Sponsorship and Funding Opportunities
Applications are open for the 2026-2027 academic year.
The Humanities Collaborative is pleased to support research and creative activities in the arts and humanities, including visiting speakers, events, and experiential learning opportunities for faculty, staff, and students at the University of South Carolina. Funds can cover a variety of project expenses and materials, such as: speaker honoraria and travel costs, rental and equipment fees, books, printing, and university-approved food and faculty meals with guests.
Tenure-track and non-tenure track faculty and staff at USC-Columbia are eligible to request funding. Requests will be accepted throughout the year, pending availability of funds. Applicants are encouraged to submit requests at least two months in advance of event. Decisions make take up to two weeks, and are based on need and merit in supporting the mission of the Humanities Collaborative.
Apply Here: USC Humanities Collaborative Sponsorship Request Form
Faculty Fellows Program
Applications are closed for the 2026-2027 academic year. New applications will be accepted in Spring 2027.
The USC Humanities Collaborative sponsors two internal faculty fellowship programs to support researchers who are producing innovative and impactful humanities scholarship. Faculty Fellows attend a monthly colloquium and writing retreat, and each are asked to make an intellectual contribution to the Humanities Collaborative (such as giving a research presentation, facilitating a book discussion, or organizing a workshop).
- Faculty Research Fellowships provide tenured faculty with dedicated time through one course release to advance their research and writing on a major project.
- First Book Research Fellowships provide tenure-track faculty with ongoing mentorship and the opportunity to workshop their first book manuscript on campus with colleagues and invited experts in their field.
Applicants will be required to submit a project narrative, curriculum vitae, and a letter of support from the department chair.
Research and Creative Working Groups
Applications are closed for the 2026-2027 academic year. New applications will be accepted April 1, 2027.
Each year, the Humanities Collaborative will fund a number of working groups that bring USC faculty and graduate students together to focus on a variety of interdisciplinary topics and intellectual questions related to the arts and humanities. Participants initiate public, critical, creative, or digital humanities projects, pursue grant funding, and sponsor programming that serves the entire campus and communities across the state.
Tenure-track and non-tenure track faculty at USC-Columbia are eligible to propose and lead groups. Funding is available up to $3,000, contingent on proposed programming and planned outcomes.
Your proposal should include a short description of your proposed group, including names and affiliations of all members, schedule, rationale, and goal, as well as the humanities programming that you plan to develop or sponsor. Budget projections will determine the level of funding, so these should be as detailed as possible. Please indicate how your group meets (or proposes to meet) the criteria included above.
Groups should meet the following criteria:
- include at least five faculty and/or graduate student members;
- include faculty members from two or more departments/units (including system campuses);
- plan at least one open/public event that involves the campus-wide community;
- include graduate or undergraduate students and/or the general public;
- allow for a critical engagement with or expansion of the humanities as it might be traditionally understood.
Apply Here: USC Humanities Collaborative Research and Creative Working Groups Application
Museum Learning Program
Applications are closed for Fall 2026. New applications for Spring 2027 will be accepted December 1, 2026.
The Humanities Collaborative has partnered with the Columbia Museum of Art and the South Carolina State Museum for a program that encourages faculty to use materials from the collections in their classes during the academic year. Students will have access to the selected museum for a year, so this program ideally seeks to introduce students to the materials in a way that will carry beyond a particular tour, project, or course. It is our hope that such a program will demonstrate how learning extends to beyond the classroom experiences, and will help the University of South Carolina forge closer bonds with the broader Columbia community.
Tenure-track and non-tenure track faculty at USC-Columbia are eligible to apply for the Museum Learning Program. Applicants will be asked to submit a proposal that explains how their course will use CMA or SCSM collections, along with projected course enrollment.
David R. Chesnutt Digital Humanities Graduate Student Scholarship
Applications are closed for Fall 2026. New applications will be accepted in Spring 2027.
The David R. Chesnutt Scholarship Fund supports USC student research in Digital Humanities by sponsoring the cost of attendance for workshops, conferences, and other academic activities. Applicants will be required to submit a statement of interest, curriculum vitae, and a letter of support from the department chair.
Additional Opportunities
Throughout the year, the Humanities Collaborative hosts seminar series, book discussions, digital humanities workshops, and new faculty publication celebrations. If you have a suggestion for a speaker or colloquium idea, please email us.