Drawing from disciplines like language, literature, culture, philosophy, history, religious studies, and more, a humanities-based approach uses the humanities to engage with a community around a social issue. While your approach will depend your outcome, some examples of humanities-based outcomes could include reading and discussing a work of literature with a small group, hosting a panel of scholars and speakers, or creating a social media campaign.
An arts-based approach uses the arts to engage with a community around a social issue, such as writing poems or engaging in a creative writing exercise, staging a small play or dramatic performance, painting a mural, and more. Please note: while designing posters, fliers, or other marketing materials involve aspects of graphic design, they are not art. If you have any questions about whether your outcome uses an arts-based approach, reach out to your instructor or a staff member accordingly.
Yes! For more information about budget reviews, read the mini-grant guidelines.
While it varies depending on the amount of funding requested and the total number of applications we receive, we expect to award between six and eight mini-grants each semester.
While it varies, we typically have a $3,000 funding pool to distribute among all Humanities Labs each semester, with a maximum request of $1,000 for each application.
Yes. While it depends on how much our funding pool is and how many applications we receive, each application typically has a 33% to 50% chance of being selected. That being said, our goal is to fund as many projects as we can, with at least one outcome from each Lab. As our funding pool is limited, requesting the full amount ($1,000) may slightly decrease your chances, too.
Once all the applications are received, we assemble a committee that evaluates each application on an individual basis using the following criteria, each of which is assigned a point value between 0 and 3:
Yes. There are many items or expenses we can't fund, including equipment, food, mileage, and more. For a list of prohibited expenses, read the mini-grant guidelines. You can also request a review of your budget by our team.
Great question! There's a lot that goes into making a strong application. Specifically: a strong application will have read the guidelines, reviewed past mini-grants, and understood the intent and vision of the program. It will identify a complex problem in the local community with at least two health, social, or environmental aspects. It will propose a creative, thoughtful solution that is firmly grounded in the arts and humanities.
To table at the Memorial Union, you'll need to know the date, time, and specific location you'd like to table, which you'll submit as part of your application. Please note: as a student, you are unable to submit the necessary forms to table at the Memorial Union. Assuming you and your team are selected to receive a mini-grant, the Humanities Lab and Seize the Moment will complete the form on your behalf.