Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere

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A. Description

The Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere (CHPS), with the support of the Margaret and Robert Rothman Endowment for the Humanities, is awarding teams of UF and Community partners grants up to $4,000 to support public programs in the humanities. This grant encourages on- and off-campus individuals, groups, or organizations to collaborate in creating and implementing humanities programming beyond the UF campus. Projects should attempt to understand, evaluate, and communicate human experiences, values, and aspirations in order to improve the human condition.

B. Eligibility

Proposals should be submitted by collaborators or teams consisting of at least one member of UF and one community member or organization to realize a humanistic event, activity, or program. UF partners may be current undergraduate or graduate students, staff, or faculty (excluding courtesy faculty). Courtesy faculty can be part of the grant application but not the PI for UF. UF partners must have permission from an administrative unit on campus (such as their center, department, or school) to accept and administer the grant funds if awarded and be at UF during the time of the proposed activities. Applicants may submit only one application per grant cycle.

C. Activities

Proposed activities must be scheduled between May 1, 2025 and April 30, 2026. Funds may be used for costs incurred in purchasing and processing of supplies and materials, related travel expenses and stipends for speakers, space rental or reservation fees, and refreshments. However, funds may not be used for gifts or prizes, e.g., door prizes, or electronics, e.g., printers, iPads, or scanners. If a project requires electronic hardware, the items must be purchased with the assistance of UF IT and must be retained as the University of Florida property. Similarly, the program may support only those kinds of software purchases that have been approved by UF software risk assessment. CHPS is happy to assist in either of those processes. Projects can be housed financially with a UF unit, or a community member or organization can set up an ID in the UF Supplier Portal to receive the funds. We recommend a consultation with humanities center before applying to clarify the best way to access the funds. Proposed activities may include physical or virtual activities such as but not limited to:

• an off-campus speaker series and/or workshop open to the public
• a physical or online exhibit or presentation that addresses a humanities topic
• moderated panels that discuss a public performance, exhibit, or literary work
• the creation of documentary films or other products that are relevant to the humanities

Events must be free and open to the public. Funds should not support existing recurring activities. For questions about possible expenses, feel free to inquire with CHPS Director Jaime Ahlberg (jlahlberg@ufl.edu). All research, projects or other activities funded by this program must be consistent with state and federal law, including Fla. Stat. 1004.06 and BOG Regulation 9.016 regarding DEI programing, and Fla. Stat. 1005.08 and BOG Regulation 9.012 regarding foreign activities.

D. Deliverables

Project partners are required to share publicity of activities at minimum two weeks before the events via the CHPS public calendar and newsletter: https://humanities.ufl.edu/news/submit-an-event-to-our-calendar/ Following the funded activities, organizers must supply a brief final report with a budget of expenditures, numbers of audience members, a description of the activities conducted, and a summary of the event evaluation to be eligible for future funding from CHPS. This report must be submitted within one month following the completion of the funded activity in order for applicants to remain eligible for further funding from the Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere. We strongly recommend a meeting with CHPS Director Jaime Ahlberg prior to submitting the application to discuss logistical and programmatic parameters for the grant. Feedback on drafts is possible for applicants who contact the Center early.

APPLICATION

Please provide the following information in the submission portal: https://forms.humanities.ufl.edu/public-humanities/ Once applicants have submitted their proposal, they will receive a confirmation email within 24 hours. If a confirmation email is not received, please contact humanities-center@ufl.edu. We recommend creating a word document of your application materials prior to submission. Applicant information:

• Name of UF Co-applicant, UF Department/School and College, Rank, and Email
• Name of Community Co-applicant, Community Organization, and Email
• Names of Additional Co-applicants, Affiliation, and Email
• Name and Email of UF Applicant’s Chair or Director
• Project Title
• Amount Requested (up to $4,000)
• Abstract (100 words, for a general audience)

Please respond to the following prompts (max. 200 words each):

1. Describe your public humanities project and explain how it will engage the local community.
2. Outline the proposed activities and how they will explore core questions in the humanities.
3. Describe the expected outcomes of the project, including community and/or scholarly impacts.
4. Explain the value of the campus/community partnership in carrying out the proposed work, including short biographies of each grant partner and statements of what each UF and community partner will contribute to the project.

Supporting Materials:

5. DETAILED BUDGET of how award funds will be spent. The budget should include all expenses related to the proposed project and indicate which of these expenses would be met by the Programs in the Public Humanities Grant. Include a statement about how any remaining expenses will be funded. If you are applying for additional funding, explain how you would fund your project, if you do not receive additional funding.
6. TIMELINE of planning and carrying out proposed activities (max 1 page).
7. BUDGET ADMINISTRATION. Indicate whether UF or community organization will manage the grant funds. If UF, please attach an email from the UF partner’s Chair, Director, or Supervisor supporting the proposal and ensuring (1) the availability of the UF partner to undertake the collaboration and (2) the willingness of the unit to accept and administer the grant funds if awarded. If community organization, please indicate if you are a registered UF Supplier.
8. LETTER OF SUPPORT. Include an email or letter from your co-applicant supporting the application.
9. ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS (if applicable):
   • In the case of UF graduate or undergraduate students acting as UF partners, they must include an additional email of support from their adviser (or graduate coordinator if they do not yet have an advisor).
   • Letters or emails of commitment from third-party contributors are welcome.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

The CHPS advisory board will review and evaluate proposals based on the following criteria:

• The significance of the project for the community and its ability to engage members of the public
• The project’s potential to explore core questions in the humanities
• The feasibility of expected outcomes for the community and/or the project’s scholarly impact
• The value of the campus/community partnership to carrying out the proposed work
• The feasibility of the budget
• The feasibility of the timeline

If proposals are of equal quality, applicants who have not previously been funded will be given priority.

OTHER RESOURCES

For examples of previously funded projects, visit our website: https://humanities.ufl.edu/award-recipients/public-humanities-programs/