Event Support is a grant from the Institute for Humane Studies (IHS) that funds faculty-led academic events exploring the foundations, challenges, and institutions of free societies. Grants of up to $5,000 support expense reimbursement for hosting conferences, workshops, and scholarly gatherings that engage themes of liberty, governance, and human flourishing.

IHS also offers focused Requests for Proposals on research topics including digital governance, nuclear energy policy, and deliberative democracy, with awards up to $20,000. Eligible applicants are university faculty members. Prior IHS affiliation is not required, and scholars retain full independence over their research agenda.

Scholar Resources | Institute for Humane Studies Find Support for Research That Advances a Free Society Questions about the foundations of free societies—how institutions endure, how power is constrained and held accountable, how people build lives of meaning and purpose—are central to the humanities and social sciences.

That’s why IHS supports related scholarship at every career stage, from foundational work in philosophy and social theory to applied questions in energy, housing, health care, and governance. We move quickly, trusting researchers to follow their questions wherever they lead. GRADUATE & POSTDOC RESEARCH IHS provides funding and mentorship when they matter most for early-career researchers.

We support dissertations, first publications, and transitions to the next stage. FACULTY RESEARCH Our grant funding and cross-disciplinary network supports rigorous, independent scholarship and helps it reach the practitioners who need it most. UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION IHS provides funding for faculty to introduce undergraduate students to the core themes of the liberal tradition.

IHS issues focused requests for proposals on research questions where rigorous liberal scholarship is most urgently needed. Awarded scholars may receive up to $20,000. Larger awards may be considered for exceptional projects.

Digital Governance as Liberal Experimentation IHS invites applications from academic scholars whose research pertains to digital governance methods and technologies. We are especially interested in proposals that bridge disciplines. Comparative research threads to Estonia or other countries are welcomed but not necessary.

Research deliverables can include peer-reviewed publications, policy white papers, or shareable research databases. Nuclear Energy and the Challenge of a Growing Grid IHS invites applications from academic scholars whose research pertains to nuclear energy.

We are especially interested in work that engages questions of regulation, institutional design, and public perception, including work on licensing and permitting systems, reform options, and the political feasibility of nuclear energy expansion. Deliberative Democracy and the Effects of Deliberation IHS invites applications from academic scholars whose research pertains to deliberative democracy.

We are especially interested in proposals that bridge disciplines. Research deliverables can include peer-reviewed publications, policy white papers, or shareable research databases, among other things. Cost of Living IHS invites academic scholars to apply for funding for research that uses the Cost of Living tool in ScholarsEdge.

The Cost of Living tool in ScholarsEdge is an AI-powered research application that aggregates a wide range of economic, social, and environmental data at the ZIP-code level, allowing scholars to quickly analyze and compare local conditions across the United States.

HUMANE STUDIES FELLOWSHIP PhD Students and Postdoctoral Fellows Based on Need Learn More RESIDENCY FUNDING PhD Students and Postdoctoral Fellows Up to $10,000 Learn More ACADEMIC MENTORSHIP PhD Students for the 2026-2027 Academic Year Up to $8,000 Learn More EXPENSE SUPPORT Faculty Up to $5,000 Learn More FREE SOCIETY GRANTS Faculty Based on Need For Undergraduate Programming ADVANCING THE TRADITION Faculty Based on Need Support for Research That Strengthens a Free Society All Graduate Student Faculty Tue, Jun 2, 2026 · 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM Energy Innovation for an Abundant Future: A Proposals Workshop Thu, Jun 4, 2026 · 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM Estonia, E-Governance, and Experimental Liberalism Sat, Jun 6, 2026 – Sun, Jun 7, 2026 Economic Freedom and Human Flourishing: A Graduate Papers Workshop Find Opportunities on ScholarsEdge "IHS trusted me before I'd proved myself.

That first survey taught me how to be a quantitative researcher. Maybe I wouldn't have applied to Harvard. It seemed like such a long shot."

"IHS always put me in the rooms with people asking really difficult questions that challenge me to think harder about myself and my research." "I always recommend my students reach out to IHS. I tell them, 'if these ideas are something you want to continue exploring, there's this wonderful resource.'"

Who qualifies for IHS support? − IHS funds graduate students, university professors, and other scholars whose work engages foundational questions about the norms and institutions of a free society, challenges and tensions within them, and the drivers of abundance and human flourishing. Prior IHS affiliation is not required.

If you're unsure whether your work fits, contact us before applying; we'd rather answer questions early and save your valuable time. What types of funding are available? How do I apply for a fellowship?

+ Applications vary by program. Follow the application instructions provided for each fellowship or grant. Can I access resources without applying?

+ Yes. ScholarsEdge provides research tools and easy connections with the other members of our community. IHS offers many resources to all members of our network.

Does my research need to reach particular political conclusions? + No. IHS funds rigorous inquiry within the liberal tradition, and awarded scholars retain full independence over research design, analysis, and publication. + IHS follows the wisdom of Frederick Douglass: “I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong.

” That’s why we work with more than 1,500 individual donors and foundations from across the liberal spectrum—left, classical, and conservative—all with the aim of advancing the principles of freedom and human flourishing. As a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, IHS maintains its own governance and leadership structure, and no donor controls IHS's research agenda, scholar selection, or institutional direction.

Reach out to our scholar support team directly. AN ONLINE MAGAZINE FOR FREE & OPEN PEOPLE Connect to people, ideas, and opportunities—tailored to what you care about most. I'm interested in: Ways to support IHS's work Resources and opportunities for scholars Ideas and essays on freedom and human flourishing