The Clara M. Lovett Humanities in Action Fund supports Public Humanities programming that advances the professional development of students and is community focused. Thanks to a generous grant from past NAU president Dr. Clara Lovett (1993-2001), the department of Comparative Cultural Studies will award two annual grants to teams of NAU faculty and students engaged in community-based public humanities projects. Two grants for up to $2000 each will be awarded each year. The deadline for submission is April 11, 2025 at 5:00 pm for projects beginning between June 1- December 1, 2025. Teams have one full year from their start date to complete their project. Upon completion, teams will be invited to present their project to the campus and the community at a CCS-sponsored event. Need help connecting with a community partner? Need help connecting with students? Other questions? Email Dr. Gioia Woods Gioia.Woods@nau.edu and Dr. Becky Pratt-Sturges rebekah.pratt@nau.edu.
What is the Public Humanities?
It’s public programming foregrounding humanities disciplines and inquiry designed to:
- promote understanding
- encourage meaning-making through dialogue, and
- enhance a community’s capacity for empathy and problem-
The Public Humanities serves as an approach to community engagement, collaborative discovery, and the sharing of knowledge in an equitable, non-hierarchical way.
Project proposals should pursue one or more of the following goals:
- Establishment of networks among community partners and the university that advance the work of the Public Humanities
- Outreach including programming, media, and humanities experiences for a general audience
- Engaged research in which teacher-scholars and students partner with community members to create new knowledge
- Engaged teaching and course design that involves respectful community engagement, such as service learning and/or project-based learning beyond the university
- Training and assistance in digital technologies and digital engagement with the public, and/or in preservation, collections management, cultural heritage interpretation and exhibitions
Program formats may include but are not limited to:
- Interactive lectures and discussions
- Physical and/or digital exhibits
- Publications
- Public broadcasts, online and/or radio
- Films
- Discussions before or after performances
- Digital, video, audio, or other applications
Eligibility to Apply
Full-time NAU faculty from any humanities or arts discipline may apply.
Scoring
- Public Humanities methodology, theory, and practice
- Feasibility of project goals (ability to carry this out within the given timeline and budget)
- Demonstrable student engagement
- Evidence of community engagement and benefit to community
Program evaluation
Lead faculty must file a report within two weeks of the project’s end date.