Striving for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Asian Studies: Humanities Grants for Asian Studies Scholars

This program is no longer accepting applications

The application deadline for this program was January 14, 2022, at 5:00 PM ET.

The application period is now closed. Thank you to everyone who applied.

Program Overview

The Association for Asian Studies has received a $1 million grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). This grant is awarded through the NEH’s Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan (SHARP) program, which supports humanities organizations, programs, and professionals at the local level, advancing economic recovery within a cultural sector devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our project, “Striving for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Asian Studies: Humanities Grants for Asian Studies Scholars,” will enable the AAS to make approximately 30 individual awards to provide relief from the coronavirus pandemic to Asian Studies professionals to conduct humanities research, teaching development, and multimedia projects.

This initiative is designed to provide opportunities for career development and research projects for Asian Studies professionals on the periphery of Asian Studies. These constituents include Black scholars of Asia, contingent/adjunct faculty in academic institutions, first-generation scholars, junior scholars in the field, independent scholars, and Asia specialists working outside the professoriate. This program is a solid step toward promoting greater equity and inclusion in the field of Asian Studies.

Watch the Informational Webinar:

More information regarding the session and session transcript

Program Types:

AAS Humanities Fellowships

There are 5 different fellowship types available to applicants. Each Fellowship is funded for a one-year term, with $60,000 paid out in monthly stipends during the grant period. Fellows are expected to work on their projects full-time. LEARN MORE

AAS Minority Fellowship

Eligibility Requirements: Applicants must be Black scholars of Asian humanities with preference given to applicants within 7 years of Ph.D. conferral. Junior faculty may apply, but preference will be given to unemployed, furloughed, or contingent faculty. LEARN MORE

AAS Pipeline Fellowship

Eligibility Requirements: Applicants for this grant include those within 7 years of Ph.D. award date who have yet to secure full-time employment in their field/discipline of study. This includes individuals who have been furloughed due to budget cuts; who have yet to find employment; who are working as adjunct faculty; or who are working in industries and/or positions unrelated to their specialization. LEARN MORE

AAS Digital Humanities Fellowship

Eligibility Requirements: Applicants should be junior scholars (within 7 years of Ph.D. conferral or have a terminal M.A.), contingent faculty, unemployed, or independent scholars who are developing or continuing a digital research project. Projects may include public digital humanities projects, digital archives, online Asian Studies curriculum resources, or Asian Studies humanities database resources, among others. LEARN MORE

AAS Public Research in Asian Studies Humanities Fellowship

Eligibility Requirements: Applicants should be public scholars not in the professoriate who work with communities in developing public programs on Asia and Asian communities. The program promotes the visibility and value of the Asian Studies humanities scholar by offering opportunities for Asian Studies specialists who have either an M.A. or Ph.D. in a humanities-based discipline to contribute to the public good while enhancing their work in community development, cultural education, and media. LEARN MORE

For Public Research Fellowship Applicants Only: Applicants must propose a plan for a public project with the support of a local community advocacy agency and/or non-profit organization and must submit a letter of support for the proposed project from the organization. The advocacy agency or nonprofit will receive an email from Molly DeDona, AAS Grants Coordinator, grants@asianstudies.org, with a URL link to upload a letter or type directly into a field and submit the letter of support. The application will not be submitted until the letter of support is received.

AAS Asian American Pacific Islander/Asian American History and Communities Fellowship

Eligibility Requirements: Applicants must develop, produce, and distribute a multimedia project (podcast, short film, community member oral history project, digital magazine, etc.) aimed at educating the public on AAPI/Asian history and communities. Projects must be grounded in Asian humanities scholarship and demonstrate an approach that is thoughtful, balanced, and analytical; proposals must demonstrate the potential to attract a broad general audience. LEARN MORE

AAS Humanities Professional Development Grants

These grants are designed to provide support to contingent faculty at 2- and 4-year institutions of higher learning and underemployed, unemployed, or independent scholars who are Asia specialists. LEARN MORE

