To begin the submission process, go to the InfoReady Review Arts & Humanities Initiative (AHI) Program Spring 2024 electronic application and click "Apply" on the right side of the screen. Sign-in with your Hawk ID and password via the blue "University of Iowa Login" button. 

At the time of application, all UI personnel in the arts and humanities disciplines who are tenure-track or tenured faculty, clinical track faculty, research faculty, instructional faculty, and other staff members for whom research and scholarship are assigned as one of their primary job responsibilities and have at least a 50% university appointment during the academic year of the project are eligible to apply for funding.

The award is made to only one individual. Co-PIs are not allowed. Adjunct faculty, visiting faculty, postdoctoral fellows or scholars, associates, fellowship trainees, and graduate students are not eligible.

An applicant may appear as PI/PD on only one proposal per application cycle, but may be listed as a collaborator or consultant on other proposals.

Proposed AHI projects must be undertaken and all funds must be expended (not just encumbered) within 12 months of the award letter. No funds will be provided for activities that already have taken place.

The electronic application form requires completion of six sections: 1) general information, 2) curriculum vitae of internal/external collaborators, 3) abstract and focused questions in text boxes, 4) budget information, 5) Project Narrative, and 6) PI/PD curriculum vitae. See specific guidelines below.

Text Boxes: Provide the following information in the appropriate text box. Some material requested may appear to be redundant with the Project Narrative, but the text box information should be considered as the Executive Summary of the proposal.

1. Abstract/Project Summary (350 word limit):  Provide a brief overview of the proposal.  Include the main procedures and activities of the project that are comprehensible to non-specialists and, if successful, the expected impact of the project. 
2. Justification (350 word limit):  Describe why the requested funds are needed.  Elaborate on how existing sources of support will be leveraged to expand, extend or innovate towards a new or novel research, scholarly or creative project. Identify new collaborations, if applicable, that extend your project into areas that have not previously been established.  Provide details about how your proposed work will respond to departmental, collegiate or institutional strategic priorities.

Only one resubmission will be allowed for any application.  A one-page “Response to Reviewers” must be included in the revised submission (see Narrative Guidelines below).  The revised proposal will be considered only if significantly improved over the original submission and comments from the initial review are appropriately addressed.  Indicate revised paragraphs in the project narrative with a line in the right-hand margin.

Submissions beyond the permitted single revision or revised applications submitted as new will be returned without review.

Budget requests are for a 12-month period.  Funding commences from the date of the award letter.  Enter budget items, costs and justification as indicated in the appropriate AHI Budget Form, which is available on the electronic application site. 

Do not submit a budget as part of the narrative PDF.

Be as specific as possible, listing the need for personnel, travel, equipment, services, supplies, etc.  Explain why the requested item is essential for the proposed work.  Justification for each budget item should answer the question: “Why is this specific person/item necessary for the proposed project?”  Note: providing a description only of the person/item is not a justification.

Click here to view allowable budget items.   

Click here and sign in with your HawkID and password for examples of successful budgets.

The required Project Narrative must contain sections 1-6 (1-7 for resubmissions) in the order indicated, with each section clearly identified.  Type font must be 11-point (or larger) Times, Times New Roman or Arial, and margins must be at least .75 inches. A “Response to Reviewers” section is required for resubmitted proposals.  Indicate revised paragraphs in the narrative with a line in the right-hand margin.

1.  Project Description 
2.  Significance
3.  Collaboration (not required for Standard Grant applications) 
4.  Feasibility and Timeline 
5.  Outcomes and Impact 
6.  Bibliography
7.  Response to Reviewers (One-page limit -- resubmissions only. See resubmission guidelines above.)

Page Limitations:  The narrative may not exceed five single spaced pages (six pages for resubmissions), inclusive of all sections, diagrams, images, graphs, and bibliography.  Narratives that exceed the page limitation will be returned without review.

Narrative Content:  The content of the Project Narrative should address the questions outlined in the review criteria specifically applicable to the AHI grant under application.  See "Review Process" below for details. 

