National Endowment for the Humanities Announces $18.9 Million in New Grants

Films, museum exhibitions, education, cultural preservation top the list

William R. Ferris, chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), today announced 206 grants totaling $18.9 million.

"The humanities are stories and voices from the past that give perspective to our lives. As a result of today's National Endowment for the Humanities grants, millions of Americans will hear and experience these stories through radio and television programs, museum exhibitions and classroom activities," Chairman Ferris said. "The many exhibitions, documentaries and curriculum development projects we are supporting will deepen understanding and provide inspiration. It is a pleasure to announce these grants today."

Among the projects receiving funding are:

• preservation of collections at small to medium-sized museums, historic sites and archives.
• library reading and discussion projects on American presidents, work as a link between cultures, and literature of the American Midwest.
• museum exhibitions on China's historic Silk Road, the Italian Renaissance, the role of American Jews in shaping 20th-century popular entertainment, and how space travel and exploration shape human perspectives.
• radio series on American regionalism, the golden age of Yiddish radio, and philosophical and ethical questions arising from 20th-century scientific discoveries.
• film documentaries on Benjamin Franklin, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Napoleon, the 1831 Nat Turner slave rebellion, the rise and fall of Jim Crow, the history of the Miss America Beauty Pageant, and the development of the English language in contemporary America.
• summer study opportunities for both K-12 teachers and college professors.
• curriculum development projects in the humanities at all levels, K-16.

A detailed list of grants given by state is available as an Adobe Acrobat file here.

Programs and number of projects funded this round are:

Public programs (72)--$11,461,000

• film documentaries (19): $5,551,000
• museum exhibitions (32): $3,505,000
• library and other public programs (17): $2,062,000
• radio projects (4): $343,000

Education programs (75)--$7,195,000

K-12 education

• summer programs for school teachers (30)--$3,498,000
• K-12 curriculum development (10)--$240,000

Higher education

• summer programs for higher education faculty (24)--$3,177,000
• higher education curriculum development (11)--$280,000

Preservation grants (59)--$241,000

NEH grants are awarded on a competitive basis. Throughout the year, humanities experts outside of the Endowment assess all applications and judge the quality and significance of each proposed project.