Faculty & Postdoctoral Associates
HRC Collaborative Initiatives Grant Program
Deadline: Monday, October 27, 2025, 11:59 PM
The Humanities Research Center offers competitive funding for innovative, collaborative projects in the humanities and arts, including visiting speakers, workshops, conferences, exhibitions, reading groups, and other scholarly and creative initiatives. We particularly encourage projects that are interdisciplinary, collaborative, and public-facing, and that employ creative formats beyond traditional guest lectures.
Potential Project Types
The HRC welcomes proposals for diverse project formats, including but not limited to:
- Workshops and symposia that incorporate diverse approaches/perspectives
- Reading groups open to participation across disciplines
- Multi-format conferences that combine panels, workshops, and public engagement
- Creative collaborations, including limited-run joint publications, podcasts, or artistic initiatives
- Public-facing events that engage audiences beyond the academic community
- Cross-disciplinary labs that foster research collaborations
- Exhibitions and mini-residencies
- Visiting lectures that bring distinguished scholars and artists to campus
We also encourage applicants to consider other innovative formats that will stimulate dialogue and collaboration.
Faculty who are considering the launch of a major conference at Rice are encouraged to begin with a reading group or workshop to lay the intellectual groundwork for a more expansive project. Workshops or labs internal to Rice are welcome to apply for modest budgets to support their research undertakings.
Multi-disciplinary applications across schools are encouraged; in such cases, a humanities faculty member must serve as the lead applicant. Applications across schools should pursue cost-sharing with the partner school.
GUIDELINES
Please read the following guidelines clearly, as they spell out considerations that will impact selection.
Eligibility
Faculty and postdocs in the School of Humanities are eligible to apply. Collaborations across departments within the Humanities are strongly encouraged.
Preference will be given to:
- Interdisciplinary projects that bridge multiple fields or approaches
- Cross-unit applications with co-PIs from different departments or schools
- Projects that involve graduate or undergraduate student participation
- Public-facing initiatives that engage diverse audiences
- Innovative project formats that move beyond traditional lecture formats
- Applications that demonstrate buy-in/cost-sharing from several units
Multi-disciplinary applications across schools are encouraged; in such cases, a Humanities faculty member must serve as the lead applicant. Applications across schools should pursue cost-sharing with the partner school.
Parameters for Reading Groups
For reading group proposals, be realistic with expectations about how often people will meet. Given the various demands that faculty, postdoc/post-MFA fellows, and graduate students face, weekly meetings are rarely feasible, for example. Please ensure you include a tentative list of participants (confirmed and/or potential) and their affiliations in your project description, and be realistic about cost estimates.
Proposal Guidelines
All applications must include:
- Project title
- Project type (workshop, conference, reading group, collaborative publication, etc.)
- Requested amount from the HRC
- Project description and budget as a single PDF (no more than 3 pages or 10MB)
Project Description (no more than 750 words)
Include the following information:
- Project overview with clear explanation of format and goals
- Interdisciplinary and/or collaborative elements (if applicable)
- Envisioned audience for the project (faculty, grads, undergrads, the wider public, etc.) and plans for engagement
- Whether you are planning for an in-person or remote event
- Projected event date(s)
- Names and departments/affiliations of confirmed and/or potential participants/collaborators
Budget Requirements
Your budget must indicate:
- Anticipated use of the requested funds with a detailed breakdown
- All funds sought or secured from other sources
- Requested amount from the HRC
IMPORTANT: Budget Compliance Required
All budgets must adhere to HRC budget guidelines. Please consult the HRC budget guidelines document at https://rice.box.com/s/yz00vaak56nkfbuq93c5qf5tbrxla7sb (Rice login required).
Proposals that do not follow budget guidelines may be ineligible for funding. Exceptions to posted budget guidelines require prior discussion with the HRC Director and/or Associate Director and explicit justification in your proposal.
The HRC will not provide funding for budget items that do not adhere to these guidelines. Non-compliant proposals may receive reduced funding or require budget revision before award.
Please see the Rice Global Paris Center budget template for a spreadsheet to help you develop your budget: https://rice.app.box.com/s/q4dm45kgyv470ibmf6p3x860081qv0gp.
Funding Information
The HRC generally makes awards of up to $5,000. Under exceptional circumstances, the HRC will consider higher award amounts up to a maximum of $10,000.
Budgets should consider that HRC funds support numerous projects and events each academic year and are in high demand. Award amounts will depend on:
- The scope, size, reach, and/or impact of the proposed project or event
- The strength and innovation of the proposal
- The application pool and availability of funds
- Evidence of interdisciplinary collaboration and/or public engagement
Applicants are strongly encouraged to seek funding from units across campus in addition to any requests made to the HRC. Applicants for larger projects should consider funding from Creative Ventures. The HRC also maintains a spreadsheet listing other Rice funding opportunities for faculty in the School of Humanities: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14nlGuihcY4T4Pq6GDE4QXKIPfxOiGg07OZ-uAkl9xFI (Rice login required).
Administrative Requirements
The HRC does not administer grants, and we currently cannot offer staff support for faculty or postdoc applications. Applicants must submit a staffing plan outlining which staff member(s) will provide administrative support for the grant and the event (via the proposal submission form). You must also secure approval from the head of the staff member's unit (e.g., department chair) to use the staff member's time toward the proposed project. Awarded projects will have an internal project set up, and funds will be disbursed upon the awardee's report submission within 30 days of project completion.
Application Deadline
Monday, October 27, 2025, 11:59 PM
APPLICATION FORM
https://forms.gle/8RxFd6md3N1UNt1d7
N.B.: Graduate student applications must be submitted through the application form for grads. Graduate student applications submitted through the faculty & postdocs form will not be considered, as they will be incomplete.
Questions? Contact Dr. Gabriela Garcia at gabriela.garcia@rice.edu.