At the heart of academia, humanities faculty conduct vital work, exploring the depths of human experience, history and culture. The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), an independent federal agency established in 1965, stands as a key supporter of these efforts. In April alone, the NEH announced $26.2 million in grants for 238 humanities projects across the country.
As a leading funder of humanities programs, including several recent grants to faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, the NEH plays a pivotal role in bolstering the work of humanities scholars, educators and students. Through grants to cultural institutions, scholars and educational initiatives, NEH promotes research, preserves cultural heritage and fosters lifelong learning.
Claudia Kinkela, senior program officer in the division of research for the NEH, discussed the NEH grant evaluation process during her presentation at the Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel and Conference Center.
The arrival of Claudia Kinkela, senior program officer in the division of research for the NEH, marked a milestone for humanities scholars across Central New York. Sponsored by the CNY Humanities Corridor, the March 1 event at the Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel and Conference Center saw 137 registrants, demonstrating a need and eagerness to hear Kinkela’s insight and guidance on crafting competitive applications for agency funding. Her presentation provided attendees with invaluable knowledge about the NEH evaluation process.
Marcelle Haddix, associate provost for strategic initiatives, gave welcome remarks and noted the significance of the event, stating, “This was such an important opportunity for all in the humanities and beyond. We will continue to elevate the importance of the work being done across our corridor community.”
As part of the visit, Kinkela engaged in one-on-one afternoon consultations for individuals with existing projects under development.
“Having the opportunity to engage with Claudia Kinkela one-on-one was incredibly valuable,” says Roger Hallas, associate professor of English. “Her personalized feedback has not only helped me refine our NEH proposal but also provided me with a deeper understanding of the overall landscape of public funding for the humanities.”
Hailing from 22 regional institutions, the gathering included registrants not only from institutions of higher education, but also representatives from local nonprofit organizations including the Cayuga Museum of History and Art, the Erie Canal Museum and New York Folklore. All 11 corridor institutions were in attendance, signaling a unified interest and commitment to advancing the humanities together. Academic institutions within the corridor include Syracuse University, Cornell University, the University of Rochester, Colgate University, Hamilton College, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Skidmore College, St. Lawrence University, Union College, Le Moyne College, and the Rochester Institute of Technology. The Syracuse University Office of Research provided additional support for the event.
Instrumental in securing this important senior NEH officer site visit was Sarah Workman, associate director for research development in the humanities at Syracuse University. Together with her corridor colleagues, including Aimee Germain, program manager for the CNY Humanities Corridor and Vivian May, professor and director of the Syracuse University Humanities Center, Workman led the development of the event’s robust programming and brought the event to fruition.
“We were delighted to host Claudia Kinkela, who so generously shared many important insights during her visit. The breadth of regional engagement was impressive and represents a thriving scholarly community across the consortium. The NEH site visit will continue to have a positive impact for humanists in the Corridor and beyond,” remarked Vivian May. “The work of the HF4: Corridor Futures & Initiatives Working Group, comprised of the three directors plus Aimee and Sarah, is part of the infrastructure behind these research support offerings designed to enhance research community and deepen scholarly engagement across the region. ”
The morning commenced with an informal meet-and-greet over breakfast, setting a collaborative tone for the day ahead. Kinkela led workshop sessions offering a comprehensive overview of NEH programs, special initiatives and grant opportunities tailored to faculty.
A highlight of the event was a mock peer review panel moderated by Kinkela, which clarified proposal evaluation criteria. Panelists included Romita Ray, associate professor and director of undergraduate studies in art history at Syracuse University; Cherilyn Lacy, professor of history and assistant dean of faculty at Hartwick College; and Celeste Day Moore, associate professor of history at Hamilton College, all previous NEH fellowship recipients.
Attendees also received an NEH information sheet with practical tips for successful grant submissions. They advised attendees to: carefully review the entire application guidelines and rubrics before beginning the application; tailor each application to the appropriate audience; outline methods, sources, work plan, and timeline; anticipate readers’ questions and preemptively address them.
“The National Endowment for the Humanities fosters excellence and reinforces the foundational aspects the humanities scholarship and education,” says Duncan Brown, Syracuse University’s vice president for research. “We are immensely grateful to the NEH for their support of the corridor and Claudia Kinkela’s visit.”
Mariaelena Huambachano was recently awarded a highly competitive 2024 NEH Summer Stipend—the first awarded to an A&S faculty member since 2017—for her project Seeding Hope: Indigenous Women’s Roles in Transforming Food Systems. Huambachano, an assistant professor, will conduct ethnographic research for a book exploring how the food knowledge of Indigenous women of Peru and the U.S. thrive within the industrial food system.
Johannes Himmelreich, assistant professor of public administration and international affairs in the Maxwell School, received funding (2024) from the NEH grant program, Dangers and Opportunities of Technology: Perspectives from the Humanities, for his project, Good Decisions: Data Science as a Moral Practice to examine the relationship between technology and society through a humanities lens.
Chris DeCorse, Distinguished Professor and chair of anthropology in the Maxwell School, received an Archeological and Ethnographic Field Research grant for his project, Outpost of Empire: Kormantine, the slave trade, and England’s first outpost in Africa, to support archeological research of Kormantine Fort (1631-1665), located in modern-day Ghana.
Other A&S | Maxwell humanities faculty recipients of grants from NEH include: Romita Ray, associate professor of art and music histories (2021). She received a prestigious collaborative research grant to Convene Leading Scholars for an International Research Workshop and Symposium on the historic architecture, collections and gardens of the iconic Victoria Memorial Hall in Calcutta; and Yüksel Sezgin (2019), associate professor of political science in the Maxwell School, who received a fellowship to study democratization of Islamic laws.
The CNY Humanities Corridor also convened a lively roundtable discussion attended by more than 100 people and featuring guests from MIT Press, University of California Press, University of Michigan Press and Syracuse University in December. View the recording of this timely topic here.
The NEH visit complemented another CNY Humanities Corridor event last fall, which was designed to facilitate writing for humanities faculty.
This annual retreat, in its third year, provides faculty with the time and space they need to focus on their writing and offers important opportunities to connect with scholars from across the corridor. The retreat takes place at Minnowbrook Conference Center on Blue Mountain Lake in the Adirondack Mountains, providing scholars a respite from the rigors of teaching and time away from their regular academic routines. Each year, attendees make meaningful progress on their projects thanks to the supportive community, nourishing meals and invigorating intellectual exchanges flourishing in this beautiful, natural setting.
This year, writing coaches offered the cohort of 35 an array of optional workshops, group writing sessions and one-on-one consultations for writers to check in on specific projects and issues, including how to make their writing process more sustainable and fulfilling.
“Time is what faculty have been asking for, and time is what faculty need in order to progress in their research,” shared Aimee Germain, program manager for the CNY Humanities Corridor, in a descriptive blogpost. “A few days at Minnowbrook can help people settle into their writing and feel a sense of camaraderie with colleagues across the region. This is especially valuable in midst of a busy fall semester.”
The cohort for the October 2024 retreat is full, but applications for 2025 will open this fall.
