grants, corporate sponsors, or other eligible sources. Because it is administered by the Office of Challenge Programs, the fundraising and match strategy is not a minor administrative detail; it is a central feature of the opportunity and will likely be a key factor in competitiveness and feasibility.

Eligibility is broad across public-sector entities, higher education, tribal governments, and nonprofit organizations. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; and 501(c)(3) nonprofits other than institutions of higher education. Applicants are directed to review the Notice of Funding Opportunity for details under the eligibility section, which typically clarifies any restrictions, documentation requirements, and how partnerships or fiscal sponsorship arrangements may be handled.

Administratively, the opportunity is identified by Funding Opportunity Number 20240806 and CFDA number 45.130, and it falls under the humanities activity category. The original application closing date is August 6, 2024, and the opportunity record was created on May 6, 2024. Taken together, this program is aimed at supporting one nationally visible, well-organized convening effort that can unify stakeholders, assess the landscape of humanities graduate education, and produce actionable guidance for strengthening graduate training and career preparedness across the field.

• The National Endowment for the Humanities in the humanities sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Graduate Education in the Humanities: A National Convening" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 45.130.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-05-06.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-08-06. (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 $500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for 20240806 CHC

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