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Arts & Humanities

2027 Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program

Apply to Internal Competition // Limit: 2 (one tenured scholar and one untenured scholar) // Tickets Available: 2

Limiting Language 
University presidents may nominate one tenured and one untenured scholar. Untenured includes both tenure-track faculty who have not yet achieved tenure, and those who are not on a tenure track.

Program Overview
Since 2015, the Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program has supported high-caliber scholarship and research in the social sciences and humanities that address important and enduring issues confronting our society.

The 2026 Class of Andrew Carnegie Fellows marked the third year of the program’s focus on building a body of research focused on political polarization. The Andrew Carnegie Foundation, formerly Carnegie Corporation of New York, committed up to $18 million to this effort over the three-year period, helping Americans understand how and why our society has become so polarized and what can be done to strengthen social cohesion. Political polarization is characterized by, but not limited to, factors such as threats to free speech, the decline of civil discourse, disagreement over basic facts, and a lack of mutual understanding and collaboration. Each fellow receives a grant of up to $200,000 to support their two-year research project, enabling them to devote significant time and resources to their work.

For the next three years, beginning with the 2027 cohort, we are broadening the focus beyond domestic perspectives to explicitly ask what the U.S. can learn from the experience of polarization in other countries. We are seeking proposals that address the relationship between populism and polarization, how other democracies have resisted or reversed polarization, and the conditions that determine whether polarization dissipates or accelerates into systemic violence. These conditions may include but are not limited to civic culture, social cohesion, access to information and a healthy information environment, economic opportunity, trust in and the effective functioning of public institutions, and the rule of law. A few of the things we would like to learn from the next cohort of fellows are:

  • What has been the relationship between populism and polarization in other countries?
  • How have some countries managed to avoid polarization?
  • What can we learn from countries that have stepped back from polarization, such as South Africa, Colombia, and Northern Ireland?
  • Under what conditions has polarization escalated into political violence?
  • Under what conditions has polarization taken root/accelerated/declined in other countries?

The criteria for selection prioritize the originality and potential impact of the proposal, as well as the capacity to communicate the findings to a broad audience. The fellows are selected by a distinguished panel of jurors, chaired by Dame Louise Richardson, president of the Andrew Carnegie Foundation, and comprising scholars and academic and intellectual leaders from some of the nation’s most prominent educational institutions, foundations, and scholarly societies.

The Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program is a continuation of the mission of the Andrew Carnegie Foundation, founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1911, to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding. Today the foundation works to reduce political polarization through philanthropic support for the issues that Carnegie considered most important: education, democracy, and peace.

Eligibility
The Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program is open only to citizens or legal residents of the United States who have been nominated by the head of an institution designated by the Andrew Carnegie Foundation. Candidates must have a PhD, hold a terminal degree, or be a high-level professional working outside of academia. Along with presidents, chancellors, and provosts of universities, nominators include heads of independent research institutes and learned societies, leaders of some of the nation’s preeminent think tanks, and directors of academic presses, as well as editors of leading newspapers and magazines. All nominators must include in their letter of nomination two to three sentences on the institution’s internal candidate selection process. Individuals may not apply for the Fellows Program via self-nomination. 2027 begins a new three-year cycle of the fellowship. If you were a candidate in 2026 or any previous year, you are eligible to apply again — only once — between 2027 and 2029.

The Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program prohibits a fellowship winner from accepting a fellowship of equal caliber or at a comparable level of funding that overlaps the same timeline as the Carnegie fellowship, especially awards that have specific time requirements. However, smaller grants and project support are acceptable on a case-by-case basis.

Funding Type
External Deadline
11/13/2026
Internal Deadline
Internal Time
5:00PM
Solicitation Type

Liberty Under Law: The Shared Anglo-American Tradition

Request Ticket // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1

Limiting Language
Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization. If more than one proposal is submitted from an organization, all proposals from that institution will be considered ineligible for funding under this funding opportunity.

