Public Programming Grants

The Humanities Center, through funding provided by the Humanities Center Endowment, offers Public Programming Grants on a rolling basis. The purpose of these grants is to fund programs that enrich the intellectual and professional lives of UAH faculty and students as well as the Huntsville community.

Programs funded with Public Programming Grants typically involve bringing prominent scholars and authors to the UAH campus to discuss humanities-related topics that are of interest to faculty, students, and the Huntsville community. Eligible programming includes thematic conferences, demonstrations, forums, lectures, symposia, and workshops.

Guidelines for Submitting a Public Programming Grant Proposal

1. Any tenured or tenure-track faculty member at UAH is eligible to submit a proposal.
   • Students, staff, and other faculty at UAH may collaborate with an eligible UAH faculty member to develop a proposal.
   • Community members and others interested in promoting the humanities may collaborate with an eligible UAH faculty member to develop a proposal.
2. Proposed programming must relate to the humanities, as defined by 20 U.S. Code § 952(a):
   • 20 U.S. Code § 952(a): "The term “humanities” includes, but is not limited to, the study and interpretation of the following: language, both modern and classical; linguistics; literature; history; jurisprudence; philosophy; archeology; comparative religion; ethics; the history, criticism, and theory of the arts; those aspects of the social sciences which have humanistic content and employ humanistic methods; and the study and application of the humanities to the human environment with particular attention to reflecting our diverse heritage, traditions, and history and to the relevance of the humanities to the current conditions of national life."
   • The National Endowment for the Humanities, which is the funding source for the M. Louis Salmon Humanities Center Endowment, endorses this definition.
3. Proposals should include a narrative for the nature of the programming.
   • The narrative should explain what is to be done, by whom, where, and when. All programming should be free and open to the public.
   • If the proposed programming does not plainly belong to one of the categories in the definition of "humanities" from 20 U.S. Code § 952(a), the narrative should explain how the proposed programming relates to the humanities.
   • The narrative should identify when the funds are needed. If funds are needed before the programming occurs, the narrative should explain why.
   • The narrative should mention whether the applicant is also requesting funds from other organizations.
4. Proposals should include a narrative for the goals of the programming.
   • The narrative should explain how the programming is expected to enrich the intellectual and professional lives of UAH faculty and students as well as the Huntsville community.
5. Proposals should include a current C.V. or resume for any invited person.
6. There is no minimum or maximum award limit.
   • Grants are awarded at the discretion of the Director of the Humanities Center, on the basis of funding availability, number of requests received, and merits of the proposed programming.
7. Proposals should include a detailed budget, along with an explanation or justification of each budget item. Appropriate budget items include honoraria, travel expenses, advertising.
8. Each proposal should include the following information:
   • Name, rank, home department, and email address of the applicant
   • Title, theme, or topic for the proposed programming
   • Total amount of funding requested
   • A narrative that explains the nature of the proposed programming.
   • A narrative that explains how the proposed programming is expected to enrich the intellectual and professional lives of UAH faculty and students as well as the Huntsville community.
   • Current C.V.s or resumes for any invited person.
   • A detailed budget, including an explanation or justification of each item.
9. Each proposal should be submitted by email, as a single file in DOC or DOCX format, to humanitiescenter@uah.edu, preferably with the subject line "Public Programming Grant Proposal".
10. Members of the Humanities Center Steering Committee, and the Director of the Humanities Center, are good sources of advice about Humanities Center Public Programming Grants.
11. Direct questions about Humanities Center Public Programming Grants to humanitiescenter@uah.edu

Evaluating Public Programming Grant Proposals

The Director of the Humanities Center evaluates each proposal for its relevance to scholarship and research in the humanities at UAH, its merit, and its overall cost. More specific evaluation criteria for determining whether a proposal is eligible for funding include:

• Is the applicant a tenured or tenure-track faculty member at UAH?
• Does the proposed programming relate to the humanities?
• If funded, would the programming likely enrich the intellectual and professional lives of UAH faculty and students as well as the Huntsville community?
• Are the proposed costs and expenditures appropriate?
• Is the application complete?
• Is there funding that remains available for the current fiscal year?

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

• To what extent is the proposed programming likely to enrich the intellectual and professional lives of UAH faculty and students as well as the Huntsville community?
• Does the proposal make extraordinary effort to engage with members of the Huntsville community.
• Is the proposed programming multi-disciplinary?
• Is the proposed programming organized around a coherent theme or topic?
• Does the proposed programming include multiple events or multiple speakers?
• Is the programming part of an ongoing or planned series of programs or events?
• What are the qualifications of persons invited for the proposed programming?
• Is the explanation or justification of the proposed costs and expenditures reasonable?

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

Dispersal of Public Programming Grants

Awards are dispersed in accordance with UAH policies and depending on the type of project.

The policy of the Humanities Center is to prefer reimbursing the home labor account of the grantee’s department for the exact amount of expenses, using a Transfer Authorization form.