Narrative Language: It is essential that applicants write their proposals in a language that is comprehensible to nonspecialists. To that end, limit the amount of highly discipline-specific jargon. Remember that most reviewers will not be experts in your field of study. Your objective is to assist the reviewer in understanding the goals, feasibility and overall impact of your project.

Supplemental Materials (Optional):  Applicants proposing audio-visual or digital projects may insert a link to web hosted materials within the narrative.  Alternatively, applicants may upload the appropriate file where indicated in the online form related to audio, visual or digital projects.  Since reviewers tend to be most attentive to the narrative, applicants should be sure to develop a narrative that can stand on its own.

Letters of Support (Optional): One to two brief (no more than one page in length) letters of support may be included at the end of the narrative packet and are not counted against the narrative page limitation.

A Curriculum Vitae (CV) (no more than four pages in length) is required for the PI/PD and all key collaborators.  The PI/PD’s CV is to be uploaded as one pdf attachment where indicated in the electronic submission site.  Collaborator CVs are to be uploaded only where indicated in the online application form.

Shortly after the submission deadline, the OVPR will send an automatic email from the InfoReady Review system to the PI/PD’s DEO with a link to the endorsement form. Applicants do not need to request a DEO endorsement prior to submission; however, it is strongly recommended to consult with your DEO prior to submission to inform them of your project.  If the DEO is also an applicant, the request will instead be sent to the applicant’s collegiate associate dean for research. DEO endorsement comments are required and are considered by the review panel as part of the evaluation process.

Previous AHI Awardees

Examples of successful proposals and budgets (HawkID and password required)  After signing in, click on "Sample Proposals and Supporting Documents" to access the "Internal Funding Initiatives Proposals" and the "Internal Funding Initiatives Sample Budgets" folder.

Standard grant applications should be responsive to the specific review criteria below. OVPR seeks to identify applications that are both innovative and impact the field, discipline, or broader community defined in the proposal. 

Applications will be evaluated by peer-reviewed teams composed of University of Iowa faculty and professional staff. Recommendations will be made to the Vice President for Research, who will make the final determination of awards. 

Project Description

• Is the goal or central problem of the project clearly identified?
• How does the project complement, challenge, or expand relevant studies in the field?  What is the major contribution of the project?
• Is the research plan clearly described?
• Will this project result in a completed work, or the completion of a stage in the development of a work?
• If applicable, what are the results from previous AHI Grants? 
• Is a short list of bibliographical references relevant to the application included?

Significance

• What is the novel, unique, or creative component of the project?
• If the project brings together individuals from diverse disciplines, how does the proposed work enhance those disciplines and what is the benefit of the collaboration?
• If the project stems from a single scholar or artist, describe how the proposed work enhances the PI/PD’s scholarship or creative experiences.

Collaboration (Not required for Standard Grant applications)

• What new key collaborations are identified? 
• How does the application bring together individuals from other disciplines to develop and advance a scholarly, creative, or research project?

Feasibility and Timeline

• Are the qualifications, competencies, and achievements of the PI/PD (and collaborators, if appropriate) suited to carry out the project?
• Does the proposal address access to essential resources, environment (personnel, space, facilities), and budget to support the desired outcomes?
• Is it likely that the project will be completed in the proposed timeline? 
• What critical milestones are provided to assure progress along the timeline?

Outcomes and Impact

• What is the overall impact of the project?
• Who derives direct or indirect benefit from the project? What are the next steps for the project once internal funding has been completed?
• Does the applicant include a specific plan for pursuing external sources of funding, including sponsor names and deadlines?
• What is the likelihood that the project will attract external grant funding?
• Has the applicant considered opportunities to share discoveries with a wider public or audience?

Response to Reviewers (one-page limit -- resubmissions only)

• How has the revised proposal been significantly improved and how has the proposal addressed comments from the initial review?

Major Project applications should be responsive to the specific review criteria below.  Funding is provided to support preliminary work for novel projects to develop new collaborations and enable the PI/PD to submit competitive applications for external grants or leverage substantial unit/departmental/collegiate support.  OVPR seeks to identify applications that are highly innovative and impact the field, discipline, or broader community defined in the proposal.  Major Project applications are expected to emphasize innovation, collaboration and interdisciplinarity. Awards are given to highly scored projects whose scope, cost, complexity and potential impact are demonstrably greater than those associated with the production of the usual academic publication, creation, or performance. This award is available, not for merely expensive projects, but for complex projects that promise to have an especially broad impact.

