Other Funding Sources

• American Academy of Religion
• Louisville Institute
• Fund For Theological Education – Fundfinder
• Other Agencies with Funding from Lilly Endowment, Inc.
• American Council of Learned Societies – Fellowships and Grants
• Federal Grants
• Foundation Center
• Grant Advisor Plus
• Michigan State Univ.-Grants for Nonprofits: Religion and Social Change
• Middle East Studies Association
• Fulbright Programs
• Duke University
• Studying in Canada

• Institute of Education Sciences (pdf)  
• National Education Association – Grant Programs
• Faculty Study Abroad Coordinators  
• The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
• National Endowment for the Humanities  
• Social Science Research Council  
• Teagle Foundation Grants
• Project Grants for Researchers
• First Book Grants for Scholars of Color

 

The following foundations give large sums of money for projects. Most often these grants go to an institution, but occasionally to an individual (or, if you are thinking of a big project, you may be able to “piggyback” with an institution). There are many of these, but the following are specifically interested in issues of religion.

• Lilly Endowment Inc.
  The Lilly Endowment does not generally make grants to individuals. Most of the grants made by the Lilly Endowment are in response to a Call for Proposals. Institutions such as The Wabash Center and the Louisville Institute are established by the Lilly Endowment as “re-granting institutions” to distribute Lilly funds.
• Ford Foundation
  The broad goals of the Ford Foundation are to build knowledge and strengthen organizations and networks through Asset Building and Community Development, Peace and Social Justice Knowledge, and Creativity and Freedom.
• Luce Foundation
  The Luce Foundation’s Theology program encourages the development of leadership for religious communities through theological education, and fosters scholarship that links the academy to churches and the wider public. The program provides funding for seminary education, leadership, ecumenical and inter-religious programs, and religion and the arts. The Henry Luce III Fellows in Theology program, administered by the Association of Theological Schools, supports innovative research and publication by full-time seminary faculty.
• John Templeton Foundation
  Big money for big projects addressing the Big Questions of human purpose and ultimate reality. Support for dialogue among scientists, philosophers, and theologians, and between such experts and the public at large.
• Pew Charitable Trust
  Makes large grants for large projects to institutions, not to individuals.
• Jessie Ball DuPont Fund
  Grants for religious institutions

These grants are designed to enable faculty to take one or more semesters leave from their institution in order to dedicate that time to research. Some of these grants must be used to extend a sabbatical leave funded by your home institution. Others have requirements as to when your last funded leave was. Many can be combined with other grants. Some can not. Many are unrestricted. These grants do not require residency at a specific location.

• Association of Theological Schools
  The Henry Luce III Fellows in  Theology program is for projects connected with theology. You must be working at an ATS accredited institution.
• Louisville Institute Sabbatical Grants for Researchers
• The Lilly Fellows Program in Humanities and the Arts
  Seeks to renew and enhance the connections between Christianity and the academic vocation at church-related colleges and universities.
• Fund for Theological Education
  FTE has scholarship funds for prospective seminary students and various recruitment seminary initiatives for congregations.
• American Council of Learned Societies Fellowship and Grants
  The mission of the ACLS is “the advancement of humanistic studies in all fields of learning in the humanities and the social sciences.”
• ACLS Charles A. Ryskamp Research Fellowship
  Designed for pre-tenure faculty working on their second project. Provides two semesters leave that can be distributed over three years as well as some travel money and the possibility of an additional summer stipend.
• American Fellowship for Women
  Salary replacement for female faculty.
• American Philosophical Society
  Despite the title, these grants are not just for philosophy but all fields in the humanities. Funding is to extend a one semester leave to a full year.
• Guggenheim Fellowship
  Salary replacement for six months or one year.
• Howard Foundation Fellowship
  This fellowship cycles through different fields every year so only in certain years will it be applicable. It requires that you be nominated by your home institution.
• National Endowment for the Humanities
  Salary replacement for six or nine months. Note: The deadline is very unusual. It is May 1 for a notification date of December for projects that begin the following winter, spring, or fall. This means that most of us will be applying to this grant several months before the other salary replacement grants that normally have an early fall deadline. But it also means that if you have a fall leave coming up you can apply for it twice, that is apply 15 months ahead of your leave and again three months ahead if your institution would allow you to extend your leave on minimal notice. Note that on request the NEH will send you reader reports. This is one of the only opportunities to receive feedback on your proposal and is well worth the application process regardless of whether or not you receive the grant.
• The Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences
• American Academy in Rome
• American Institute of Indian Studies
• American Oriental Society – Jonas C. Greenfield Prize for Younger Semitists
• Bridwell Library – Fellowships for Visiting Scholars and Ministers
• Center for Hellenic Studies
• Gest Fellowship for Study in the Quaker Collection
• The Louise Wallace Hackney Fellowship for the Study of Chinese Art
• Mellon Fellowships for Assistant Professors

