Our fellowships support writers, community scholars, educators, and university faculty in researching and sharing stories about Virginia’s history and culture. Since 1974, we have awarded nearly 400 fellowships, providing time, funding, and institutional support for projects that deepen public understanding of Virginia’s people, places, and ideas.
Fellowship-supported projects take many forms, including books, research initiatives, educational programs, and other humanities-based work designed to engage broad audiences. Applicants may apply for one fellowship at a time.
Public Humanities Fellowships
Our Public Humanities Fellowships help writers, independent scholars, community historians, and college and university faculty members share meaningful research, stories, and cultural expressions that are relevant to Virginia’s diverse communities and that connect audiences to wider regional, national, and global contexts.
K-12 Educator Fellowships
Our K-12 Educator Fellowships support educators from all around Virginia who are committed to teaching the humanities for primary and secondary school students. Our use of the term “educator” encompasses anyone who is committed to creating inclusive learning experiences in a K-12 classroom.
HBCU Scholars Fellowships
The Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Scholars Fellowship seeks to develop and amplify underrepresented voices and research within the academy and applied humanities spaces.
Rosel Schewel Fellowships
The Rosel Schewel Fellowship champions projects that tell inclusive stories of Virginia women. Specifically, the fellowship supports projects that expose and amplify women’s lived experiences, movements, struggles, and achievements across the Commonwealth, honoring Rosel Schewel’s commitment to equality.
Other Funding Opportunities
Grants
Our grants enable cultural nonprofits across the Commonwealth to bring community-centered projects to life through exhibitions, public programs, lectures, discussions, media projects, and more. We offer several grant programs to meet a range of project scopes, timelines, and regional needs.
Folklife Apprenticeships
Our Folklife Apprenticeship Program supports the preservation and continuation of traditional cultural knowledge by providing funding for an artist who is considered a master of a tradition to train an apprentice of their choosing. We welcome apprenticeships across a wide range of traditions, including music, dance, crafts, community storytelling, cultural reclamation, traditional healing, agriculture, foodways, and specialty trades.
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Fellowships News & Events
NewsThe Insurance-Industrial Complex of Slavery
The Library of Virginia presents a virtual talk by Virginia Humanities HBCU Scholars Fellow Michelle Oliver, a financial genealogist, preservation strategist and public history researcher.
NewsAnnouncing Nine New Fellows
Virginia Humanities, the state humanities council, has awarded three individual fellowships for 2025–26, supporting projects that uncover new aspects of Virginia’s story.
NewsSix Virginia K-12 Educators Receive Fellowships
Today, Virginia Humanities, Virginia’s state humanities council, announced six new recipients of its K-12 Educator Fellowship, designed to support educators from around the commonwealth who are committed to teaching the …
