Public Scholars
The Public Scholars program funds writers researching and writing books on American history, culture, government, or Western civilization for a broad audience, open to both independent and academic scholars.
Funder: National Endowment for the Humanities
Due Dates: April 22, 2026 (Full application) | June 4, 2026 (Letters of reference)
Funding Amounts: $30,000–$60,000 per award (6–12 months, $5,000/month); ~15 awards; total program funding approx. $900,000.
Summary: Supports individual authors writing well-researched nonfiction books in the humanities for a broad public audience, focusing on American history/culture or Western civilization.
Key Information: Applicants must have published at least one sole-authored nonfiction book by a university or trade press.
Description
The Public Scholars program from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) provides grants to individual authors for research, writing, travel, and related activities that lead to the creation and publication of well-researched nonfiction books in the humanities written for the general public. The 2026 competition is limited to projects focusing on American history and culture, or Western civilization, from antiquity to the present. The program encourages both non-academic writers to deepen their engagement with the humanities and academic writers to communicate their research to the widest possible audience.
Projects may be at any development stage, and NEH especially welcomes applications from independent and junior scholars. The program is highly competitive and aims to support books that will advance public understanding of the humanities.
