Humanities Coalition: Preparing Humanities PhDs for Careers in Grant Writing and Resource Development

Funded by the Mellon Foundation, the Humanities Coalition is a network of universities working to improve professional development in humanities doctoral education. The project is based on earlier research from the PhD Career Pathways project, which identified grant-writing as an area where many PhD alumni had not received formal preparation.  A cohort of institutions received grants from CGS to develop projects that provide current humanities doctoral students with the skills and knowledge needed to effectively secure resources for the work they will undertake in their future careers; two other cohorts, one focused on networking and building relationships, and another focused on preparing graduate students for diverse careers, are part of the Coalition.

Last week, three graduate deans participating in the Humanities Coalition shared their expertise during a webinar, Preparing Humanities PhDs for Careers in Grant Writing and Resource Development.

Speakers included Katie Antony, Interim Dean of the Graduate School, University of Southern Mississippi; Dana Williams, Dean of the Graduate School, Howard University; and Emily Barman, Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost of Graduate Education, Loyola University Chicago. Together they discussed the strategies their institutions used to help students develop skills in entrepreneurship, grant-writing, and the cultivation of funders to support research, scholarship, and programs.

Watch the webinar recording to learn how they attracted students to their programs, engaged faculty, and overcame challenges.