Global Humanities Faculty Seminars

Global Humanities Faculty Seminars support speaker series around issues of culture, identity, narrative, and power that cut across national boundaries. These grants, of up to $12,500 each, are co-sponsored by Georgetown College.

Eligibility

The program is open to all Georgetown academic departments, centers, institutes, and programs.

Scope

Grants support the organization and execution of a series of on-campus seminars, over either one semester or the full academic year, including economy travel and honoraria for outside speakers, and for receptions or dinners. 

Topics

Issues in the humanities and history with a global dimension.

Applicants may also consider applying for the International Collaborative Grants. Applicants can apply to both grant programs with the same project but should submit separate applications for each program.

Timing

Proposals will be considered by a faculty committee in March and October of each year. Applications for the fall 2026 cycle are due by midnight on October 15, 2026.

Application Process

The head of the sponsoring campus unit (department, center, institute, or program) should submit the following materials in one combined PDF file to viceprovostforresearch@georgetown.edu, with a subject line of “LASTNAME-Global Humanities Faculty Seminar.” Applications must include:

• the application form
• a one- to two-page memo the organization and rationale for the project and envisioned outcomes, for example, proposals for external funding or publications.
• a budget of proposed expenses. U.S. per diem rates  should be applied when budgeting for travel. Economy flights only.

Decision Criteria

The committee will evaluate proposals based on academic rationale, capacity to bring together faculty and students from more than one unit on campus, soundness of budget, and availability of funds.

Notification and Execution

The faculty committee will notify applicants of its decisions within a month of the submission deadline. Funds will be transferred to the hosting unit (department, center, institute, or program) for distribution in accordance with the agreed budget within the fiscal year in which the grant is awarded. Grants are to be carried out in compliance with university policies, and all funds not used will be returned. Within three months of the completion of the seminar, a 250-word report outlining its execution, impact, and budget expenditures is to be submitted to the Office of the Provost at viceprovostforresearch@georgetown.edu.

Questions may be directed to the Vice Provost for Research at viceprovostforresearch@georgetown.edu.

Previous Awardees

• “North American Victorian Studies Association 2025: “Aftermaths: Race, Environment, Repair,” organized by the Department of English, 2024
• “In the Face of War Crimes: Truth-telling, Performance, and the Art of Getting Things Done – Innovating Responses to the Forced Deportation of Ukrainian Children by Russia,” organized by the Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics and the Collaborative on Global Children’s Issues, 2023
• “The Local Goes Global: Local Cultures as Models for Global Activism,” organized by the Center for Latin American Studies and the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, 2023
• “Reconsidering Re(construction),” organized by the Department of History, 2023.
• “American Studies Overseas: A Collaboration between U Lisboa and Georgetown University,” organized by the Department of English and the MA Program in the Engaged and Public Humanities, 2022
• “Understanding and Including Forced Migrants and Refugees: Responses from the Humanities,” organized by the Initiative for Multilingual Studies and the Georgetown Humanities Initiative, 2021
• “The Question of Infrastructure in the Making and Unmaking of the Contemporary World,” organized by the Department of Anthropology, SFS Culture and Politics Program, Department of Geography, and Department of English, 2020
• “Borders and Their Shadows: A New Play Festival,” organized by the Department of Performing Arts, 2019
• “Decolonization Now,” organized by the Department of English, 2019
• “Seminar in French History, 1500-1700,” organized by the Department of History, 2018-2019 academic year
• “Consciousness from the Margins,” organized by the Center for Social Justice Research, Teaching, and Service, 2018-2019 academic year
• “Theory and Practice: Humanities in the World,” organized by the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies (SFS) and the Georgetown Institute for Global History, spring 2016 semester
• “The Interpretation and Understanding of Political Philosophy Texts,” organized by the Tocqueville Forum for Political Understanding (College), spring 2016 semester
• “Worldly Compositions: Humans and Nonhumans and the Making of Global Publics,” organized by The Program in Culture and Politics (SFS), in collaboration with faculty in College, fall 2015 semester
• “Cuba and the United States in Historical Perspective,” organized by the Department of History, 2015-2016 academic year