The First Book Grant (FBG) for Research on Minoritized Christian Communities in North America
The Louisville Institute First Book Grant funds early-career scholars to complete research and writing on minoritized Christian communities in North America during a dedicated academic or calendar year.
Funder: Louisville Institute
Due Dates: January 15, 2027 (full application) | January 22, 2027 (letters of recommendation & letter of release)
Funding Amounts: Up to $55,000 for a full academic or calendar year; typically used for salary/benefit replacement during research leave.
Summary: Supports early-career scholars researching minoritized Christian communities in North America by funding academic leave to complete their first scholarly book.
Key Information: Applicants must have faced significant adversity in their careers and secure institutional release for the grant period.
Description
This grant provides substantial support to early-career, pre-tenured scholars—especially those teaching at theological schools—who are completing research and writing for their first scholarly book (or a second, if required for tenure) on minoritized Christian communities in North America. The program enables recipients to dedicate a full academic or calendar year (2027–2028) to their project, free from teaching and administrative duties. Projects should address how Christian faith and practice among minoritized groups are shaped by social history, migration, and cultural difference in the U.S. or Canada. Preference is given to projects already in progress, particularly those with manuscripts under contract or in active consideration by academic publishers. Grantees are also required to attend a Winter Seminar in January 2028 for collaborative engagement with peers.