AAS Mentorship Grants

AAS Mentorship Grants of up to $20,000 per recipient will be awarded to fund the development and implementation of mentorship programs for Black, LatinX, first-generation junior scholars, and graduate students in Asian Studies. Mentorship programs can be focused on areas such as publication, course development, job talks, or job application materials, among other areas of interest. Further, the expectation of the program is for mentors to work with multiple participants over a 6- to 9-month period, including follow-up sessions. The mentorship programs would culminate in a workshop. The expectation would be that the mentors would be provided with an honorarium for each of the workshops, as unpaid labor is a concern particularly amongst contingent and minority faculty. If travel becomes viable during the grant cycle, costs will include a per diem, honoraria, transportation, and, if needed, accommodations. LEARN MORE

AAS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Higher Education Curriculum Development Grants

AAS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Higher Education Curriculum Development Grants are semester-long grants providing curriculum support for contingent faculty at 2- and 4-year institutions of higher learning to develop curricula that foster diversity, equity, and inclusion. The grant supports research aimed at redeveloping Asian Studies curricula to consider alternative histories and pedagogical approaches. The final submission of results should include sample syllabi and a summary of pedagogical approaches based on the research. The grant period would culminate in virtual curriculum workshops for all DEI curriculum grant recipients in which participants would exchange ideas and share the results of their research. LEARN MORE

AAS Seminars Grants

Seminars on Teaching South, Southeast, and Global Asias Grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded to Asia humanities scholars for projects focused on supporting pedagogical practice and knowledge of Asian Studies. Funds will support the development of materials as well as virtual seminars and workshops designed to improve content and pedagogy in Asian Studies. The $5,000 dollars for each seminar will go toward time to prepare as well as (in the case of in-person workshops) travel, accommodation, per diem, and honoraria for those leading the workshops as well as support for assistants and others organizing and facilitating the workshop. Costs will be adjusted if the workshop cannot be held in person. Applicants are required to submit a proposal that includes the proposed format and venue, a detailed budget, and a timeline. Once each seminar is complete, organizers will be required to submit detailed participant demographics, funds allocated, schedule of proceedings, and images from the event within 30 days of completion. LEARN MORE

AAS Publication Support Grant

This grant provides support for contingent faculty, unemployed scholars, independent scholars, and junior tenure-track faculty who are Asia specialists to publish a full-length book based on their research in the humanities. LEARN MORE

AAS Publication Support Grants

AAS Publication Support Grants will support publication endeavors of contingent faculty, unemployed scholars, independent scholars, and junior tenure-track faculty. The Publication Support Grants cover author-born expenses in the publication of a full-length book based on their research in the humanities. Sub-awardees can use the grant for expenses including proofreading, copy editing, development editing, image permissions, photography, among other expenses. Grant awardees would be required to have a manuscript in progress and a letter of interest from a publisher. Awards will range from $3,000 to $15,000. LEARN MORE

Timeline

THE APPLICATION DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED. APPLICATIONS ARE NOW DUE JANUARY 14, 2022
  • The application period will close on Friday, January 14, 2022 at 5:00pm ET.
  • Awardees will be notified of their acceptance in March 2022.

Eligibility

  • Per NEH guidelines, applicants must possess US citizenship or permanent resident status or have lived in the United States for a period of three years or more.
    • Foreign nationals who take up permanent residence outside of the United States any time between the application deadline and the end of their period of performance will forfeit their eligibility to receive an award. (Leaving the U.S. on a temporary basis is permitted.)
  • Applicants must be Asian Studies specialists with a recent Ph.D. (within 7 years of conferral) in the humanities or humanistic social sciences for the AAS Minority Fellowship and AAS Pipeline Fellowships.
  • Applicants who are Asian Studies Specialist without a Ph.D. but who have an M.A. degree are welcome to apply for the AAS Digital Humanities Fellowship, AAS Public Research in Asian Studies Humanities Fellowship, and AAS Multimedia Projects on AAPI/Asian History and Communities Fellowships.

How to Apply

Applicants will submit their application through the submission portal, with the deadline of Friday, January 14, 2022, at 5:00 pm ET.

Please note: you may only submit an application to one program per category. Multiple applications will not be accepted in the same grant or fellowship category, and you can only accept one grant or fellowship award.