Executive Summary
The U.S. Department of State invites eligible organizations to submit proposals for innovative, high-visibility public education and civic-engagement programs in the United Kingdom that deepen public understanding of the shared Anglo-American common law tradition, and/or to commemorate the 70th anniversary in 2027 of the American Bar Association’s unveiling of the Magna Carta Memorial in Runnymede, UK that honors the foundation of the rule of law. Priority will be given to ambitious initiatives that connect foundational principles, such as freedom of speech, due process, trial by jury, limited government, rule of law, property rights, taxation by consent, and ordered liberty to contemporary civic life. 

Successful projects will combine scholarly depth with broad public accessibility through:

  • Major symposia or symposium series, 
  • Traveling or “pop-up” educational exhibitions, 
  • Speaker exchanges, and 
  • Viral digital outreach. 

The goal is to foster a sustained national conversation in the United Kingdom that reinforces the enduring transatlantic partnership and the shared civilizational values that underpin it.

Technology-Enhanced Adoption Recruitment and Matching Innovation Hubs (TE-ARM)

Request Ticket (include region) // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1

Limiting Language
An organization may submit only one application as lead applicant and may apply for only one region. An organization may participate as a partner or subrecipient on applications for other regions, provided such participation does not create conflicts of interest or compromise the organization’s ability to fulfill its primary commitment.

Summary
Child welfare agencies continue to face challenges in recruiting and matching adoptive families for children awaiting permanency, due in part to outdated processes, limited data integration, and inconsistent access to effective tools. Most jurisdictions rely on static photo listing services, fragmented data systems, and manual caseworker knowledge to identify potential matches. While existing national recruitment resources provide important visibility for waiting children, there is a growing need for modern, technology-enabled approaches and tools that actively support caseworkers in timely, data-informed, and high-quality matching decisions. 

ACF will fund regional innovation hubs to design, implement, and evaluate human- centered technology-enabled solutions that improve adoptive family recruitment and matching. These solutions may include data-informed recruitment tools, AI-assisted matching, and predictive analytics to accelerate permanency for children in foster care. 

ACF expects to fund three regional innovation hubs—you must apply to the appropriate region: 

  • Eastern Region. 
  • Central Region. 
  • Western Region. 

Innovation hubs will partner with pilot jurisdictions in their region to develop, deploy, and evaluate these tools; strengthen agency capacity; and support implementation through intensive technical assistance, training, and continuous quality improvement. Hubs will also disseminate tools, best practices, and lessons learned to jurisdictions across their region and collaborate nationally to promote shared learning.

For the purposes of this NOFO, pilot jurisdictions must be public child welfare agencies that administer Title IV-E foster care and adoption assistance programs at the state, territorial, tribal, or local level. 

If awarded, recipients will focus on the following activities: 

  • Applied research, development, and testing of technology-enabled recruitment and matching solutions. 
  • Training, coaching, and technical assistance to support implementation. 
  • Advancement of interoperability and data standards. 
  • Implementation of privacy, security, and safeguards. 
  • Dissemination and knowledge sharing to support the broader field. 

To support effective implementation of all program activities, each innovation hub must establish and implement a robust performance measurement and continuous quality improvement (CQI) framework to assess progress, inform decision-making, and drive continuous improvement. 

Through these activities, the program aims to accelerate permanency, improve the quality and stability of adoptive placements, and strengthen the child welfare system’s ability to use data and technology to support children and families.

FY 2026 Arctic Exchange Program

No Applicants // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1

Limiting Language
Only one proposal will be considered by ECA from each applicant organization. In cases where more than one submission from an applicant appears in grants.gov, ECA will only consider the submission made closest in time to the NOFO deadline; that submission would constitute the one and only proposal ECA would review from that applicant.

Please note: Applicant organizations are defined by their legal name, and EIN number as stated on their completed SF-424 and additional supporting documentation outlined in the PSI document.

Executive Summary
The Arctic Exchange Program (AEP) aims to advance economic prosperity in the United States (Alaska), Canada, and Greenland through short-term exchange activities focused on two overarching themes: Arctic tourism development and critical minerals supply chain resilience.

