Expansion of the junior fellows program and establishment of writer in residence program at first things [over the years, the journal & nbsp; first things and the institute on religion and public life…

The National Endowment for the Humanities awarded $1,768,989 to The Institute On Religion And Public Life, Inc. (doing business as First Things) on September 1, 2026, under the Promotion of the Humanities Research program (CFDA 45.161) to expand the First Things Junior Fellows Program and establish a Writer in Residence program.

The award funds the strengthening and expansion of a residential fellowship in New York City that combines academic formation with practical editorial and publishing experience for early-career humanities scholars and writers. The Institute will institutionalize the complementary Writer-in-Residence position alongside the Junior Fellowship Program, which has operated for more than 25 years. These efforts aim to cultivate new voices in the humanities and sustain public engagement with religious and philosophical thought.

The period of performance runs from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2029. Work is performed in New York, USA. Recipients of Promotion of the Humanities Research awards may request a one-year extension thirty days prior to the end of the period of performance.

Expansion of the junior fellows program and establishment of writer in residence program at first things [over the years, the journal & nbsp; first things and the institute on religion and public life (irpl) have served as a formative environment for early-career thinkers who seek to engage questions of faith, culture, and society through serious humanistic inquiry. Recognizing the need to invest in the next generation of humanities scholars, writers, and public intellectuals, irpl established the first things junior fellowship program more than 25 years ago. This residential fellowship in new york city provides outstanding graduates with a rare opportunity to combine rigorous academic formation with practical editorial and publishing experience. Yet the demand for this kind of formative experience exceeds current capacity. To meet this need, irpl will strengthen the junior fellowship program and institutionalize the complementary writer-in-residence position, two mutually reinforcing efforts designed to cultivate new voices in the humanities and sustain public engagement with religious and philosophical thought.]