Applications will be evaluated by peer-reviewed teams composed of University of Iowa faculty and professional staff. Recommendations will be made to the Vice President for Research, who will make the final determination of awards.

Project Description

• What is the new big idea of the major project? 
• Is the proposed scholarly, research, or creative project clearly described?
• Are important elements of originality and significance identified? 
• Are the approach and methodology sound and clearly described? 
• How will the impact of the project be evaluated? 
• Is a short list of bibliographical references relevant to the application included?

Significance

• What is the novel, unique, or creative component of the project? 
• How does the innovative idea promote new research directions, scholarly capabilities or creative works? 

Collaboration

• What new key collaborations are identified? 
• How does the application bring together individuals from other disciplines to develop and advance a scholarly, creative, or research project?

Feasibility and Timeline

• Are the qualifications, competencies and achievements of the PI/PD and collaborators suited to carry out the project?
• Does the proposal address access to essential resources, environment (personnel, space, facilities), and budget to support the desired outcomes?
• Is it likely that the project will be completed in the proposed timeline?
• What critical milestones are provided to assure progress along the timeline?

Outcomes and Impact

• What is the overall impact of the project? 
• Does the applicant include a specific plan for pursuing external sources of funding, including sponsor names and deadlines?
• What is the likelihood that the project will attract external grant funding?
• Is the project the outcome of a new idea or is it incremental in nature?  
• What is produced at the end of the project?
• Who derives direct or indirect benefit from the project?
• What outreach and engagement to broader communities and disciplines is provided?    
• What are the next steps for the project once internal funding has been completed?

Response to Reviewers (one-page limit -- resubmissions only)

• How has the revised proposal been significantly improved and how has the proposal addressed comments from the initial review?

Major Conference applications should be responsive to the specific review criteria below.  Funding is in support of new conferences, symposia, seminars, colloquia, or workshops. Preference may be given to humanities conferences designed to result in a scholarly product and to arts conferences designed to result in a public display or representation. Applications that focus on existing conferences or have very limited participation are not considered responsive to this request for proposals. Proposed conferences must be held at the University of Iowa.

Applications will be evaluated by peer-reviewed teams composed of University of Iowa faculty and professional staff. Recommendations will be made to the Vice President for Research, who will make the final determination of awards.

Project Description

• Why is the proposed new conference needed? 
• Is the proposed conference clearly described?
• What is the importance and significance of the conference from the perspective of the discipline or area of focus?   
• Who is the target audience? 
• How will the impact of the conference be evaluated and assessed?

Significance

• What is new and novel about the proposed conference or meeting?

Collaboration

• How does the conference bring together individuals from cross- or multiple disciplines? 
• Who benefits from the proposed conference?

Feasibility and Timeline

• Are the qualifications, competencies and achievements of the PI/PD and collaborators suited to carry out the project?
• Does the proposal address access to essential resources, environment (personnel, space, facilities), and budget to support the project’s desired outcomes?
• Is it likely that the project will be completed in the proposed timeline?
• What critical milestones are provided to assure progress along the timeline?

Outcomes and Impact

• What is the overall impact of the conference? 
• What is the benefit to the target audience? 
• What outreach and engagement to broader communities and disciplines is envisioned as a result of the conference or meeting?  
• If the conference will continue in future years, what mechanisms are developed to sustain funding for the conference?
• Does the applicant include a specific plan for pursuing external sources of funding, including sponsor names and deadlines?

Response to Reviewers (one-page limit -- resubmissions only)

• How has the revised proposal been significantly improved and how has the proposal addressed comments from the initial review?

Reviews for the Fall 2023 application cycle will take place in November 2023 and award notifications sent in December, 2023.

The project period is 12 months from the date of the award letter. If your project is constrained by outside factors dictating a different funding period, you should apply during the funding cycle that more closely matches the project's required timeframe.

COVID-19 Exception: If your project is funded and pandemic issues arise that hinder its progress, our office will allow flexibility with the timeline in support of its completion.

