Call for Proposals

The Academic Year AY27 Grant Cycle
Fall 2026/Spring 2027

Grant Theme for AY27 – “Uncontested Stories”

Declaration of Independence during a period of heightened political and cultural conflict, stories remain a battleground in which the work of the humanities remains front and center. Political pressure, austerity, and the ongoing transformations of algorithmic and generative machine-learning processes appear to figure the traditional humanities work of scholarship and teaching in the academy as somehow both irrelevant and yet dangerous at the same time, even as museums, interpretive sites, and public programs have become scenes of escalated confrontation. Narratographic questions of representation and interpretation have never been more important, as have questions of dialogue, negotiation, and reconciliation.

This year’s initiative of the Interdisciplinary Humanities Research Center aims to provide conceptual space and resources for faculty at the University of Delaware to examine stories of the past and present, and explore creative new stories that imagine different possibilities for the future. We welcome proposals for both the redesign of previously taught courses and the development of new courses, especially those which work across disciplines and departments. Proposals from all disciplines, not limited to the humanities, will be considered as long as they engage the humanities in its content, methods, and outcomes.

The AY27 Grant Cycle – We welcome proposals for both the redesign of previously taught courses and the development of new courses. Proposals from all disciplines, not limited to the humanities, will be considered as long as they engage the humanities in its content, methods and outcomes.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: January 6, 2026

AWARD NOTIFICATION: February 6, 2026

Faculty awarded IHRC grants are expected to avail themselves of CTAL resources throughout the process. CTAL can review pre-submitted applications. The IHRC encourages all faculty to discuss curricular design goals before submitting a grant application. Please contact the IHRC for more information on our collaboration with CTAL.

Mission
The mission of the College of Arts and Sciences’ Interdisciplinary Humanities Research Center (IHRC) is to: 1) strengthen faculty research and creative activity while also enhancing its integration into the curriculum; 2) support initiatives involving multidisciplinary research teams, both within the university as well as with external partners; and 3) foster intellectual community and public engagement.

The IHRC has been an incubator for curriculum innovation and public humanities outreach since its establishment in 2009, providing seed grants to support interdisciplinary team-teaching as well as collaborative projects resulting in the establishment of new undergraduate minors (e.g., Environmental Humanities, Game Studies, the re-design of the Disability Studies minor), and inter-arts collaborations resulting in performances and exhibitions as well as scholarship and K12 outreach.

• IHRC Grant Reporting Guidelines
• See a sample copy of an IHRC Grant Report – Wilmington Archives Project.
• See a sample copy of an IHRC Grant Report – Teaching African American Material Culture with Digital Humanities.