OVERVIEW: The Institute for Citizens and Scholars supports higher education, humanities, arts, civic engagement, and democracy in the U.S.
IP TAKE: The Institute for Citizens and Scholars is one of the oldest fellowship-awarding foundations in the country with a long history of supporting humanities, arts education, and civic engagement. It can be a career-making grant. While originally created simply to support the education and employment of college-level faculty after World War II, the foundation now focuses heavily on efforts to promote inclusion and civic engagement in higher education throughout the U.S. While the ICS welcomes applicants with a wide range of research topics, those whose research addresses these issues will fare better with this funder.
ICS is a transparent and accessible funder, but highly competitive. While it does not have a database of past grants, it highlights select fellows and their work through news articles, blog, and press releases. It also accepts applications for the majority of its fellowship programs. Some may have strict eligibility requirements, however, and a few are by invitation only. Grant seekers applying for fellowships are advised to review the eligibility and guidelines carefully to ensure that you and your research are a good fit for ICS funding, as well as have more senior scholars in your field who’ve won similar academic grants to review your proposal.
PROFILE: Established in 1945, the Institute for Citizens and Scholars (ICS) was originally known as the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation and is based in Princeton, New Jersey. The fellowships initially went towards recruiting World War II veterans into teaching at the college level. The foundation was named for the best-known Princeton president, Woodrow Wilson, who introduced college teaching reforms during his time as a U.S. president. ICS later evolved to focus its attention on K-12 and higher education. In 2020, it expanded its mission to include support for civic engagement, civic discourse, and diversity in higher education. ICS aims to “ensure that Americans everywhere are well-informed, productively engaged for the common good and hopeful about democracy.”
Its may be divided into the issue areas of Democracy, Teaching, and Humanities & Social Science Research.
Grants for Higher Education, Humanities Research, Civic Engagement and Democracy
The institute offers the following fellowship opportunities.
Career Enhancement Fellowship: Supports “outstanding junior faculty committed to campus diversity and innovative research in the humanities and humanistic social sciences,” including a $35,000 stipend, travel and research funding, and a fellows retreat.
Mellon Emerging Faculty Leaders Award: Supports “early-career faculty whose research focuses on contemporary American history, politics, culture, and society,” with a $20,000 stipend for research support and assistance.
MMUF Advancement Program: A program for alumni of the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship that includes dissertation grants, travel and research funding, and adjunct faculty fellowships.
- Mellon Mays GAP: A program for alumni of the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship to “maintain their graduate school ambitions and progress towards an academic career,” including opportunities to “workshop applications and statements of purpose, determine the fit of graduate programs, and network with past Fellows.”
- Carnegie Young Leaders for Civic Preparedness: This opportunity is offered to 500 young people between the ages of 14 and 24 and aims to “empower them to launch impactful community projects.”
Higher Ed Media Fellowships: This program offers journalists an opportunity to “dive deeper into underreported issues in higher education.” The program targets mid-career journalists. Current areas of focus include career and technical education, data sourcing, coverage of underrepresented communities and “the intersection of postsecondary education and civic learning.”
Women’s Studies Fellowships: This program supports “late-stage Ph.D. candidates” whose research addresses “original” and “interdisciplinary” topics relating to women and gender. This program paused in 2023, and the institute suggests potential applicants sign up for updates here.
Important Grant Details:
Fellowships generally range from $20,000 to $30,000 for a one-year period.
- Grantees may review the foundation’s list of Featured Fellows to get a better idea of the kind of work the foundation supports.
ICS’s fellowships are generally restricted to youth, graduate students, and faculty of universities in the United States.
ICS accepts applications online for most of its fellowships. Deadlines and eligibility requirements vary by program.
Fellowship funds are generally intended for general living expenses, but some may be restricted for research or travel use.
For some fellowships, the applicant must be a faculty member or student at an accredited institute of higher education.
- Grant seekers may reach out to the foundation through its Contact Page for further inquiries. Sign up for updates about fellowship opportunities here.
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