The AEP will consist of three targeted exchange activities with distinct cohorts of approximately eight to 10 participants each. One activity will take place in each participating country, subject to local conditions. The scope of these activities may vary based on program needs.

Across all three exchange activities, the AEP will build participants’ professional capacity and create new partnership opportunities that advance economic prosperity in the United States, Canada, and Greenland. The program will position the United States as a partner of choice in Arctic economic development initiatives, promote U.S. business interests, and counter adversarial influence in this strategically important region.

Young Pacific Leaders Solutions Labs

No Applicants // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1

Limiting Langauge
Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization. If more than one proposal is submitted from an organization, all proposals from that institution will be considered ineligible for funding under this funding opportunity

Executive Summary 
The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of East Asia and Pacific Affairs (EAP) and U.S. Consulate General Auckland announce an open competition to implement Young Pacific Leaders (YPL) Solutions Labs, a series of workshops centered around: 

  • Unlocking Investment in the Pacific 
  • Advancing the American Decade of Sports for Pacific Economic Impact 
  • Pursuing Peace in the Pacific with Faith Communities 
  • Defending Free Speech through Pacific Journalism Excellence 

Applicants may apply to host one, more, or all of the YPL Solutions Labs workshops in the series with the average cost of one workshop being roughly $100,000 to $250,000. 

Since 2013, the YPL program has cultivated the target audience and participants of emerging Pacific Island Country (PIC) leaders ages 20-40 into advocates for U.S. policy in a region of increasing strategic importance. Since YPL’s inception YPL alumni have delivered on U.S. priorities across the region. The YPL Solutions Labs will be a series of workshops throughout 2026-2028 to catalyze advocacy and action on U.S. priorities. 

Eligible recipients include foreign and U.S. not-for-profit organizations, public and private educational institutions, individuals, public international organizations, and government institutions.

Funding Type
External Deadline
6/30/2026

FY26 U.S. Creative Tech Exchange

No Applicants // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1

Limiting Language 
Only one proposal will be considered by ECA from each applicant organization. In cases where more than one submission from an applicant appears in grants.gov, ECA will only consider the submission made closest in time to the NOFO deadline; that submission would constitute the one and only proposal ECA would review from that applicant. 
Please note: Applicant organizations are defined by their legal name, and EIN number as stated on their completed SF-424 and additional supporting documentation outlined in the PSI document.

Executive Summary 
The U.S. Creative Tech Exchange (U.S.CTX) is a new international arts exchange program that drives economic growth by connecting U.S. creative professionals and technologists with international peers working at the intersection of the arts and emerging technologies, especially artificial intelligence (AI). The goal is to position American technology as a key driver of American innovation, economic, and cultural influence in art and technology, For the purposes of this program, “arts” refers specifically to architecture, creative coding and gaming, fashion, graphic design, music and immersive art such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR); but excludes film and television.

U.S.CTX will support up to 30 participants through short-term, hands-on activities such as collaborative labs, fellowships, workshops, and public showcases. ECA will award one U.S.-based nonprofit or educational organization $1.32 million to design and implement the program in close coordination with ECA and U.S. embassies. Applicants should propose a concept that leverages their strengths and includes clear plans for recruitment, program delivery, and measurable outcomes in creative arts, economic impact, and public diplomacy.

Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program

Limit: 3 // Tickets Available: 1

J.J. Barrios (Public and Applied Humanities)
B. Carter (Center for Digital Humanities)

Limiting Language
Each applicant may submit up to 3 applications annually, for 3 separate projects, but each applicant can receive only 2 grants per fiscal year grant cycle.

Executive Summary
The Japanese American Confinement Sites (JACS) Grant Program provides financial assistance to organizations and entities working to preserve historic Japanese American confinement sites and their history, including: private nonprofit organizations; educational institutions; state, local, and tribal governments; and other public entities, for the preservation and interpretation of U.S. confinement sites where Japanese Americans were detained during World War II. 

