Humanities Initiatives at Tribal Colleges and Universities help strengthen the teaching and study of the humanities by developing new humanities programs, resources, or courses, or by enhancing existing ones. Applicants are encouraged to draw on the knowledge of outside scholars who would contribute expertise and fresh insights to the project.

Each project must be organized around a core topic or set of themes drawn from areas of study in the humanities, such as history, philosophy, religion, literature, and composition and writing skills.

The following is a partial list of projects the program may support:

• bridge programs for freshmen, first-generation college students and their families, non-traditional students, and/or secondary school students;
• creation or revision of courses that focus on close reading, analytical writing, and/or effective speaking, including composition courses designed to help students write better;
• new or enhanced humanities programs, including new humanities majors, minors, concentrations (for example, in American Indian studies, archaeology, or art history), honors programs, first-year seminars, culturally relevant or place-based curricula, and programs integrating humanities education with tribal and community life;
• the infusion of humanities learning into professional training in such fields as business, engineering, law, science, technology, and medical fields;
• creation of humanities-based curricular pathways towards graduation, transfer to four-year institutions, and/or graduate programs, if applicable;
• opportunities for faculty members to study together, in order to improve their capacity to teach the humanities;
• creation or enhancement of humanities resources for the purpose of teaching, including collections of tribal documents, oral histories, literature, or film; teaching modules or guides on how to use humanities resources in the classroom;
• development of curriculum-focused digital humanities projects, including digital resources for distance learning that can be used on- or off-line;
• partnerships and collaborative projects in the humanities (for example, dual-enrollment agreements in humanities-based courses for college or high school students; collaboration with regional museums, libraries, or historical societies to share resources for teaching and learning; or partnering with a school or school system to strengthen K-12 pathways to higher education).

NEH welcomes applications for projects that are modest in scope and duration, as well as applications for expansive, long-term projects.