To help guide your thinking and writing, see “8 Questions to Ask Yourself before Writing a Research Proposal”
What is the review criteria for this application?
Each application will be rated on the following four criteria: 1) intellectual significance to the humanities; 2) creative or interdisciplinary approaches; 3) clarity of expression; and 4) project feasibility.
What is the project period for the seed grant program?
Grants with fall deadlines are funded for the calendar year (January 1-December 31). Grants with spring deadlines are funded for the fiscal year (July 1-June 30). Funds are transferred at the start of the funding cycle.
What resources are available to me to help me with my application?
The HI Leadership Team is available for 1-on-1 consultations to give feedback before application submission. Contact humanitiesinstitute@asu.edu, or Ron Broglio ron.broglio@asu.edu and Curtis Austin Curtis.Austin@asu.edu to schedule a consultation, and please provide a draft two to three days before your consultation meeting.
Additionally, we can offer you three recent sample proposals to review. They are:
Is it possible to apply for both individual and team grants during the same cycle?
It is not explicitly stated that you cannot apply for both, however, it would be unlikely that we would fund more than one project. Our recommendation is to consider which project is stronger, and submit that project’s proposal. You can also consider a phased approach to your projects, and submit each project application to a unique funding cycle.
Who can help me with identifying and applying for external funding?
You can find a regularly updated list of grants and fellowships for humanities-based research and projects at https://humanitiesinstitute.asu.edu/grants-awards/funding. In addition, if you want help identifying a specific opportunity or focusing your research for a specific category of funding, you can visit with our Research Advancement Administrator Courtney Berg at Courtney.Wallen@asu.edu.
Can you explain the concept of humanities methodology and what this means in the context of this application?
The NEH states that a project that engages with humanities methodologies should “reflect on diverse heritage, traditions, and history as it relates to current conditions of national life.” This definition is a great starting point. Humanities projects have a significant historical perspective or engage with theoretical conversations that involve the humanities. In your project description this may involve citing theorists and scholars that are involved in humanities work, or explaining archival work.
Note that humanities work at ASU involves individuals from many different backgrounds and disciplines. You don’t have to be in a humanities discipline to apply for funding, but your project must have a humanities focus. Take what you know, and apply a humanities lens to that work.
Consider how the study of the humanities is incorporated into your project, and why that humanities perspective is important.
What is more important? Interdisciplinarity or significance to the humanities?
It is crucial that your project engage with a humanities discipline. However, if the project is interdisciplinary, that should be described well in your application.
Note that even if your project is not engaging with a discipline outside of the humanities, your project should consider different humanities disciplines and contexts.
What are you looking for in regard to deliverables?
Consider what the concrete goals are that you are reaching towards. We are looking for milestones and tangible goals that you are trying to meet. We hope to see in your project timeline how different milestones will lead to your overall outcome(s).
Note that deliverables must include an outcome that is public-facing, such as an event or an online article.
Can my project involve work on pedagogy?
Seed grant funds can be used for projects that explore and research innovative pedagogy. However, they can not be used to develop programs or curriculum.
Note that in regard to external funding, there are many opportunities that focus on pedagogy, such as the NEH, NIH and some foundations.
What if I’m not sure what the second half of my project period will look like? How do I incorporate this phase of my project into the timeline?
The more developed your project timeline is, the better. This will show us how the funding will be used to further future collaborations and projects.
We recommend you think about the project in phased approaches. In the timeline, you can include future plans beyond the project period, if that will help you provide more information on your intended outcomes. Additionally, try to provide as much detail as possible in the first half of your project, or the project period that you are more certain of. The more detail you can provide, the better. Consider the 8 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Writing a Research Proposal and incorporate your answers somewhere in your proposal.
How should I coordinate my timeline for the seed grant with the timeline for the external grant I am applying for?
Consider where you are currently at in your project’s development. Do you need the year of the seed grant to develop an application or gather the research needed to successfully submit an application for external funding? Or, do you feel that you have the materials and background you need to apply to an external grant at the beginning of your seed grant program cycle? Also consider that sometimes submitting your application early may give you a chance to revise and improve that application to apply again during the next cycle.
Note that we ask that you submit an external grant application within a year after the seed grant period ends. We don’t require that you get funded, only that you apply. We are happy to help seed grant recipients with their external grant proposals. For assistance, please contact our Research Advancement Administrator Courtney Berg at Courtney.Wallen@asu.edu.
How can I partner with organizations when applying for a seed grant or for external funding?
In regard to the seed grant program, partnerships with collaborators outside of ASU generally are with an individual that is part of an organization, not the organization itself. Partnerships do not have to be local to Arizona or the Phoenix area.
In regard to external grants that you apply for as part of your seed grant project, organizations are the vehicle for which funding is provided, even though the project is run by an individual. For example, if you are a faculty member at ASU and you are the project PI, ASU is your organization, even though you as an individual are leading the project.
Where should I list my collaborators in my application?
You can include your collaborators and their relationship to the project in the project description. Alternatively, you can also include them in the ASU Resources Statement, if you want to list these collaborators as resources that will help your project succeed.
What should I include in the bibliography?
The bibliography is optional, but it is an opportunity to cite anything you may reference in your project description and inform the review committee of the knowledge and work that you are building on.