NEH Summer Stipends

TO:           Faculty in Division I and II

FROM:       Megan Konieczny, Assistant Dean of Faculty

SUBJECT:     NEH Summer Stipends

Each spring, the National Endowment for the Humanities selects an unspecified number of fellows to receive summer stipends of $6,000 that are intended to support two consecutive and uninterrupted months of full-time study or research in the humanities.

Summer Stipends are opportunities for individuals to pursue advanced work in the humanities.  As defined by the NEH, “the term ‘humanities’ includes, but is not limited to, the study of the following: language, both modern and classical; linguistics; literature; history; jurisprudence; philosophy; archaeology; comparative religion; ethics; the history, theory and criticism of the arts; those aspects of social sciences which have humanistic content and employ humanistic methods; and the study and application of the humanities to the human environment with particular attention to reflecting our diverse heritage, traditions, and history and to the relevance of the humanities to the current conditions of national life.”

Projects may contribute to scholarly knowledge or to the general public’s understanding of the humanities.  Recipients might eventually produce scholarly articles, a monograph on a specialized subject, a book on a broad topic, an archaeological site report, a translation, an edition, or other projects that are scholarly in nature.  NEH Summer Stipends do not support projects to study teaching methods or theories.  Neither do they support surveys of courses and programs, the preparation of institutional curricula, works in the creative or performing arts, or the publishing of textbooks.

The NEH Summer Stipends support projects that can be completed during the tenure of an award or those that are part of a long-term endeavor.  Summer Stipends normally support work carried out during the summer months, but arrangements can be made for at other times of the year.

The full NEH guidelines and application can be found on the web at http://www.neh.gov/grants/research/summer-stipends

The following criteria will be used in evaluating applications for Fellowships and Summer

Stipends:

  1. the intellectual significance of the proposed project, including its value to scholars and general audiences in the humanities;
  2. the quality or promise of quality of the applicant’s work as an interpreter of the humanities;
  3. the quality of the conception, definition, organization, and description of the project and the applicant’s clarity of expression;
  4. the feasibility of the proposed plan of work, including, when appropriate, the soundness of the dissemination and access plans; and
  5. the likelihood that the applicant will complete the project.

The application procedures involved are described below.  Please be sure to note carefully the various deadlines.

  • Applicants must be nominated by the College and we are invited to nominate two candidates.
  • By August 31, 2018, those interested in being nominated should submit to the dean of the faculty a description of their proposed research project. The NEH online application includes guidelines for writing the proposal. While there is no need to fill out the application form at this point, it is advisable to follow the NEH guidelines in formulating your proposal for CAP review. Please be sure to explain in your proposal to the CAP how the grant will help advance your overall project.
  • The CAP will select the two nominees in time for them to apply to the NEH.
  • The selected candidates must submit their applications to the NEH
    by September 26, 2018.