National Endowment for the Humanities Announces $20.9 Million in New Grants

Films, exhibitions, education, cultural preservation receive support

William R. Ferris, chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), today announced 389 grants totaling $20.9 million.

"The humanities are the people, places and events in history that provide us with knowledge and wisdom," Chairman Ferris said. "At the National Endowment for the Humanities, we seek to engage millions of Americans in history and literature projects that express our humanity and give perspective on our lives. The films, museum exhibitions, library programs, preservation projects and classroom activities we are funding today will provide a richer cultural world for all Americans. It is a pleasure to announce the latest round of NEH grants."

A list of the grants given by state is available in .pdf format.

Among the projects receiving funding are:

• preservation of collections at small and medium-sized museums, historic sites and archives throughout the U.S.
• film documentaries on the American Reconstruction era, the role of American novelists in the nation's culture, the evolution of the Broadway musical, Time-Life mogul Henry Luce, American consumer culture seen through the lens of the Tupperware phenomenon, the history of the international anti-apartheid movement, and the breaking of the Maya code.
• radio programs on American music.
• museum exhibitions on the history of Thanksgiving, America's urban and regional cultures, artworks of the world's cultures, and Machu Picchu's place in ancient Inca society.
• library programs on American literature, Russian culture, and England's Elizabethan age.
• summer study opportunities for both K-12 teachers and college professors.
• curriculum development projects in the humanities at all levels, K-16.

Programs and number of projects funded this round are:

Public programs (98) $12,094,000

• film documentaries and radio programs (33) 5,970,000
• exhibitions (36) 3,833,000
• library programs (7) 1,170,000
• special projects (web, community and other projects) (9) 991,000
• model projects (Extending the Reach states) (13) 130,000

Education programs (102) $7,466,000

K-12 education

• summer study programs for school teachers (29) 3,210,000
• K-12 curriculum development projects (9) 220,000
• scholar-in-residence consultation grants (18) 180,000

Higher education

• summer study programs for higher education faculty (22) 3,267,000
• higher education curriculum development projects (24) 589,000

Preservation and access (162) $734,000

• preservation assistance (161) 684,000
• online state encyclopedia (1) 50,000

Research programs (27) $648,000

• faculty research at minority-oriented colleges and universities (27) 648,000

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.