U.S. Humanities Endowment Announces $20.6 Million in New Grants

Films, exhibitions, education, cultural preservation receive support

Bruce Cole, chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), today announced 324 grants totaling $20.6 million.

"These NEH grants will broaden our awareness of the historical events, people and places that provide us with knowledge and wisdom," Chairman Cole said. "They will engage scholars, students and the general public in reflecting on the traditions and ideals that shape our culture and give meaning to our lives. Without the energizing force of the humanities, we cannot understand the world in which we live. The films, museum exhibitions, library programs, preservation projects and classroom activities we are funding today will provide a richer cultural world for all Americans."

A state-by-state listing of grants is available as an Adobe PDF file.

Among the projects receiving funding are:

• preservation of collections at small and medium-sized museums, historic sites and archives throughout the U.S.
• film documentaries on Willa Cather, Annie Oakley, Woody Guthrie, Henry Luce, Gilbert and Sullivan, the history of public health in the U.S., American Jewish history, the history of writing, and the role of the prison in American history.
• radio programs on the impact of the Korean War.
• museum exhibitions on the Vietnam War, American rural life, the early history of flight in America, the northern forest cultures of New England and New York, Oklahoma's Native American history, the stone age, and a rare medieval illuminated Bible.
• library programs on the family, the Lewis and Clark expedition, the 1960s, and Lincoln's role in the emancipation of the slaves during the Civil War.

Programs and number of projects funded this round are:

Public programs (73): $11,475,000

• film documentaries and radio programs (30): $5,587,000
• exhibitions (30): $3,747,000
• special projects (web, community, and other projects) (7): $1,081,000
• library programs (6): $1,060,000

Education programs (85): $8,034,000

K-12 education

• summer study programs for school teachers (30): $3,753,000
• K-12 curriculum development projects (6): $147,000
• scholar-in-residence consultation grants (2): $20,000

Higher education

• summer study programs for higher education faculty (29): $3,678,000
• higher education curriculum development projects (18): $436,000

Preservation and access (146): $618,000

• preservation assistance (146): $618,000

Research programs (20): $480,000

• faculty research at minority-oriented colleges and universities (20): $480,000

NEH grants are awarded on a competitive basis. Throughout the year, humanities experts outside of the Endowment assess all applications and judge the quality and significance of each proposed project.

• summer study opportunities for both K-12 teachers and college professors.
• curriculum development projects in the humanities at all levels, K-16.