The Henry Luce Foundation’s Theology Program invites new inquiries for projects seeking to advance public knowledge on the topic of race, justice, and religion in America.

The Luce Foundation encourages the submission of letters of inquiry from seminaries and divinity schools, colleges and universities, and other institutions and organizations committed to enriching public discourse on this topic.

Through competitively-awarded grants, the Luce Foundation aims to support collaborative, experimental, and field-shaping initiatives that enliven the practice of public scholarship on—and promote public understanding of—race, justice, and religion in America.

They invite inquiries for projects that seek to rethink received understandings of religion and race in America, to imagine alternative possibilities, and to alter the terms of public discourse.

Funding Information

Grant amounts of $250,000 to $750,000 will be considered, and approved grants will typically fund projects that can be completed in less than five years.

Possible Activities

Grants may fund a wide range of possible activities, including (but not limited to):

• Public-facing humanities and social science scholarship
• Media initiatives and other forms of public and community engagement
• Support for early career scholars and emerging public thinkers
• Creative uses of digital technologies and new publication platforms
• Multi-institutional collaborations and partnerships of various kinds

Criteria

The Foundation especially encourages the submission of inquiries for projects that will:

• Revisit and interrogate accepted histories of race and American religion
• Critically examine connections between religion, racism, and white supremacy
• Strengthen understanding of the role of religion in movements for racial justice
• Work across religious, racial, cultural, disciplinary, and/or institutional boundaries
• Draw on diverse knowledge communities and amplify underrepresented voices
• Attend to transnational movements, flows, engagements, and influences
• Deepen and extend efforts to build a more just, equitable, and democratic future

Additional Eligibility Requirements

• Institutions outside of the United States may submit appropriate projects for consideration only if they provide evidence of non-profit status acceptable to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.
• Only one inquiry may be submitted per institution.
• Funded projects may begin no earlier than January 1, 2022.

For more information, visit Henry Luce Foundation.