What you will need to prepare:

AAS HUMANITIES FELLOWSHIP APPLICANTS

Note: Applicants for the AAS Minority Fellowship and AAS Pipeline Fellowship must be Asian Studies specialists with a recent Ph.D. (within 7 years of conferral) in the humanities or humanistic social sciences. AAS Digital Humanities Fellowship, AAS Public Research in Asian Studies Humanities Fellowship, and AAS Multimedia Projects on AAPI/Asian History and Communities Fellowships do not have that restriction.

  • Cover Letter detailing the need for fellowship support. Applicants must demonstrate how they have been adversely impacted by the pandemic (500 words max)
  • Curriculum Vitae (2 pages max)
  • A project statement, not to exceed 1,000 words
    • The project statement must describe the topic of this project and the role the support will play in enabling the project’s completion
  • Schedule of expected completion of project and/or publication
  • A budget outline of how your funds would be used

AAS HUMANITIES PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GRANT APPLICANTS

  • Curriculum Vitae of the Organizer (2 pages max)
  • A project statement, not to exceed 1,000 words. The project statement must describe the topic of this project and the role the support will play in enabling the project’s completion.
  • Short Curriculum Vitae for any keynoters or principal participants.
  • A budget outline of how your funds would be used

AAS PUBLICATION SUPPORT GRANT APPLICANTS

  • Author’s CV
  • Summary of the manuscript
  • A full table of contents
  • 1 chapter of the book with citations
  • Letter of interest from a press
  • If you have a press representative, you will are suggested, but not required, to enter their name and email on your application so they can receive a link to a form to fill out the following fields:
    • Expected list price
    • Sales: number of copies and net sales amount
    • Additional grants
    • Direct expenses (indexing, copyediting, proofreading, design, composition, typesetting, number of color and black and white images, image permission fees, and printing)
    • Is the book viable for POD, and will there be eBook formats?
    • Marketing, distribution, and miscellaneous direct cots
    • Amount of grant funds requested

FAQ

I am currently a student. Am I eligible to apply?

No, per NEH guidelines students are not eligible to apply for this program.

Do all grant and fellowship programs require me to have a recent (within 7 years of conferral) Ph.D.?

No. While several of the fellowship and grant programs are intended to support recent Ph.D. recipients in Asian Studies (conferred during or after the year 2014), unless it is explicitly stated on the program description, you do not need to be a recent Ph.D. graduate. For example, M.A. applicants are welcome to apply to AAS Digital Humanities Fellowship, AAS Public Research in Asian Studies Humanities Fellowship, and AAS Multimedia Projects on AAPI/Asian History and Communities Fellowships. Publication support grants will accept applications from Junior scholars, independent scholars, contingent faculty, and unemployed scholars.

I am a tenured professor, am I eligible to apply for a Fellowship or Grant?

No, this program is intended to fund individuals who fall under any of the following categories: independent scholars, junior scholars, underemployed, unemployed, contingent, adjunct, or other part-time Asian Studies Scholars at 2 and 4-year institutions. If you are not sure if you qualify, please reach out to the AAS Grants Coordinator at grants@asianstudies.org.

Do you still have questions? Join the “Striving for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Asian Studies Humanities Grants and Fellowships” group in the AAS Community Forum to pose questions to AAS staff and have discussions with other applicants to this program. If you do not already have one, you will be asked to create an AAS portal account (separate from your application portal account) to enter the forum.

Funding Restrictions

Please note that if you are awarded a fellowship or grant from this program, funds may not be used for:

  • research by students enrolled in a degree program, including research for doctoral dissertations or theses
  • educational impact, language impact, or technical impact assessments
  • the writing of guidebooks, how-to books, and self-help books
  • promotion of a particular political, religious, or ideological point of view
  • advocacy of a particular program of social or political action
  • support of specific public policies or legislation
  • lobbying
  • projects that fall outside of the humanities and the humanistic social sciences (including the creation or performance of art; creative writing, autobiographies, memoirs, and creative nonfiction; and quantitative social science research or policy studies)

Please note if you are awarded grant funds from another NEH-supported program, you will be ineligible for this award since NEH does not allow for overlapping funding.

All individuals awarded funding will need to adhere to the cost principles outlined in CFR 200 Subpart E – Cost Principles

Do you have questions about this program? Feel free to contact the AAS Grants Coordinator at grants@asianstudies.org


This program is funded by the NEH