This is a selection of grants providing less than $10,000 that are designed for short term projects, or for a discrete section of a larger project, or to reimburse travel/research expenses.

• American Academy of Religion Research Grant
  Funds expenses (and possibly short term salary replacement) for specific research project.
• American Association of University Women Short Term Publication Grant
  Given for eight weeks to be dedicated to bringing a specific publication to completion.
• Franklin Research Grants, American Philosophical Society
  Small grants given for faculty in any field to cover research expenses such as travel, microfilm, and field work.
• Marion and Jasper Whiting Foundation (unable to locate website)
  Pays for faculty to travel to an area not normally associated with their expertise in order to expand their horizons and improve their teaching. Contact: Marion and Jasper Whiting Foundation, Suite 1025, 50 Congress St, Boston, MA 02109.
• National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Stipend
  Gives awards for short-term research projects. Note that you will need institutional nomination. Note that on request the NEH will send you reader reports this is one of the only opportunities to receive feedback on your proposal and is well worth the application process regardless of whether or not you receive the grant.

This is a small selection of the many grants that are available if you are able to reside in a specific locale in order to receive funding. This includes grants to facilitate participation at a humanities institute for a semester or year, research at specific libraries for a period of weeks or months, or residence abroad for the period of the grant.

Some of these grants are designed for salary replacement in order to give or extend a research leave, others simply reimburse travel expenses, some do both.

• The Consortium of Humanities Centers and Institutes
  Provides a list of residency programs.

Some Humanities Institutes

• ACLS Burkhardt Fellowships for Recently Tenured Scholars
  Allows recently tenured faculty to work at their choice of a dozen different humanities institutes in the US and abroad.
• Getty Institute
• National Humanities Center
  For a year at the National Humanities Center in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina
• Princeton Institute for Advanced Studies
• Radcliffe Fellows
  One year fellowship to be spent at Harvard. Cambridge, MA.
• Stanford Humanities Center
  Palo Alto, California. Requires you to share four meals a week with other fellows.
• University of Connecticut Humanities Institute
• Virginia Foundation for the Humanities
• Woodrow Wilson Center
  Projects in any field but need to claim contemporary policy significance. Residency required in Washington, DC.
• Women’s Studies In Religion Program
  Harvard Divinity School offers five residency fellowships every year for projects involving gender and religion.

Some Library Grants

• American Philosophical Society Library
  Stipend for research in the American Philosophical Society Library in Philadelphia.
• Houghton Library
  To fund one month’s research in Harvard’s special collections library.
• Huntington Library
  Stipend for research in the Huntington Library in southern California.
• Kluge Center Fellowship
  Stipend for research in the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
• New York Public Library Fellowships & Institutes
• Newberry Library
  Stipend for research in the Newberry Library in Chicago.
• Princeton University Libraries
  Stipend for research at Princeton, NJ.

Some International Grants

• American Academy in Berlin
• American Academy in Rome
  Field specific to antiquity, middle ages, and Italian history. Must have completed Ph.D. in the last seven years.
• Fulbright Fellowship
  There are almost 1,000 Fulbright Fellowships given to scholars each year. There are many different fellowships so spend some time going through the web site to see what’s best for you.
• Humboldt Research Fellowship
  Over 500 fellowships a year to do research in Germany. The only catch is you can not be over forty years old.
• Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Study Center
  One month stay at Lake Como, Italy, to give you a “nice” environment to do some writing.