Deadlines

Eligibility 

Projects must include a (co)-organizer who is a student or full-time employee (faculty, postdoc, researcher, undergraduate or graduate students) at Columbia University, Teachers College, or Barnard College. 

If the organizer is a Columbia student, they must be enrolled at Columbia for the duration of the project. 

Co-applicants from outside the university are welcome. Outside co-applicants must be affiliated with an incorporated community- or place-based nonprofit organization.

Amount

Up to two awards are available in amounts between $3,000-$5,000. Funds must be expended by June 30, 2027. Please note:

• Funds can only support direct costs. Example expenses can include meeting costs such as meals, supplies and materials, fieldwork costs, travel, accommodation, publication fees, support for student researchers, etc.
• Funds cannot be used for lobbying or political activities.
• Honorariums or stipends cannot be provided to any Columbia University faculty, student, or staff.
  For projects with outside co-applicants: at least half of the funds will be awarded directly to the partner organizations.
• Grantees will be responsible for hosting a talk and/or event to share their project and its outputs with the Center for Science and Society and the broader Columbia University community. Each grantee will receive event planning support and additional funds (up to $300) from the Center for Science and Society staff.    

Description

The environmental humanities grant program at the Center for Science and Society is accepting applications for projects that center the humanities in the study of environmental problems and the climate crisis. Incorporating social and cultural approaches into environmental and climate discussions can help critically examine taken-for-granted concepts from multiple angles and generate new forms of knowledge production.

Collaborative projects should encourage cross-disciplinary research, teaching and/or public programming. Possible projects include (but are not limited to): 

• Research collaborations, including conceptual work on the frameworks that structure human-nature relationships
• Podcasts
• Media projects (including documentaries, films, podcasts, and visual arts)
• Websites or mobile applications
• Literary projects (including fiction and non-fiction)
• Events (including internal discussion groups, public events, or workshops)

Apply

To apply, please submit the following as a single PDF document by 11:59PM ET on February 27, 2026 to [email protected] with “Environmental Humanities Grant” in the subject line of the email: 

• Cover page including (1) title of proposal, (2) applicants and their affiliations and email addresses, (3) an executive summary or abstract of the project, and (4) the total funding amount sought.
• Proposal narrative of no more than two pages (single-spaced, 12-point font). The narrative should include:
  • A description of the project and how it combines environmental or climate questions and issues with the arts, humanities and/or social sciences.
  • Project’s goals, broader impact, and definitions for success. 
    Note: applicants are encouraged to think beyond the traditional academic and metric-driven definition of impact. Community applicants and Columbia-affiliated applicants could have different definitions of success, both of which should be included in this section.
  • A clear description of the intended final project
• Timeline of research and/or activities
  • Please include a brief description of a possible format for a Center for Science and Society event, sharing the project and/or its final deliverable(s).
• Budget with a line-by-line breakdown and justification of all expenses and list of any outside support (if applicable)
• Participant section, which should include:
  • CVs or short biographies including relevant professional, academic, and lived experiences (no more than a paragraph each) for co-organizers and other major participants.
  • If applicants include a community applicant, please include:
  • Brief summary of the organization the applicant is affiliated with, including its mission, relevant activities, and website link (if available).
  • Reciprocally beneficial responsibilities for the community applicant and Columbia-affiliated applicant (no more than two paragraphs).