Opportunity Information: Apply for 20240214 RAI
The Humanities Research Centers on Artificial Intelligence program is a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) discretionary grant opportunity designed to launch new humanities-focused research centers that study artificial intelligence. Run through NEH's Division of Research Programs and introduced under the agency's Humanities Perspectives on Artificial Intelligence initiative, the program aims to build institutional hubs where sustained scholarship can examine what AI means for people, communities, and society. Rather than supporting purely technical AI development, the core expectation is that funded centers will concentrate on the ethical, legal, and societal implications of AI in ways that align with priorities described in the 2023 National Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Strategic Plan.
A key feature of the competition is its emphasis on humanities leadership paired with genuine interdisciplinarity. Centers are expected to bring together scholars from multiple disciplines, but they must be led by scholars in the humanities or humanistic social sciences. In practice, that signals NEH's intent to anchor AI research in fields such as philosophy, history, literature, religious studies, cultural studies, rhetoric, media studies, and adjacent humanistic social sciences, while still encouraging collaboration with law, policy, computer science, information science, and other relevant areas. NEH also highlights particular interest in projects that investigate how AI-related technologies affect equity, privacy, and civil rights, suggesting that strong proposals will engage directly with issues like disparate impacts, surveillance, data governance, bias and discrimination, access and inclusion, and the downstream social consequences of algorithmic decision-making.
The award structure indicates a small number of comparatively large center-building grants. The opportunity lists an award ceiling of $500,000 and anticipates making about 2 awards, meaning the program is competitive and oriented toward centers with clear plans, credible leadership, and strong institutional support. The funding instrument is a grant, and the activity category is listed under Arts (cultural affairs), reflecting NEH's broader humanities mission even when the topic is a fast-moving technology domain.
Eligibility is broad across public-sector and nonprofit institutions that can host a research center. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township, and special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; and nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status other than institutions of higher education. The opportunity was created on October 24, 2023, with an original application deadline of February 14, 2024, under funding opportunity number 20240214 RAI and CFDA number 45.161. Overall, the program is best understood as NEH's effort to seed durable research infrastructure that can shape how AI is interpreted, governed, and lived with, using humanities methods to address high-stakes questions about rights, values, and societal change.Apply for 20240214 RAI
- The National Endowment for the Humanities in the arts (see cultural affairs in cfda) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Humanities Research Centers on Artificial Intelligence" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 45.161.
- This funding opportunity was created on Oct 24, 2023.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 14, 2024. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): NEH Humanities Research Centers on Artificial Intelligence
What is the Humanities Research Centers on Artificial Intelligence program?
The Humanities Research Centers on Artificial Intelligence program is a discretionary grant opportunity from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). It is designed to launch new humanities-focused research centers that study artificial intelligence (AI), with an emphasis on understanding what AI means for people, communities, and society.
Which NEH office runs this grant program?
The program is run through NEH's Division of Research Programs and was introduced under NEH's Humanities Perspectives on Artificial Intelligence initiative.
What is the main purpose of the grant?
The main purpose is to build institutional hubs (research centers) where sustained humanities scholarship can examine the ethical, legal, and societal implications of AI, rather than focusing on purely technical AI development.
Does NEH want technical AI development funded through this opportunity?
No. The core expectation is that funded centers will not be aimed at purely technical AI development. Instead, they should focus on humanities-driven inquiry into AI's implications for society, including ethical, legal, and societal dimensions.
What kinds of questions or themes are centers expected to study?
Centers are expected to study the ethical, legal, and societal implications of AI in ways aligned with priorities described in the 2023 National Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Strategic Plan. The opportunity emphasizes how AI affects people, communities, and society.
What disciplines are expected to lead these centers?
Centers must be led by scholars in the humanities or humanistic social sciences. NEH signals that leadership should be anchored in fields such as philosophy, history, literature, religious studies, cultural studies, rhetoric, and media studies, as well as adjacent humanistic social sciences.
Is interdisciplinarity required?
Yes. A key feature of the competition is humanities leadership paired with genuine interdisciplinarity. Centers are expected to bring together scholars from multiple disciplines while remaining humanities-led.
Which non-humanities fields can be involved in a proposal?
While centers must be led by humanities or humanistic social science scholars, NEH encourages collaboration with other relevant areas such as law, policy, computer science, information science, and related disciplines.
What specific issues does NEH highlight as areas of interest?
NEH highlights particular interest in projects investigating how AI-related technologies affect equity, privacy, and civil rights. This includes topics such as disparate impacts, surveillance, data governance, bias and discrimination, access and inclusion, and downstream social consequences of algorithmic decision-making.
How much funding is available per award?
The opportunity lists an award ceiling of $500,000.
How many awards does NEH expect to make?
NEH anticipates making about 2 awards, indicating a small number of comparatively large center-building grants.
What type of funding instrument is used?
The funding instrument is a grant.
What activity category is this opportunity listed under?
The activity category is listed under Arts (cultural affairs), reflecting NEH's broader humanities mission.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad across public-sector and nonprofit institutions that can host a research center. Eligible applicants include:
- State governments
- County governments
- City or township governments
- Special district governments
- Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
- Federally recognized Native American tribal governments
- Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status other than institutions of higher education
Is this grant meant for creating new centers or supporting existing ones?
It is designed to launch new humanities-focused research centers that study artificial intelligence, with the goal of seeding durable research infrastructure.
What does NEH mean by "center-building" in this competition?
Based on the description, the competition is oriented toward establishing institutional hubs with sustained scholarship. The framing suggests proposals should include clear plans for a research center, credible leadership, and strong institutional support.
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is 20240214 RAI.
What is the CFDA number for this program?
The CFDA number listed is 45.161.
When was this opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on October 24, 2023.
What was the original application deadline?
The original application deadline was February 14, 2024.
How competitive is this grant opportunity?
The program appears highly competitive because it anticipates making about 2 awards and supports relatively large awards (up to $500,000) intended for building research centers.
What is the program trying to achieve in the bigger picture?
The program is best understood as NEH's effort to seed durable research infrastructure that can shape how AI is interpreted, governed, and lived with. It focuses on humanities methods to address high-stakes questions about rights, values, and societal change.
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