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Creative Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities

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The following resources may be helpful to faculty and staff seeking funding for projects in the Creative Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities fields.

Funders

American Council of Learned Societies

The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) supports the creation and circulation of knowledge that advances understanding of humanity and human endeavors in the past, present, and future, with a view toward improving human experience. In addition to stewarding and representing its member organizations, ACLS employs its $155+ million endowment and a more than $37 million annual operating budget to support scholarship in the humanities and social sciences and to advocate for the centrality of the humanities in the modern world.

National Art Education Association

Founded in 1947, the National Art Education Association (NAEA) is the leading professional membership organization exclusively for visual arts, design, and media arts education professionals. The National Art Education Association (NAEA) champions creative growth and innovation by equitably advancing the tools and resources for a high-quality visual arts, design, and media arts education throughout diverse populations and communities of practice.

National Endowment for the Arts

Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent federal agency that is the largest funder of the arts and arts education in communities nationwide and a catalyst of public and private support for the arts. Grants are awarded to organizations, as well as to individuals.

National Endowment for the Humanities

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is an independent federal agency created in 1965. It is one of the largest funders of humanities programs in the United States.

"The term 'humanities' includes, but is not limited to, the study and interpretation of the following: language, both modern and classical; linguistics; literature; history; jurisprudence; philosophy; archaeology; comparative religion; ethics; the history, criticism and theory of the arts; those aspects of the social sciences which have humanistic content and employ humanistic methods; and the study and application of the humanities to the human environment with particular attention to reflecting our diverse heritage, traditions, and history and to the relevance of the humanities to the current conditions of national life."
--National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act, 1965, as amended

National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences

NSF's Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic (SBE) Sciences supports basic research on people and society. The SBE sciences focus on human behavior and social organizations and how social, economic, political, cultural, and environmental forces affect the lives of people from birth to old age and how people in turn shape those forces. Search a list of current SBE funding opportunities here.

North Carolina Arts Council

The Arts Council is an agency of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Grants totaling $6.5 million are distributed annually to more than 800 arts organizations and artists to ensure that citizens in all 100 counties have access to a wide variety of quality arts experiences.

North Carolina Humanities

Created in 1972 under Congressional mandate, North Carolina Humanities is the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and one of 50+ such organizations nationally. It provides grants and humanities-based programs for libraries, museums, historical societies, schools, and other cultural and educational organizations for projects across the state that address fundamental humanities questions and create conversations about who we are and how we live together in North Carolina and the world.

Social Science Research Council

The Social Science Research Council (SSRC), a nonpartisan nonprofit founded in 1923 by seven professional associations in the social and behavioral sciences, mobilizes policy-relevant social and behavioral science for the public good. By supporting scholars, generating and elevating new research, and building bridges between the academy, government, and the private sector, the Council’s diverse roster of programs address critical issues ranging from climate change in the Indian Ocean region to the global spread of disinformation.

South Arts

Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, South Arts is a nonprofit regional arts organization empowering artists, organizations, and communities, and increasing access to arts and culture. 

  • Artist Grants & Fellowships
    • South Arts offers resources directly to artists so they can take advantage of career-defining opportunities and provides fellowships to artists so that they can continue their lifelong learning, develop new work, and thrive while calling our region "home."
  • Community & Organization Grants
    • South Arts supports organizations that present and engage touring Southern artists for performances, readings, exhibits, and residencies. South Arts values partnerships between artists and organizations that cross sectors, impacting areas of life including healthcare, aging, and education.
  • Programs & Conferences
    • South Arts supports creativity and growth that occur through connections, convenings, and cohorts. They provide professional development for community leaders, arts administrators, and artists so they can have the tools to succeed.

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