2025 Mini-Conference Grant Award Call for Applicants Closed

Closed: Call for Proposals for the Society of Civil War Historians Mini-Conference

The primary goals of the SCWH Mini-Conference are to expand and diversify society membership across career stages and professional pathways, to expand access to scholars and professional members from groups that have historically been marginalized or under-represented within the historical profession, to foster opportunities for mentorship, and/or to facilitate the beginning of new work with the potential to boost younger scholars’ careers, foster broader public engagement, or both.

Held in odd-numbered years (when the SCWH biennial conference does not meet), the SCWH mini-conference will advance these goals by providing $5,000 to help fund a seminar, workshop, collaborative session, or other event that brings together a group of scholars from different institutions and career stages to launch a project, share strategies and sources, or otherwise partner to do work that they could not do without the opportunity to join forces. We especially encourage proposals that bring together scholars from different specialties and even disciplines, that include a range of senior and junior scholars working both inside and outside of academic departments, that include participants from groups historically under-represented in academia, and that engage (or have the potential to create work that engages) a broader public audience.

Proposal Requirements:

• Project Summary (500-word limit)
• Proposed Agenda
• Proposed Budget
• 1-page cv for each member of the application team

Criteria for Evaluation:

• Content: How significant and original is the contribution that the event promises to make to the field, discipline, and humanities in general?
• Scholars: How qualified and diverse are the scholars involved in the event? Does the event offer or create opportunities for mentorship of junior scholars and/or members of historically underserved populations?
• Audience: Is this project directed toward junior scholars, a public audience, an underserved or underrepresented group? Does it include a digital format for reaching more people? Is the location one that is readily accessible for all participants? Does the location offer opportunities for connection with a local neighborhood or resource, particularly one connected to an underrepresented or underserved population?
• Budget: Are budget requests reasonable? Do they reflect the actual costs of the project? Does the budget include cost sharing with matching funds?
• Future Potential: Is the project the first phase within a larger program of research or public engagement? Or, does the project offer a model that be replicated by other organizations or individuals after the grant period?

Click here to access the recording of the online informational session we held for prospective applicants; captioning for the session is available on the left-hand side of the screen under "Captions."