President's Fund for the Humanities

Proposals must be authored by full-time CU tenured faculty, tenure track faculty, clinical teaching faculty. Visiting faculty members are not eligible for the PFH program. There are no disciplinary restrictions on applicants so long as the work fits solidly within an artistic/humanistic framework.  Proposals will not be considered if submitted by faculty who have not completed their final report from a previous PFH award.

Proposals must contain the following information and adhere to the following format.

• Cover Sheet, which includes (one page):
  • project title;
  • author’s name, title, department, phone number, and email address;
  • brief description and purpose for the project; and,
  • dollar amount requested.
• Proposal Narrative, which includes (three pages or less):
  • an overview of the project and its significance, with special attention to the main scholarly questions/problems or creative activities being proposed;
  • the methods that you utilize and how these methods will provide you with the information/ability you need to address your proposed work;
  • how the proposed project aligns with and extends your scholarship or creative work; and, 
  • the outcomes to be accomplished during the award period.
• Budget and Justification (one page)
  • A complete and itemized budget table that includes the precise dollar amount being requested and compelling justification for the requests. Please clearly label the expenses to be covered by PFH and other sources of funding.
• Project Workplan (one page)
  • A clear complete timeline of project activities and the outcomes to be accomplished. If your project cannot be completed within one year of when the award is made, please explain why.
• CV (abbreviated, no more than two pages)
• Supporting Letters
  • If you are requesting a course buyout, you must include with your submission a supporting letter from your chair or dean saying that if the project is funded, your course buyout will be supported.
  • If your proposal includes new library acquisitions, you must include with your submission a statement from the director of libraries affirming the acquisitions will be made. 
  • If your proposal involves outside collaborators or resources, you must include with your submission written commitment of their participation and/or permission for access.

Funds may be used towards one course buyout (at standard buy-out rates for each unit) over the course of the proposed work. If you are requesting a course buyout, you must include with your submission a supporting letter from your chair or dean saying that if the project is funded, your course buyout will be supported.

• Salary support for students (e.g., research assistants or other student assistants) must be explicitly justified in the proposal.
• Funds may be used towards the purchase of equipment or materials (including computer software or hardware). Please indicate in the proposal why they are essential to the project, who will be responsible for them, and how they will be used after the project is completed.
• Funds may NOT be awarded for activities that have already occurred or will occur within two months of the proposal submission deadline.
• Award funds must be expended within one year of the project start date. 
• All funds must be spent in accordance with university fiscal and procurement policies. 

The proposal should demonstrate:

• Overall significance/impact of the project. 
• Quality of the conception, definition, organization, and intended outcomes of the project. 
• Feasibility and appropriateness of the proposed plan of work and funding request. 
• Congruence of the project with the scholar’s background and demonstrated expertise; and potential effect of the project on the applicant's scholarly/creative development.

Before receiving funding, you must agree to submit a final report on the activities supported by the grant within 30 days of project completion. The 1-2 page document should include a budget report and a summary of the impacts of the project.

Final report submission form: https://www.cu.edu/oaa/forms/presidents-fund-humanities-final-report

Please click the button below to submit your PFH proposal:

  Submit PFH Proposal

Please email academicaffairs@cu.edu.