U.S. at 250 Grant Initiative

U.S. at 250 Grant Initiative is sponsored by University of Michigan. U. S.

at 250 Grant Initiative is a grant from the University of Michigan that funds projects commemorating America's 250th anniversary through historical research, community engagement, and public scholarship.

America250MI Grant Portal | America250MI ... to the America250MI Grant Portal Round 1 History Grant Winners Round 2 History Grant Winners ​ ​ Thank you to everyone who applied in Rounds 1 and 2 of the America250MI History Grant Program.

We are deeply grateful for the extraordinary effort you invested in your grant applications—especially the thoughtful work aligned with the Five Guiding Themes and the strong, meaningful partnerships you built. We recognize how much time, care, and collaboration goes into developing proposals of this quality, and it truly showed in the submissions we received. This cycle was exceptionally competitive.

We were also thrilled to see the program’s reach expand so significantly—from 94 applicants in Round 1 to 240 in Round 2, more than doubling the applicant pool. That level of interest and dedication speaks volumes about the impact your history projects are having across Michigan, and we sincerely appreciate your passion and the important work you are doing to preserve and share Michigan’s stories.

We also want to share how much we valued the opportunity to learn from you. One of the most meaningful parts of this process was the time spent with applicants—hearing about your communities, your goals, your dreams, and the many ways you are bringing history to life. Whether or not your proposal was funded in either round, your work matters, and we are grateful you shared it with us.

As we revisit the Declaration, we are reminded that its message resonates as deeply now as it did in 1776. It is not an abstract statement, but a direct and uncompromising repudiation of tyranny, and a clear demand that power remain accountable to the people. It sets a standard for legitimate government and a responsibility we inherit.

As it declares, “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. ” It further affirms that “all men are created equal” and are endowed with “certain unalienable Rights,” including “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. ” Thank you again for your dedication, your collaboration, and for the care you bring to this work every single day.

We are honored to have had the opportunity to learn from your efforts, and we look forward to continuing alongside you as Michigan carries these ideals forward for another 250 years.