Projects funded through the JACS Grant Program must benefit one or more historic Japanese American confinement sites. The term historic confinement sites are de-fined as the ten War Relocation Authority sites (Gila River, Granada, Heart Mountain, Jerome, Manzanar, Minidoka, Poston, Rohwer, Topaz, and Tule Lake), as well as other historically significant locations, as determined by the Secretary of the Interior, where Japanese Americans were detained during World War II. These sites are specifically identified in Confinement and Ethnicity: An Overview of World War II Japanese American Relocation Sites, published by the Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Western Archaeological and Conservation Center, in 1999. This document may be seen at https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/anthropology74/.

For a full list of eligible project types and sites, please see the NOFO

Research Category
Funding Type
External Deadline
6/15/2026

2027 NEA Jazz Masters Tribute Concert and Related Events

No Applicants // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1

Limiting Language
An organization may submit only one application under this program solicitation. You may apply to other NEA funding opportunities, such as Grants for Arts Projects, in addition to this program solicitation. In each case, the request must be for a distinctly different project. No project costs or staff time may overlap with activities and/or costs included as part of other federal awards. 

Executive Summary
The purpose of this Program Solicitation is to select an organization (“Cooperator”) to support the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) with the 2027 NEA Jazz Masters Tribute Concert and related events. The Cooperator is expected to coordinate a range of activities, including a live concert, webcast, video tributes, and other associated activities. 

This award will be made as a cooperative agreement. A cooperative agreement is a funding mechanism in which the federal agency (NEA) maintains substantial involvement in carrying out the supported project in partnership with the award recipient (known as a Cooperator).  

Eligible applicants include nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3), U.S. organizations; units of state or local government; federally-recognized tribal communities or tribes; and the six Regional Arts Organizations (RAOs).  

Research Category
Funding Type
External Deadline
4/9/2026

FY 2026 American Film Showcase

No Applicants // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1

Limiting Language
Only one proposal will be considered by ECA from each applicant organization. In cases where more than one submission from an applicant appears in grants.gov, ECA will only consider the submission made closest in time to the NOFO deadline; that submission would constitute the one and only proposal ECA would review from that applicant.

Executive Summary
The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational Cultural Affairs announces the FY2026 American Film Showcase open competition for one cooperative agreement to support thematic projects in film, television, gaming, and other media arts-based, international cultural and commercial diplomacy exchanges that create partnerships through artistic collaboration and professional development activities, promote economic opportunities, demonstrate the power of free expression, and support Administration foreign policy and America First priorities.

Research Category
Funding Type
External Deadline
6/1/2026

FY 2026 Leaders Lead On-Demand

No Applicants // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1

Limiting Language
Only one proposal will be considered by ECA from each applicant organization. In cases where more than one submission from an applicant appears in grants.gov, ECA will only consider the submission made closest in time to the NOFO deadline; that submission would constitute the one and only proposal ECA would review from that applicant.

Executive Summary
The Office of Citizen Exchanges in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) invites proposals for the FY 2026 Leaders Lead On-Demand program (LLOD). This program develops ideas from across the Department of State into customized, two-way exchange projects. LLOD provides rapid response, flexible programming focused on building self-sustaining global, regional, and country-based networks of practitioners.

The recipient will design and carry out a series of exchange projects for emerging leaders and mid-level professionals representing government, business, and civil society. The program expects to support approximately four to six exchange projects for approximately 75 participants, including approximately 55 foreign and 20 U.S. participants.

Each project will feature a group of foreign participants who will travel to the United States for an intensive, customized program. Activities may include workshops, meetings, or events. Every U.S.-based exchange must also include at least one segment overseas, which should involve U.S. participants. All participants should have relevant experience or expertise in the project’s field. U.S. participants will work with foreign participants during both the U.S. and overseas segments. The award recipient will work closely with ECA, other State Department staff, and partner organizations in the relevant countries or regions as appropriate to identify participants and design activities that meet each project’s goals. ECA must approve the final list of foreign and U.S. participants.

Additional project elements, such as regional meetings overseas, small grants competitions, or local trainings, should be included as needed to support project objectives and promote American leadership and expertise.

Funding Type
External Deadline
5/25/2026