Emory University is redoubling its support for the liberal arts with a call for innovative ideas for humanistic and artistic programming. The Emory Initiative for Arts and Humanistic Inquiry, which is also investing in new faculty recruitment, announced this month the new funding opportunity underwritten by the Office of the Provost to further the university’s deep commitment to the liberal and creative arts as a source of imagination and discovery.
Full-time faculty of any rank may request funding for creative programming that directly supports and nurtures scholarship and community building in the arts and humanistic inquiry.
The request for proposals is open to all schools, although preference will be given to those originating from units with a focus on arts and humanistic inquiry.
The new opportunity complements the initiative’s previously announced faculty hiring plan and increased support for the Bill and Carol Fox Center for Humanistic Inquiry to expand the reach of distinctively Emory creativity and scholarship.
“Emory’s liberal arts education provides a strong foundation for humanistic inquiry and creative expression that sparks the imagination of our faculty and students and supports their game-changing scholarship,” says Provost Ravi V. Bellamkonda. “To meet the challenges before us with curiosity and do good in service to humanity will require investment in Emory’s liberal arts tradition.”
The Arts and Humanistic Inquiry initiative is now accepting requests from deans of the five participating schools — Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Oxford College, Candler School of Theology, Emory School of Law and Goizueta Business School — to support the recruitment of up to 30 faculty over the next three to four years who will join the university’s existing cadre of arts and humanities scholars. Through creative scholarship and innovation, this expanded corps of artists and thinkers will advance the collective understanding of humanity and explore the greatest questions facing individuals and society in our times.
“I am thrilled by Emory’s investment in arts and humanistic inquiry and foresight to acknowledge that if we are to solve the world's pressing climate crisis, tackle racism and vast social inequalities, make responsible use of AI and build a just and healthy society, we need poetry and art, philosophical exploration and historical excavation, languages and literature,” says Carla Freeman, the Goodrich C. White Professor of Women's Gender and Sexuality Studies, director of the Fox Center for Humanistic Inquiry and member of the initiative’s faculty advisory committee.
Support from the Arts and Humanistic Inquiry initiative will broaden the Fox Center’s work to cultivate innovative scholarship, collaboration and expertise as well as model the potential of Arts and Humanistic Inquiry programs.
“The Fox Center will be anchoring new programming and fellowships around key themes advanced by Emory's three Mellon grants awarded last year: Imagining Democracy, Indigeneity, and AI and Humanities,” Freeman notes.
“For the research university, indeed for society itself, the arts and humanities are a critical window into the human experience — they offer commentary and critique, creative expression and beauty, and their importance has never been greater as we face so many complex social, political and environmental crises,” says Freeman.
According to Bellamkonda, “doubling down” on Emory’s commitment to humanistic inquiry is integral to shaping the future of the university, its students and shared humanity at a time of rapid technological, societal and environmental change.
“Drawing together scholars and artists will not only promote faculty eminence and innovation through scholarship and creative expression but also shine a light on the human experience that will help us grow and flourish as a community,” says Bellamkonda.
“I am grateful to Lanny Liebeskind, senior vice provost for academic affairs, for working with our deans and other administrators to establish Emory as a leader of arts and humanistic inquiry,” Bellamkonda says.
Information about Arts and Humanistic Inquiry programming proposal submission, evaluation and a link to the request for funding is available in the request for proposals.
Contact Lanny Liebeskind with questions.