NEH: Endowments for Advancing the Humanities

Sponsor: NEH
Internal Deadline: 11/24/2026
Institutional Submission Limit: 1
Sponsor Deadline: 01/13/2027
Program Website

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) invites applications for Endowments for Advancing the Humanities, which supports the creation of 20-year term endowments to sustain humanities research and teaching. For the January 2027 competition, proposals must build capacity in one or more of the following areas:

• Western civilization and America’s place within it.


• Major literary, historical, philosophical, and theological works and their connections to contemporary questions.


• The Declaration of Independence’s 250th anniversary.


• Civic education and civil discourse.


• Cultural literacy and close reading.

Applicants may request $1 million–$3 million in federal matching funds, requiring an equal amount in eligible nonfederal gifts. The fundraising period may last up to three years. Applicants may also request up to $100,000 in additional funds for fundraising personnel and associated indirect costs. Once established, the endowment’s principal must remain intact for 20 years; income supports the approved humanities activities. These may include faculty positions, fellowships, graduate student support, research, curriculum development, and public programming. This opportunity cannot be used to supplement an existing endowment.

The Office of Development will work with the proposal team selected through USC’s internal competition to help develop and write the fundraising plan and coordinate the administration of the fundraising component if funded.

 

USC may submit one application to this opportunity.

Submission Process

Limited submissions MUST be coordinated with the Office of the Vice President for Research.

Interested applicants should email a single PDF to resdev@mailbox.sc.edu by 5 p.m. on the INTERNAL DEADLINE above containing:

• A cover page identifying the funding opportunity and number (20270113-CHE), project title, PI name, department/unit and email, and co-PIs/key collaborators.
• A two-page (max) project abstract describing alignment with the program’s priorities, the proposed humanities activities and anticipated impact, requested funding, and (optional: potential foundations that are a fit with the proposed humanities activities and could serve as a match).
• A two- to three-page CV/biosketch for the PI.

Applicants should provide any known potential sources of matching support in the abstract. The selected team will develop the full fundraising plan with the Office of Development.