The Arts, History, Humanities and Culture cluster was created to support HBCUs as they apply for grants, explore career paths in these fields for their students, and serve as a reference for HBCU leadership, faculty, and administrators.
Cluster Mission:
To aid Historically Black Colleges and Universities by:
- Providing technical assistance to HBCUs on developing competitive grant applications.
- Building strong partnerships between the cluster’s federal agencies and HBCU leadership, educators, and students.
- Exploring new ways of improving the relationship between HBCUs and federal agencies through internships, partnerships, programs, and mentoring
- Increasing awareness of career pathways in the arts, humanities, and historic preservation fields.
(left to right) At the 2019 National HBCU Week & Conference, Lopez D. Matthews Jr. with Howard University, Professor Dale Glenwood Green with Morgan State University, and Dr. Carla Jackson Bell with Tuskegee University participate in a panel as part of the Arts, Humanities, and History cluster’s Dream It-Achieve It Federal Cultural Funding Opportunities Symposium. Photo by NEA staff
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Past Activities:
In 2020, the Cluster participated in the virtual National HBCU Week & Conference, offering two sessions: Applying for Success and Discover Your Place in the Creative Economy. You can watch the archived sessions here.
The Cluster also participated in the 2019 conference with a two-day track during the annual HBCU Week Conference, which focused on successful federal grant funding and opportunities for students and HBCUs in the fields of arts, humanities, history, library science, and museums.
Staff from participating agencies speak with representatives from HBCUs about federal funding opportunities at the 2019 National HBCU Week & Conference. Photo by NEA staff
Participating Agencies & Funding Opportunities:
National Endowment for the Arts: Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is an independent federal agency, whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector, the Arts Endowment supports arts learning, affirms and celebrates America’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and extends its work to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America.
National Endowment for the Arts website
Historically Black Colleges and Universities webpage
Grants for Organizations—Opportunities include Grants for Arts Projects, Challenge America, Our Town, and Research Awards. (The Grants for Arts Projects guidelines specifically encourage applications from Historically Black Colleges and Universities.)
Grants for Individuals—Opportunities include Literature Fellowships in creative writing and for translation projects.
Volunteer Internship Opportunities: Undergraduate and graduate students and other volunteers who would like to gain work experience at the National Endowment for the Arts are invited to apply for NEA Internships. Click here for more information.
Contact the National Endowment for the Arts: hbcu@arts.gov
National Endowment for the Humanities: The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is an independent agency created in 1965. It is one of the largest funders of humanities programs in the United State. The agency serves and strengthens our nation by supporting high-quality projects and programs in the humanities by making the humanities available to all Americans. NEH serves and strengthens our republic by promoting excellence in the humanities and conveying the lessons of history to all Americans.
Grant Opportunities:
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) offers a wide variety of grant programs to individuals and organizations in the humanities, including two funding opportunities designed specifically for HBCUs and humanities scholars at historically black colleges and universities:
- NEH Humanities Initiatives at Historically Black Colleges and Universities grants help strengthen the teaching and study of the humanities by supporting the development or enhancement of humanities programs, resources, or courses at HBCUs. Contact hi@neh.gov to speak to an NEH staff member about this grant opportunity.
- NEH Awards for Faculty at Historically Black Colleges and Universities expand humanities research opportunities for individual faculty and staff at HBCUs by providing financial support for scholarly research of value to humanities scholars, students, or general audiences. Contact FacultyAwards@neh.gov to speak to an NEH staff member about this grant opportunity.
For these and other NEH funding opportunities, please consult our complete list of grant programs: https://www.neh.gov/grants/listing.
Internship Opportunities:
NEH offers paid student internships through the Pathways Internship Program. These opportunities are announced on USAJOBS – The Federal Government’s official employment site and through the NEH website at Career Opportunities | The National Endowment for the Humanities (neh.gov).
Contact the National Endowment for the Humanities: question@neh.gov
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation: The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) promotes the preservation, and productive use of our nation’s diverse historic resources, and advises the President and Congress on national historic preservation policy. The ACHP has committed to building a more inclusive national preservation program and to engage youth in historic preservation.
Grant Opportunities:
Internship Opportunities:
Want a great internship in historic preservation or know someone who does? Apply now for ACHP summer internships–deadline February 19, 2021! Interns will work with the Office of Communication, Education, and Outreach or the Office of General Counsel. Projects can be tailored to earn academic credit and a stipend equivalent to $12/hour is provided to help offset expenses. Details at https://www.achp.gov/internships.
Contact the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation: achp@achp.gov
Institute of Museum and Library Services: The mission of the Institute of Museum and Library Services is to advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development.
Grant Opportunities:
Museum Grants for African American History and Culture
Contact the Institute of Museum and Library Services: imlsinfo@imls.gov
Department of Education: The Department of Education promotes student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.
The Library of Congress
The Library of Congress preserves and provides access to a rich, diverse and enduring source of knowledge to engage, inspire, and inform Congress and the American people.
A Federal Agency that is part of the Legislative Branch, the Library of Congress is an unparalleled world resource. The collection of more than 171 million items includes more than 40 million cataloged books and other print materials in 470 languages; more than 74 million manuscripts; the largest rare book collection in North America; and the world’s largest collection of legal materials, films, maps, sheet music and sound recordings. The Library is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office.
Of the People: Widening the Path Opportunities
As part of the Library’s vision to connect all Americans and to empower new generations and diverse audiences to explore its enduring treasury of information, Of the People: Widening the Path enhances and supports diverse and inclusive participation in the creation and perpetuation of the nation’s historical and creative record.
Supported by an institutional grant from the Mellon Foundation, Of the People: Widening the Path promotes outreach, technology innovation, and archives development for, and by, Black, Indigenous, and communities of color historically underrepresented in the United States and in the Library’s collections.
Of the People grant, internship and fellowship opportunities: https://www.loc.gov/programs/of-the-people/apply/
Fellowship, Internship, and Residency Opportunities
Fellowships, internships, and residency opportunities open the doors of America’s library to life-long learners, providing unprecedented access to the Library of Congress’ world-class collections and staff.
View a current list of opportunities here: https://www.loc.gov/internships-and-fellowships/
Career Opportunities
A variety of career opportunities in numerous fields are available throughout the year. A current list of postings is available here: https://www.loc.gov/careers/
Contact the Library of Congress at: ifp@loc.gov