For Faculty
Free Society Grants support faculty seeking to develop or expand undergraduate programming grounded in the liberal tradition. Grants are awarded based on project scope and need. The next application cycle opens March 13, 2026; the deadline is June 15, 2026. Funding decisions will be announced by August 7, 2026.
Support for Undergraduate Programming
These grants are designed for faculty who want to cultivate sustained intellectual engagement through mentorship, structured reading, and rigorous discussion—inside and beyond the classroom. The goal is not simply exposure to ideas, but intellectual formation.
Eligible projects may include faculty-led mentorship programs, reading groups or structured discussion series, colloquia or student research workshops, undergraduate symposia or mini-conferences, support for student research and conference participation, and innovative programming that deepens engagement with political, economic, and civic questions.
If you are planning public lectures, we encourage programming that allows students to engage meaningfully with speakers—through preparatory reading groups, moderated discussions, or small-group conversations. On average, we expect no more than 20% of a grant’s activity to be public lectures.
All grants include access to ScholarsEdge digital tools, including registration support, to help ensure smooth execution and sustained engagement.
While programming may evolve, applicants should provide a preliminary lineup of speakers, readings, or discussion topics; a clear description of student engagement activities; and a detailed budget breakdown for each planned component.
Institutional overhead or indirect costs.
Any event where a speaker presents to a student audience without structured engagement activities. Q&A alone does not count as meaningful engagement. Preparatory readings, small-group discussions, or follow-on sessions do.
Free Society Grants are awarded on a per-cycle basis. If your program demonstrates strong outcomes, you are welcome to apply for renewed funding in future cycles.
ScholarsEdge is IHS’s platform for managing grant activities, event registration, and connecting with the broader IHS network. Access is provided to all grantees at no cost.
Other IHS funding opportunities for doctoral researchers.