Manuscript Workshop Grants

The Humanities Center offers annual book manuscript workshop grants. The purpose of these grants is to support authors with enhancing the strength of book proposals, connect authors with experts in their areas of specialization, and raise the profile of humanities and humanities faculty within the academic community.

Proposals funded with a Manuscript Workshop Grant provide grantees with high-quality feedback on book proposals. Grantees receive written feedback from two subject matter experts, participate in a virtual workshop with those experts, and receive a summer stipend to support revising their manuscript. Subject matter experts also receive a modest honorarium for their efforts.

Guidelines for Submitting a Manuscript Workshop Grant Proposal

1. Any tenured or tenure-track faculty member at UAH in a humanities or humanities-adjacent discipline is eligible to submit a proposal.
2. Only proposals received during the open application window are eligible for funding.
3. The topic of the applicant’s book manuscript must pertain to the humanities, as defined by 20 U.S. Code § 952(a).
4. The applicant’s book manuscript must be a monograph (co-authorship is permissible) rather than an anthology or edited volume, and it must be suitable for submission to an academic press.
5. Proposals should include a prospectus. The prospectus should include a 500-word description of the book project, a description of the book’s audience, and a description of the book’s relation to existing literature.
6. Proposals should include a table of contents. The table of contents should include either a paragraph-length description or a detailed outline for each chapter.
7. Proposals should include 1-2 sample chapters. At least one chapter should be for the body of the book (so not a preface, introduction, or conclusion).
8. Proposals should include the applicant’s current academic CV.
9. Proposals should include a list of 4-6 subject matter experts who are qualified to offer intellectual guidance on the book proposal’s content as well as professional guidance on potential venues for publication and potential readers for presses. The list should include contact information for each expert.
10. Proposals may include supporting documentation such as evidence of prior contact with academic presses, a timeline for manuscript completion, and/or a description of qualifications for subject matter experts.
11. Proposals should be submitted by email to humanitiescenter@uah.edu, preferably with the subject line “Manuscript Workshop Grant Proposal”, and preferably in PDF format.
12. Direct questions about Humanities Center Manuscript Workshop Grants to humanitiescenter@uah.edu

Evaluating Manuscript Workshop Grant Proposals

Members of the Humanities Center Steering Committee evaluate each proposal for its eligibility and merit. More specific criteria for determining whether a proposal is eligible for funding include:

• Is the applicant a tenured or tenure-track faculty member at UAH?
• Was the proposal received during the open application window?
• Does the manuscript topic pertain to the humanities?
• Is the application complete?

Specific evaluation criteria for determining whether a proposal is meritorious include:

• Is the timeline for completion of the manuscript reasonable?
• What is the level of detail for the table of contents?
• What are the qualifications of the proposed subject matter experts?
• Has the applicant been in contact with academic presses regarding this manuscript?
• What is the applicant’s rank, and how long have they been at that rank?

Members of the Steering Committee will provide evaluative feedback to the Director of the Humanities Center. The Director will rely upon this feedback to determine which proposals are to be funded, and thereafter notify all applicants about whether their proposal is funded.

Applicants can expect a verdict on their applications 2-4 weeks after the application window closes (if not sooner). Applicants who do not receive notice of such a verdict in a timely fashion should contact the Director of the Humanities Center to confirm the status of their application.

Conditions on Manuscript Workshop Grants

1. Awardees must agree to help with scheduling a virtual workshop with subject matter experts during the subsequent Spring semester.
2. Awardees receive a summer salary stipend of $7,000 only after participating in the virtual workshop. (Each subject matter expert receives $1,000.)
3. Awardees must agree to submit their proposal to at least one academic press within one year of the workshop.
4. Awardees must agree to notify the Humanities Center if/when they secure a contract for their manuscript.
5. Awardees must agree to acknowledge the Humanities Center for support, in their manuscript, if/when the manuscript is published.