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The Humanities Institute is thrilled to announce a new program to support book manuscript development, launching this Fall. For this round, we will select one (1) humanities grant winner who will be eligible for up to $6,000 in funding to support a manuscript development workshop (to be held in Spring 2026 or Fall 2026) based on their in-progress book manuscript. The aim of this new program is to help scholars publish the highest quality research possible at leading university presses, while also introducing them to vital peers in their field.
Program: Successful applicants can invite up to three external faculty colleagues or academic publishing professionals to the HISB to read and discuss a book manuscript that is at least three-quarters complete. The workshop is an in-person, day-long collaborative meeting between the Stony Brook faculty member and their outside reviewers, consisting of two parts: first a closed workshop for the awardee and their reviewers; and second a public roundtable event moderated by the awardee on a topic related to the reviewers’ expertise.
Eligibility: We invite applications from non-tenure-track, tenure-track, and tenured faculty in the Arts, Humanities, and Lettered Social Sciences. Preference will be given to junior faculty and to manuscripts not under review or under contract. Note: Ideally, a project will have preliminary interest from a press, but not have completed the revisions required after full manuscript peer review, as the workshop will be most useful while still malleable.
Funding: The awarded funding of up to $6,000 covers a $500–$750 honorarium for each external reviewer; transportation to and from Stony Brook’s campus and hotel for two nights (before and after the workshop); and meals during the workshop (lunch, dinner).
Organization: The faculty recipient of a grant for their Manuscript Development Workshop is responsible for organizing the event in conjunction with the Humanities Institute (including travel and lodging arrangements for the visitors, as well as workshop publicity and logistics). The Workshop will take place at the Humanities Institute.
Application Deadline: The Fall deadline for applications is 11:59pm on Friday, November 14, 2025. Proposals will be reviewed by the Humanities Institute Advisory Board. Winners will be announced before Thanksgiving Break.
Application Requirements: Please submit application materials to Program Coordinator Adrienne Unger at adrienne.unger@stonybrook.edu. The proposal includes:
- Application Checklist: Download the application checklist here.
- Overview of Project (maximum 1000 words): Since your proposal will be read by an interdisciplinary group of Arts, Humanities, and Lettered Social Sciences (AHLSS) faculty, the project narrative should keep jargon to a minimum and should situate your project in the context of broader conversations or trends within your field.
- Table of Contents with chapter summaries (maximum 2 pages single-spaced, 12-point font): Include a proposed table of contents with brief chapter summaries.
- Manuscript Progress (maximum 1000 words): Please indicate precisely the manuscript’s state of completion, as follows:
- Specify which chapters are complete, and which are not.
- Provide a detailed timeline to manuscript completion, including an ideal week for your proposed Manuscript Development Workshop. n.b. Manuscripts lacking a chapter and a conclusion may be proposed for a Spring 2026 workshop. Manuscripts lacking two chapters, or research and writing for one chapter, may be proposed for a Fall 2026 workshop. These are simply examples: contents may vary by individual project.
- Publishing Progress (maximum 500 words): Please indicate any publishers with which you’ve been in contact, or the names and details of publishers you intend to approach. If you have a specific series in mind, please include that information.
- Abridged Research CV (limited to 2 pages, 12-point font, 1-inch margins).
- One draft chapter from your manuscript.
Note: Acceptance of the Forum’s Manuscript Development Workshop represents a commitment on the part of the awardee to furnish a complete, polished manuscript draft 60 days prior to their scheduled workshop. The Selection Committee will consider only those applications that are complete and that adhere to the specified word and page limits.
If you have questions about the application process, please contact Michael Rubenstein (Director) at michael.rubenstein@stonybrook.edu, Erika Honisch (Associate Director) at erika.honisch@stonybrook.edu, or Adrienne Unger (Program Coordinator) at adrienne.unger@stonybrook.edu.