The Arts & Humanities Initiative (AHI) program is administered by the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) and applications are evaluated by peer-review teams composed of University of Iowa faculty and professional staff.  Review terms are served "at will" and are reviewed annually to ensure disciplinary balance on the panel.  Terms are generally 1-3 years in duration. 

If you are interested in serving as a AHI reviewer, please email vpr-rdo@uiowa.edu.

The following faculty and staff are currently serving as AHI reviewers:

Lori Branch
Associate Professor, English
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

E Cram
Associate Professor, Gender, Women's & Sexuality Studies/Communication Studies
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Jose Fernandez
Assistant Professor, Latina/o/x Studies/Interdisciplinary Programs
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Kendall Heitzman
DEO/Associate Professor, Asian and Slavic Languages and Literatures
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Ashley Howard
Assistant Professor, History/African American Studies
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Jennifer Kayle
Professor, Dance
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Carmen Langel
Director, Grant Support Office
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Julia Leonard
Associate Professor, Director of Graduate Studies
UI Center for the Book
School of Library and Information Science

Travis Vogan
Professor, Journalism & Mass Communication
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

The OVPR is indebted to the following faculty who contributed their time, effort and expertise in service on previous AHI review panels:

Matthew Hill
Associate Professor, Anthropology
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Lisa Schlesinger
Associate Professor, Theatre Arts
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Robert Bork
Professor, Art & Art History
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Bob Kirby
Director, Iowa Center for Research by Undergraduates
Office of the Vice President for Research

Anny Curtius
Associate Professor, French & Italian
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Roland Racevskis
Associate Dean for the Arts and Humanities
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Elizabeth Yale
Assistant Professor, History
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Charlotte Adams
Professor, Dance
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Clara Baldus
Clinical Professor, Teaching & Learning
College of Education

Robert Bork
Professor, Art & Art History
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Peter Chanthanakone
Associate Professor, Art & Art History
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Robert Cook
Associate Professor, Music
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Monica Correia
​Associate Professor, Art & Art History
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Corey Creekmur
Associate Professor, Cinematic Arts
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Glenn Ehrstine
Associate Professor, German
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

James Elmborg
Associate Professor, Library & Information Science
Graduate College

Kristi Fitzpatrick
Director, Grant Support Office
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Michael Gibisser
Assistant Professor, Cinematic Arts
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Eric Gidal
Associate Professor, English
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Colin Gordon
Professor, History
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Timothy Havens
Professor, Communication Studies
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Richard Heidel
​Associate Professor, Music
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Anita Jung
Professor, Art & Art History
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Paul Kalina
Associate Professor, Theatre Arts
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Jennifer Kayle
Associate Professor, Dance
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Rebekah Kowal
Associate Professor, Dance
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Brenda Longfellow
Associate Professor, Art & Art History
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Waltraud Maierhofer
​Professor, German
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Kimberley Marra
Professor, Theatre Arts
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Luis Martin-Estudillo 
Associate Professor, Spanish & Portuguese 
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Daniel Miller
Assistant Professor, Art and Art History
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Kristy Nabhan-Warren
Professor, Religious Studies
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Michelene Pesantubbee
Associate Professor, Religious Studies
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Maura Pilcher
Director, Grant Wood Art Colony
Office of the Provost

Nathan Platte
Associate Professor, School of Music
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Tyler Priest
Associate Professor, History and Geography
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Lauren Rabinovitz
Professor, American Studies
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Marizen Ramirez
Associate Professor, Occupational and Environmental Health
College of Public Health

Laura Rigal
Associate Professor, English
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Ana Rodriguez-Rodriguez 
Associate Professor, Spanish & Portuguese 
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Rosemarie Scullion
Associate Professor, French & Italian
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Ahmed Souaiaia
​Associate Professor, Religious Studies
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Landon Storrs
​Associate Professor, History
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Miriam Thaggert
Associate Professor, African American Studies
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Deborah Whaley
Associate Professor, American and African American Studies
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Rachel Williams
Associate Professor
Gender, Women's & Sexuality Studies; Art & Art History
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Bryon Winn
Professor, Theatre Arts
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences