Research Support

Each spring, supported by our partners in the Syracuse University Office of Research, Syracuse University Libraries, and the Syracuse University Bookstore, the Humanities Center showcases books published by Syracuse University authors in the previous year. Complete the book survey at our Forms page, to submit your information.

• The Syracuse University Humanities Center offers four Faculty Fellowships each year (3 for A&S faculty; 1 for Maxwell faculty) encouraging humanities research.
• Lender Center Fellowships support a two-year research agenda to critically and creatively explore contemporary social issues, develop innovative approaches to these problems, and implement useful and sustainable initiatives.
• SU Libraries Special Collections Resource Center Faculty Fellowships support innovative curriculum development and ideas for transforming the role of special collections in university instruction.
• Syracuse University Art Museum and Renée Crown University Honors Program offers a Faculty Fellows Program; check their Opportunities page each spring for updates.
• Engaged Humanities Network (EHN) initiatives support collaborative research through a summer fellowship program that pairs faculty, graduate, and undergraduate researchers with humanities partners in community museums, cultural centers, historical societies, research centers, etc. Download the AY23 Mini Grant call for proposals.
• Maxwell's Autonomous Systems Policy Institute (ASPI) invites fellowship applications from faculty across campus interested in exploring emerging technologies from socio-historical, cultural-humanistic, political-economic, conceptual-philosophical, aesthetic-creative, or legal-ethical perspectives.

• Syracuse University Humanities Center funding opportunities:
  • Apply for funds to host renowned humanities scholars in residence via our Jeannette K. Watson Distinguished Visiting Professorship in the Humanities and the Corridor’s Distinguished Visiting Collaborator opportunity
  • Apply for funds to support public-facing humanities lectures, performances and workshops via Syracuse Symposium: calls for proposals typically launch in November, with an early March deadline
  • Modest support is available for humanities programming, workshops, book talks, and more via our rolling co-sponsorship funds: apply on our Forms page
  • Central New York Humanities Corridor, an 11-institution regional research consortium housed at the Syracuse University Humanities Center, reviews funding proposals each spring for faculty-driven collaborative activities
• CUSE Grant Program (currently paused) at the Office of Research offers seed funding for faculty to build interdisciplinary teams, preliminary data, and/or to seek extramural funding to advance a research project
• The College of Arts and Sciences’ Humanities Council solicits proposals for annual Ray Smith Symposium funding (open to Arts and Sciences and Maxwell faculty only)

• Office of Research includes:
  • Proposal Support Services to help develop grant, fellowship, and funding proposals, plus many workshops and trainings
  • Office of Sponsored Programs to ensure that applications comply with an external sponsor’s requirements and award conditions
  • SOURCE, which supports faculty working with undergraduate research assistants
• Syracuse University Corporate and Foundation Relations facilitates fund-seeking from humanities foundations
• National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity provides individuals from Syracuse University (as a member institution) with a free personal account to access its full range of services and resource library
• Syracuse University Libraries Research Guides include:
  • Arts and Humanities funding directories
  • Digital Humanities resources
  • The Humanities Center’s Books in the Humanities annual showcase of SU authors
  • Open Access publishing support: Open Scholarship Librarian Dylan Mohr

Browse helpful resources discussed and shared during our most recent "Open Access Book Publishing" info session (Dec. 14, 2023).

Contact Dylan Mohr, Open Scholarship Librarian at Syracuse University Libraries with your questions.

The Judith C. and Eric Mower Faculty Commons features 5,000 square feet of welcoming space accessible to faculty with RFID-enabled ID cards. Located in Bird Library Room 548, the area can accommodate a variety of seating for independent work, casual gatherings or structured meetings with colleagues. Consult the Library's scheduling page for more info.

Many schools and colleges offer internal research funding and have staff on hand to support research development activities.

• In The College of Arts and Sciences...
  • The Manuscript Development Workshop enables full-time, tenure-track or tenured members of the Syracuse University College of Arts & Sciences who are close to completing a book-length manuscript to benefit from a virtual discussion of the project by three senior, external scholars in their field. The visiting scholars, selected by the Syracuse University faculty member, receive an honorarium of $1000 in return for a commitment to read and comment on the manuscript. Piloted in 2020-21 with generous support from the Humanities Center, the program is anticipated to continue in the future.
  • Book Subvention: CAS provides modest subvention towards almost all upcoming books Generally, the subvention funds indexing and rights acquisition. Standard subventions range up to $1,500. Because funds are limited, faculty are encouraged to use their research bourses. Please reach out to srworkma@syr.edu.
  • Contact Sarah Workman, Assistant Director, Research Development (Humanities)
• In the Falk College of Sport & Human Dynamics...
  • Tenure-Track Assistant Professors are eligible to apply for Seed Grants. In collaboration with the Dean’s Office, the Research Center awards seed grants to tenure-track assistant professors annually. These are competitive, peer reviewed and intended to assist tenure-track junior faculty with completing preparatory work for research projects that have a high likelihood to secure external funding.
  • Contact Elizabeth Lance, Falk Director of Research
• In The School of Information Studies...
  • Contact Meghan Macblane, Director of Grant Development, School of Information Studies
• In The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs...
  • The Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration (PARCC) offers $500 - $2000 PARCC Mini-Grants to faculty of all ranks across the University to support research activities in PARCC's areas of focus: International and Interstate Conflicts, Environmental Collaboration, Collaborative Governance, and Advocacy and Activism. The awards selection is based on potential contribution to scholarship, possibility of future funding, consistency with the goals of PARCC, and cost-effectiveness.
  • Launched in 2014, the Tenth Decade Project is a ten-year initiative that aims to focus attention on and celebrate the centennial of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs in 2024. Grant funding associated with the Tenth Decade Project operationalizes a defined goal of the Maxwell Academic Strategic Plan to “promote research involving faculty on innovative, high impact projects, applying social science methods and data analysis to address grand, global challenges such as democracy and civic engagement, inequality, urban poverty and development, governance and security, environmental change, and health policy.” Call for Proposals
  • The Appleby-Mosher Fund for Faculty Research provides grants of up to $1500 to tenure-track and tenured faculty for research-related expenses such as project initiation (particularly acquisition of materials including data sets), travel to perform research, and conference travel. Call for Proposals
  • Each spring, the Dean’s Office solicits applications for the Summer Project Assistantship Program from Maxwell faculty members for funds to support a graduate assistant for the purpose of developing a research proposal during the following summer session. Successful faculty applicants will receive funding for the graduate assistant of their choice, must provide a progress report describing work accomplished, and should subsequently submit a related proposal to an external funder. Call for Proposals
  • Please refer to the Maxwell Research Support Services homepage on Answers, which provides faculty, student, and staff resources for identifying internal and external funding sources, writing and submitting grant applications, and managing awards.
  • Contact Jill Ferguson, Director of Research Development, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
• In The Newhouse School of Public Communications...
  • The Internal Grant Program offers a catalyst grant, external resubmission grant and bridge grants to faculty at funding levels between $500-$4000, depending on the grant type and faculty rank. Grants are open to tenure track and tenured faculty as well as professors of practice and Ph.D. students in Newhouse.
  • Contact Kristen Northrop, Assistant Director, Research and Creative Activity, Newhouse School of Public Communications
• In the College of Visual and Performing Arts...
  • Research and Creative Grants are intended to facilitate the growth of research and creative work in the College of Visual and Performing Arts that might attract external funding. All tenured, tenure-track, and non-tenure-track faculty who are full time in VPA are encouraged to apply for small scale grants between $1000 - $5000. In previous years, the Request for Proposals opens in early fall with a deadline of early October.
  • Contact Elisa Macedo Dekaney, Associate Dean of Research, Graduate Studies & Internationalization
  • Please visit the VPA Grant & Funding Opportunities page on Answers for additional resources.
• In the School of Architecture...
  • Contact Eliana Abu-Hamdi, in a newly-created role of Associate Dean for Research, to discuss interdisciplinary funding opportunities, which may span architecture, visual arts, urban studies, history of architecture, design, cultural studies, geography, women’s and gender studies, etc.
• Undergraduates can reach out to Melissa Welshans, Assistant Director, Center for Fellowship and Scholarship Advising (CFSA).
• Graduate students can reach out to Dan Olson-Bang, Director, Professional and Career Development, Office of Graduate Professional and Career Development.

The Office of Proposal Support Services in the Office of Research can assist faculty with funding opportunity searches or proposal development support. Fill out the online inquiry form to request a consultation.

• The Syracuse University Humanities Center offers two Dissertation Fellowships annually for students completing PhDs in ENG, REL, PHIL, and CCR
• The Humanities Center and CNY Humanities Corridor partner with Humanities New York to offer Public Humanities mini-grants (formerly HNY Public Humanities Graduate Fellowships)
• The College of Arts & Sciences houses the Engaged Humanities Network (EHN) whose initiatives include a summer fellowship program that pairs faculty, graduate, and undergraduate researchers with humanities partners in community museums, cultural centers, historical societies, research centers, etc.
• The Syracuse University Art Museum offers graduate student internships
• Syracuse University Humanities Graduate Mentoring Program facilitates connections between current humanities graduate students, SU graduate alumni, and humanities Ph.D.-holders working in the Syracuse area to highlight varied career paths that can be pursued with a humanities Ph.D.
• Office of Graduate Professional and Career Development supports students at every stage of their graduate and postdoctoral programs at Syracuse University
• Center for Fellowship and Scholarship Advising collects information about nationally competitive fellowship and scholarship opportunities; helps students identify scholarship opportunities appropriate to their interests and backgrounds; and assists them through all stages of the application process
• Writing Center/Graduate Editing Center consults graduate students in any stage of the writing process, with free editing and proofreading available

• National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity provides individuals from Syracuse University (as a member institution) with a free personal account to access its full range of services and resource library
• Imagine PhD is a free career exploration and planning tool for Ph.D. students and postdoctoral scholars in the humanities and social sciences
• Beyond the Professoriate helps grad students and Ph.D.s translate their education into meaningful careers in academia or beyond, offering 1:1 coaching, support for grant and fellowship applications, and consultations for writing resumes and academic job market documents
• Next Generation Dissertations, housed within Humanities Commons, offers examples and guidance on creative, revolutionary approaches to doctoral projects in the humanities.

• National Endowment for the Humanities offers a range of funding, including numerous Fellowships via their Research Division, diverse Grants and a library of virtual NEH grant/funding workshops
• American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) offers fellowships and resources
• Andrew W. Mellon Foundation awards grants in areas of Higher Learning; Arts and Culture; Public Knowledge; and Humanities in Place. As with many private foundations, faculty interested in pursuing Mellon opportunities should work with Syracuse University Corporate and Foundation Relations.
• Folger Institute fosters advanced research in the early modern humanities through its Shakespeare Library (Syracuse University is a member institution)
• Hall Center for the Humanities maintains a nationwide list of funding and fellowship opportunities for faculty and grad students
• Humanities New York offers community engagement and other grants
• Annual Grants Calendar in the Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences published by Hanover Research

• Alliance of Digital Humanities Organizations (ADHO) supports digital research and teaching across all arts and humanities disciplines
• Digital Humanities Now showcases an experimental collection of informally published digital humanities scholarship
• National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)’s Office of Digital Humanities offers funding for DH institutes
• NYU’s Center for Critical Race and Digital Studies offers many resources, including a syllabus
• Syracuse University’s Digital Humanities resources page updates tools and info from the field

• CNY Humanities Corridor, one of the nation’s first multi-institutional humanities research consortia, inspired similar multi-institutional programs such as Humanities Without Walls and the New England Humanities Consortium
• New Directions in the Humanities Research Network develops innovative practices within humanities traditions via conferences, journal and book submissions, and other practical engagement opportunities
• National Endowment for the Humanities’ Collaborative Research Grants initiative offers significant funding for projects with tangible, sustainable outcomes
• Consortium of Humanities Centers and Institutes (CHCI) provides advocacy and networking via funding programs and annual international conference

• National Humanities Alliance advocates for the humanities on campuses, in communities, and on Capitol Hill
• 4Humanities focuses on the international digital humanities community
• Federation of State Humanities Councils provides leadership, advocacy, and a national conference for its member organizations across the states
• Humanities New York supports use of the humanities in programs and activities that address social and cultural concerns across the state
• Humanities for All showcases thousands of examples of publicly engaged humanities work at colleges and universities across the United States
• Humanities Indicators provides tools and information for researchers and policymakers addressing concerns in various fields
• MLA Commons provides open access scholarship and teaching materials

As noted at the top of this page...

The Engaged Humanities Network (EHN) is committed to the pursuit of more inclusive, interconnected, and just communities and institutions. Toward these ends, the network seeds, supports, and fosters exchanges across publicly engaged research, teaching, and creative projects.

Learn more about ENH's Environmental Storytelling Central New York collaboration with SUNY-ESF's Writing, Rhetoric, and Communications Program.

• Coalition of Museums and Arts Centers (CMAC), the administrative home for several campus galleries included below, celebrates and explores the visual and electronic arts through exhibitions, publications, public presentations, education, and scholarship
• Community Folk Art Center develops and promotes creative artists of the African Diaspora
• La Casita Cultural Center advances civic engagement through education, research, cultural heritage preservation, media, and the arts
• Light Work/Community Darkrooms supports emerging and under-represented artists through residencies, publications, exhibitions, a community-access digital lab facility, and other projects
• Mary Ann Shaw Center for Public and Community Service provides institutional leadership for experiential learning through community engagement
• Photography and Literacy (PAL) Project connects SU students with Syracuse City Schools students to develop photography, video, audio recording and writing projects
• Point of Contact Gallery celebrates diversity and the exchange of ideas through the verbal and visual arts
• Skä·noñh-Great Law of Peace Center shares histories of the native peoples of central New York, told through the lens of the Onondaga Nation, the spiritual and political center of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy
• Special Collections Research Center collects and preserves rare books, manuscripts, and other primary source materials for learning and research
• Syracuse University Art Museum is a teaching space that acquires and preserves important works to serve as a museum-laboratory for exploration, experimentation, and discussion
• Syracuse University Office of Community Engagement provides students, faculty and staff with authentic engagement opportunities that allow them to interact with the world around them
• Urban Video Project curates outdoor public presentations of film, video, and moving image arts, in partnership with the Everson Museum of Art and Onondaga County

More than one-third of humanities PhDs pursue a career beyond the college classroom over their lifetime. Public Pathways: Lessons about PhD Careers from 10 Years of Mellon/ACLS Public Fellows provides insights into some of those career paths through the lens of the Mellon/ACLS Public Fellows Program (2011–2022)—a postdoctoral fellowship that placed nearly 200 humanities and interpretive social sciences PhDs in two-year positions in a variety of government and nonprofit organizations across the United States.