Graduate Students
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, public-facing, and 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 innovative formats that will stimulate interdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration.

GUIDELINES

Please read the following guidelines clearly, as they spell out considerations that will impact selection.

Eligibility
PhD students in the School of Humanities are eligible to apply. Collaborations across departments 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
  • Public-facing initiatives that engage diverse audiences
  • Innovative project formats that move beyond traditional lecture formats
  • Projects with professional development components for graduate student organizers
  • Projects that involve faculty mentorship
  • Applications that demonstrate buy-in/cost-sharing from several units

Graduate student applicants should include the names and contact information of faculty members who are advising their proposed initiative.

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:

  1. Name of ALL PIs
  2. Name and contact information of the faculty member who is advising on the project
  3. Project title
  4. Project type (workshop, conference, reading group, collaborative publication, etc.)
  5. Project description and budget as a single PDF (no more than 3 pages or 10MB)
  6. Faculty endorsement
  7. Staffing plan

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
  • Envisioned audience for the project (faculty, grads, undergrads, the wider public, etc.) and plans for engagement
  • Professional development component for graduate student organizers
  • Whether you are planning for an in-person or remote event
  • Projected event date(s)
  • Envisioned audience for the project (faculty, grads, undergrads, the wider public, etc.)
  • 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 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. 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
  • Professional development value for graduate student organizers

Applicants are strongly encouraged to seek funding from units across campus in addition to any requests made to the HRC. The HRC also maintains a spreadsheet listing other Rice funding opportunities for PhD students in the School of Humanities: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14nlGuihcY4T4Pq6GDE4QXKIPfxOiGg07OZ-uAkl9xFI (Rice login required).

Faculty Endorsement
Endorsement from a faculty member describing the value of the proposed event for the scholarly and professional advancement of the graduate student(s), and indicating their willingness to advise the project (brief statement).

It is the responsibility of graduate student applicants to ensure that their advising or endorsing faculty member submits the endorsement to the Box folder by the application deadline.

The faculty member endorsing this proposal should upload their endorsement letter to the following Box folder by the application deadline: https://rice.app.box.com/f/18d3aedc4af343da995b7b97208cd0c1.

Administrative Requirements and Staff Support
The HRC now offers limited staff support for graduate student projects. You have two options for administrative support:

  • Option 1: Request HRC Staff Support
    If you would like to request staff support from the HRC, please specify in your staffing plan what type of assistance you need (e.g., payment processing, iO-related tasks, event logistics support). HRC staff support is limited and will be allocated based on project needs and availability.
  • Option 2: Secure Departmental Staff Support
    If you prefer to work with departmental staff, you must submit a staffing plan outlining which staff member(s) will provide administrative support for the grant and the event. 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, and provide written confirmation of this approval.

Application Deadline
Monday, October 27, 2025, 11:59 PM

APPLICATION FORM
 

https://forms.gle/U3QyKoUZybSKYBMm6

 

N.B.: This form is for graduate student applications only. Faculty and postdocs must use the faculty application form.

Questions? Please contact Dr. Gabriela Garcia at gabriela.garcia@rice.edu.