Humanities Initiatives at Tribal Colleges and Universities

Maximum award amount

$150,000

Expected Output

Community Partnerships; Curriculum; Faculty Development; Teaching Resources

Period of performance

One to three years

About the Program
Application Instructions

The Humanities Initiatives at TCUs funding opportunity is cancelled for FY2026 and is not accepting applications.

Tribal Colleges and Universities are essential partners in their communities, serving as centers for the preservation and study of Indigenous histories, cultures, and languages, and fostering student growth and achievement. Humanities Initiatives grants can help strengthen the teaching and study of the humanities at Tribal Colleges and Universities by supporting the development of new or improvement of existing humanities programs, educational resources, or coursework, often grounded in Indigenous knowledge. Projects must address a core topic or focused set of themes drawn from humanities areas such as history, philosophy, religion, languages and literature, or humanities-informed composition and writing skills.

Past recipients have developed online databases and instructional materials to document and preserve endangered languages like Iñupiaq; created a student podcast series about Red Lake Ojibwe language, culture, and history; and established an interdisciplinary bachelor's degree program in tribal historic preservation.

By supporting projects like these, Humanities Initiatives at Tribal Colleges and Universities grants can help institutions better serve current students and position themselves to build on success for the future.

NEH welcomes applications for projects that would take between one and three years to complete, and projects of varying scope and duration are judged equally.

Recorded Webinar

Live Q&A: The Live Q&A has been cancelled, but please feel free to send your questions to @email.

Optional Draft Review: Submit your materials as attachments to @email by 11:59 pm Eastern on March 25, 2025 to receive feedback from NEH staff.

Application Instructions

Review your application package

Read the Notice of Funding Opportunity to ensure you understand all the expectations and restrictions for projects delivered under this program and are prepared to write the most effective application.

Application Materials

Notice of Funding Opportunity 2025 (PDF)

Grants.gov application package

Program Resources

Frequently Asked Questions, 2025 (PDF)

Recent Awards

Policy on the Use of Artificial Intelligence for NEH Grant Proposals

Sample Application Narratives

Cankdeska Cikana Community College, Dakota Language and Literature

Haskell Indian Nations University, Summer Bridge Program in Literature

Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College, Weaving Our History: Voices of Wisdom and Memory

Diné College; Sacred Dinétah

Sample Budget Form and Justification

When you are ready to apply, register for an account with SAM.gov and Grants.gov; both are required. If you already have completed the registrations, make sure they are current. 

Complete your application package

Follow the instructions outlined in the Notice of Funding Opportunity and Grants.gov. 

Submit your application package on Grants.gov

You will receive a confirmation from Grants.gov when you’ve successfully submitted your application. Subsequently, you will receive up to five more notices confirming different stages in the application process. Verify that you have received all confirmations. Note that email filters may send these messages to your spam or junk folder.   