NEH Awards $20 Million for 197 Humanities Projects

WASHINGTON, (March 9, 2009)

Nationwide projects enrich humanities research, education, access, and public programming

Today the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) announced $20 million in grant awards and offers to 197 successful applicants. NEH promotes excellence and lifelong learning in the humanities by offering competitive grant opportunities in scholarly research, education, preservation of significant cultural collections, public programming, and digital humanities.

“Whether through a compelling biography, a neighborhood museum dedicated to its local history, or a documentary on world cultures, the humanities play a vital role in the everyday lives of all Americans,” said NEH Acting Chairman Carole M. Watson. “The Endowment is proud to fund the nation’s finest humanities projects to help foster in our citizens a greater understanding of our nation’s and the world’s culture and history.”

The funding announced today will support a variety of projects in diverse fields of the humanities. Projects receiving support will, for example, provide college faculty the opportunity to deepen their knowledge in the humanities to enhance undergraduate instruction; support high-quality media projects for public audiences that explore significant ideas and events in the humanities; enable researchers to record and archive languages facing extinction; and encourage the development of innovations in the digital humanities.

This award cycle, institutions and individuals in 36 states and the District of Columbia will receive NEH support. Projects undertaken by American scholars working outside the United States are also receiving support. A complete state-by-state listing of grants and offers of matching funds is available below, along with a brief document with information about the specific program areas and grant categories awarded this cycle:

Alabama to Maryland

Massachusetts to New York

North Carolina to Wisconsin

Programs and Grant Categories

NEH awards and offers announced today come from five program areas—Education, Preservation and Access, Public Programs, Research Programs, and Digital Humanities. Selected projects have received a We the People designation for their efforts to strengthen the teaching, study, and understanding of American history and culture.

Media Contacts:
Office of Communications: (202) 606-8446 | info@neh.gov