Humanities Awards

The Ruth G. Shaw Humanities Scholar Award is awarded on a three-year cycle to an associate professor in any humanities discipline in the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences. This award is funded by an endowment by Ruth G. Shaw, a former Duke Energy executive who served on the Board of Trustees for many years. Dr. Shaw was awarded an honorary degree from UNC Charlotte and served as a member of the Foundation Board. Each award is for a three-year term beginning in the fall semester and provides a salary supplement and research stipend. The recipient plans and executes the Ruth G. Shaw Humanities Research Symposium during the final year of appointment. The event must focus on their research and involve student participation. 

Eligibility: Faculty members in the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences with the following qualifications:

• Tenured, holding the rank of associate professor (chairs are eligible);
• Evidence of teaching excellence;
• An ongoing research agenda; and
• A commitment to undergraduate research in the humanities.  

Past recipients are ineligible. 

Application Process: The nomination process is by department, with each department nominating only one candidate per award cycle. Departments determine their own procedures for nominations. 

Application Materials:  

• A letter of nomination of no more than two double-spaced pages that includes an evaluation of teaching effectiveness and a description of past research with undergraduates; 
• The nominee’s two-page description of their ongoing research, with a preliminary description of the symposium’s topic and configuration; and
• The nominee’s current CV. 

Reporting Results:  Each recipient plans and executes the Ruth G. Shaw Humanities Research Symposium during the third and final year of appointment. This event includes student participation. In addition, at the end of the three-year period, the faculty member must submit a self-reflective essay (no more than two pages) about the impact of the award on their work as a teacher and scholar. That report is due to the Associate Dean for Research and Interdisciplinary Collaboration within thirty days of the completion of the award.

Application Deadline: Applications for the 2027 Shaw Award will be due on February 8, 2027. Submission guidelines will be posted soon.  

The Frances Lumsden Gwynn Award is awarded annually to exemplary junior faculty in the humanities to help them complete research, instructional, or service projects. This award is funded by an endowment created by Dr. Ruth G. Shaw and Mr. Colin S. Shaw in honor of Dr. Shaw’s mother, a lifelong educator. The award can be given to one or two faculty members each year and provides a salary supplement.

Eligibility: Faculty members in the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences who:

• are tenure-track faculty members between reappointment and conferral of tenure;
• are in their third, fourth, or fifth year of employment at the time of application;
• are scholars in the humanities (preference will be given to faculty in the departments of Religious Studies, Philosophy, or English); and 
• have demonstrated evidence of excellence in teaching and investment in pedagogical improvements.

Past recipients are ineligible. 

Application materials: Applications for the Gwynn Award will be considered from eligible faculty who have been successfully reappointed and prior to tenure. Applicants should submit a proposal narrative of not more than three single-spaced pages that includes the following information:

• A summary of work already completed on the project;
• A specific timetable for completion of the project;
• An explanation of how the funding will support bringing the project to successful completion; and
• A clear statement of the anticipated outcome(s) of the grant activity (e.g. research publication or the development of a new course).

Applicants must also submit a current CV. 

Reporting Results: The award is given for a specified period, typically a semester or an academic year, after which the recipient must submit a written report of the results and accomplishments supported by the award to the CHESS Associate Dean for Research and Interdisciplinary Collaboration. That report is due within thirty days of the completion of the award. 

Deadline: Applications for the 2027 Gwynn Award will be due on February 8, 2027. Submission guidelines will be posted soon. 

As an institutional sponsor of the National Humanities Center (NHC), the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences (CHESS) nominates a faculty member each year to apply to participate in the NHC Summer Residency Program (June 7-July 2, 2027) or the NHC Scholarly Writing Institute (July 8-16, 2027). If the faculty member is selected through the subsequent NHC application process, CHESS covers the program cost. Applications to be UNC Charlotte’s nominee to apply for the 2027 Summer Residency Program or Scholarly Writing Institute are due by October 19, 2026, using this submission form.

The National Humanities Center is a private, nonprofit organization, and the only independent institute dedicated exclusively to advanced study in all areas of the humanities. Participants in the Summer Residency Program or the Scholarly Writing Institute have access to the Center’s considerable resources and facilities in Research Triangle Park. They have private studies and are assisted by the renowned library staff. Residents are housed within easy driving distance to the Center and are provided with breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday. 

This is an excellent opportunity to initiate a new project or substantively develop a current project. Past participants from UNC Charlotte have found the experience to be transformative for their research and have made lasting connections with other scholars in the program.

Eligibility: All tenured and tenure-track humanities scholars in the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences are eligible to apply. Preference is given to faculty who have not received an internal research grant in the last two years. Mid-career faculty are strongly encouraged to submit proposals. Past fellows may reapply six years after their residency.

Application process: Interested faculty should submit a current CV and a project overview (maximum 2 pages) that includes a justification about how this program will be instrumental to the project’s success. They must indicate whether they are applying for the Summer Residency Program or the Scholarly Writing Institute. The CHESS Faculty Development Awards Committee will review internal applications and make a recommendation to the Dean. The faculty member selected as UNC Charlotte’s nominee will receive an application link from the NHC and must complete the application by the NHC deadline in early January.

Reporting results: If selected, the faculty member will be expected to participate fully in the NHC summer program and submit a brief report about their experience to chess-research@charlotte.edu by August 31, 2027.