Virginia Humanities UVA Wise Grants

Launched in December 2024, the Virginia Humanities at UVA Wise grant program is a collaborative initiative between Virginia Humanities and the University of Virginia's College at Wise. This program specifically serves the communities of Southwest Virginia by supporting public humanities projects that amplify regional stories and encourage dialogue and understanding. By aligning with the mission of Virginia Humanities, this regional program supports a diverse range of educational and cultural activities that engage the public with history, literature, culture, and shared civic life. The Virginia Humanities at UVA Wise grant offers awards of up to $5,000 to support projects based in the nine counties comprising its service area: Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, and Wise. The funding is directed toward nonprofit organizations that are currently in good standing. Applicants must not have an open grant with Virginia Humanities or a Regional Center, nor may they apply for more than one grant from these sources simultaneously. Additionally, successful applicants must complete and have their final report approved before applying again. Projects that received both planning and implementation grants across two separate cycles are not eligible for a third round of funding for the same initiative. Eligible projects include a broad scope of humanities-centered activities such as community forums, public discussions, oral histories, and community history initiatives. Other fundable activities include academic and public conferences, educational resources for K–12 classrooms, physical or online exhibits, festivals, interpretive performances, institutes for teachers, lectures and lecture series, media programs including film, video, radio, podcasts, and digital media, project planning efforts, print publications such as books and brochures, and research that has a direct public application. Funding can also be used for travel expenses related to project personnel, such as mileage and meals. However, the grant explicitly does not support advocacy or political programs, purely artistic endeavors unless they serve a broader discussion purpose, for-credit academic courses (except those for educators), indirect costs, international travel, construction or restoration efforts, awards or gifts, and alcoholic beverages. The application window opens on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, at 9:00 AM and closes on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, at 11:59 PM. All applications must be submitted through the dedicated grants portal after creating or logging into an account. Awards will be announced on Monday, August 8, 2025. The funded project’s budget period spans from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. A Q&A session was held on February 12, 2025, where Virginia Humanities and UVA Wise staff addressed common questions about the grant. Contact for program-related questions is Jinny Turman, Associate Professor of History at UVA Wise, available at jt8zn@uvawise.edu or by phone at 276-376-4609. For technical issues related to the application portal, applicants should contact Kaity Wasinger, Grants and Fellowships Assistant, at kmw5wv@virginia.edu or 434-924-8395.