Curriculum Development: Western Civilization

The Curriculum Development: Western Civilization program is administered by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), specifically through its Division of Lifelong Learning. NEH is a federal agency established to support research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. This funding opportunity is designed to strengthen the teaching and study of the humanities at accredited institutions of higher education by supporting the development or enhancement of curricula and academic programs. The initiative reflects NEH’s broader mission to promote understanding of human culture, history, and ideas, with a specific emphasis for this cycle on Western civilization and related subject areas. The purpose of this grant program is to support projects that focus on Western civilization, American history, American government and civics, and the Great Books tradition. Applicants are encouraged to propose projects that explore these themes through humanities scholarship and interdisciplinary approaches. Projects may involve undergraduate or graduate education and can include curriculum development, course creation, faculty training, and partnerships with cultural institutions. The program supports a wide range of outputs such as new or revised courses, academic programs, teaching materials, faculty development initiatives, and collaborative partnerships. Funding under this opportunity is provided in the form of grants, with applicants eligible to request up to 750000 dollars per award. NEH anticipates awarding approximately 7000000 dollars in total funding across about 10 grants. The period of performance can range from one to three years, with projects required to begin between March 1, 2027, and June 1, 2027. Notably, this program does not require cost sharing or matching funds, and awards are provided as outright funding. However, strict funding restrictions apply, including prohibitions on activities such as lobbying, promotion of political or ideological viewpoints, DEI initiatives, tuition support, and research unrelated to humanities teaching. Eligibility is limited to accredited U.S. public or nonprofit institutions of higher education. Foreign institutions, individuals, for-profit entities, and federal agencies are not eligible. Applicants must demonstrate substantive institutional involvement and cannot act solely as fiscal agents. The application process requires submission through Grants.gov and includes multiple components such as a narrative proposal, work plan, resumes, reading list, letters of support, and budget documentation. The narrative must address intellectual rationale, project design, team qualifications, institutional support, and anticipated impact. Applications are evaluated through a peer review process based on three primary criteria: intellectual quality and significance, program design and feasibility, and overall impact. Reviewers assess the strength of the humanities content, the feasibility of the project plan, the qualifications of the project team, and the potential for improving humanities teaching and learning. NEH program officers and the National Council on the Humanities further review applications before final funding decisions are made by the NEH Chairman. The application deadline for this funding opportunity is June 25, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Applicants can expect award announcements in December 2026, with award documents issued beginning in January 2027. NEH provides programmatic and administrative support through its Division of Lifelong Learning and Office of Grant Management, with contact available via email at learning@neh.gov. This program is part of NEH’s ongoing efforts to enhance humanities education nationwide and is expected to recur annually based on historical patterns and federal funding cycles.

Align proposal strongly with humanities scholarship and clearly demonstrate impact on teaching; ensure detailed work plan and qualified project team; avoid restricted activities such as policy advocacy or non-humanities research