The Nature of Liberal Civic Virtue
The Nature of Liberal Civic Virtue grant from the Institute for Humane Studies funds research on the values and virtues vital to sustaining liberal democracy.
Funder: Institute for Humane Studies
Due Dates: August 31, 2026 (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: Up to $20,000 per project; larger awards possible for exceptional or collaborative proposals.
Summary: Supports innovative research exploring the virtues and qualities essential to sustaining liberal democracy, with emphasis on collaborative and cross-disciplinary projects.
Description
This grant supports rigorous academic research into the virtues and qualities necessary for sustaining a free, pluralistic, and self-governing liberal democracy. The program encourages scholars to investigate foundational questions about the relationship between liberal values—such as liberty, dignity, equality, and pluralism—and the civic virtues required to uphold them. Special consideration is given to collaborative projects that cross disciplinary or philosophical boundaries and to proposals featuring innovative methodologies for identifying or grounding liberal civic virtues. Expected research outputs include peer-reviewed publications, books, essays, or policy reports.
