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COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES

CALL FOR PROPOSALS


The Albert Lepage Center for History in the Public Interest Labor in Historical Perspective Grant; call for proposals; deadline October 14, 2024.

Labor in Historical Perspective Grants

THE FALL 2024 GRANT APPLICATION IS NOW OPEN

Deadline: October 14, 2024

The Albert Lepage Center for History in the Public Interest at Villanova University is pleased to announce a funding opportunity to support public-facing historical projects related to the theme of “Labor in Historical Perspective.”

The Center will fund up to 6 projects of up to $5000 that creatively engage with the broad range of questions related to the theme of labor in historical perspective that can further public understanding of contemporary labor movements, policies, practices, and conflicts in the United States and beyond.  This theme could encompass any number of historical topics.  

Examples include but are not limited to agricultural labor, migrant labor, child labor, gig labor, unionization, depictions of labor in media and mass culture, gender and labor, and others. What is most important is historical focus on labor, historical methodology, and a strong component of public engagement. Grants in the past have gone to such varied projects as podcasts, oral histories, historical tours, monograph research, dissertations, digital and physical exhibits, online archives, digital mapping projects, and workshops, among other projects.

The Center seeks submissions from a diverse pool of applicants that are original and imaginative in content and form. The Center is always interested in funding proposals that adopt a global approach and highlight issues of class, gender, race, activism, corporate influence and political power. We strongly encourage members of minority and underrepresented populations to apply.

 

About the Grants

Grants in the amount of up to $5,000 (depending on scope, size and need) will be awarded to projects that promote historical research, scholarship, teaching and public dialogue about historical perspectives on labor.

Our goal is to provide seed money and/or to help advance a project from conception to execution. The Center is, therefore, willing to support work that may require initial funding to get off the ground.

Project outcomes include: a series of blog posts or podcasts, digital and in-person exhibits, an oral history archive, a series of op-eds, a mapping project, an educational workshop, a multimedia resource, a collaboration with local environmental organizations and other creative ideas. 

 

Application and Selection Process

Applications are due to the Lepage Center by 11:59 p.m. EST on October 14, 2024. Applications should be emailed as a single attachment (PDF) to lepage@villanova.edu and should not exceed 15 pages.

Applications must include:

  • A title 
  • A project abstract (250 words)
  • A project description, purpose, and its contribution to history in the public interest (1-2 pages)
  • A plan of execution, including deliverables, partners, and expected outcomes (1-2 pages)
  • A proposed budget (1 page)
  • Resumes of principal participants (the total of resumes not to exceed 10 pages)

In evaluating applications, the Lepage Center will consider:

  • The track record of the applicant(s);
  • The importance of the project goals, the originality of the method and perspective, and the fit and relevance to the Center’s mission;
  • The feasibility of the proposal;
  • The capacity of the project to shed light on current events;
  • The articulation of an approach to historical thinking about the past that meets disciplinary standards and perspectives

Proposals will be reviewed by an internal committee with award decisions to be made by November 1, 2024.

A one-time disbursement of funds will occur in Fall 2024. 

 

Eligibility

Proposals are limited to scholars, researchers, historical institutions and nonprofit organizations in the United States. Global perspectives and transnational partnerships are encouraged.

While not limited to professional historians or history institutions, proposals that feature historians and demonstrate an approach to studying the past that broadly fits disciplinary standards and ethics of professional history will be favored.

 

Grantee Deliverables

Grantees should be amenable to having their projects featured on the Lepage Center website, social media and other communications; acknowledge the Lepage Center’s support in their public-facing materials; and amenable to participate in a Lunch at Lepage or virtual panel discussion with other grantees describing their grant work between the summer of 2025 and spring of 2026.

 

Fine Print

Grant awards are subject to federal, state and local tax regulations. Each grantee is responsible for reporting taxable stipend payments and for remitting any tax due with their personal or institutional income tax return. For specific questions about your tax responsibilities, please contact the Internal Revenue Service, an accountant or an income tax service.

 

For any questions, please contact lepage@villanova.edu