Submissions are open for the African Poetry Digital Humanities Grant. If you are a scholar with an idea about using digital research methods to engage with African poetry, consider applying for the grant by the July 7 deadline.

This grant is a part of the African Poetry Digital Portal Project funded by the Andrew Mellon Foundation. The Portal documents the work of African poets and provides equitable digital access to creative and intellectual artifacts, materials and research on the subject of African Poetry, housed in academic and cultural institutions in Africa and its Diaspora.

To be considered for the grant, projects must use digital research methods or encompass scholarship that applies computing technologies in humanistic inquiry. African poetry must be at the center of the research. Applicants are encouraged to make use of the resources of the Portal and expand the impact of the Portal in the broader community of African digital humanities scholarship.

Grant recipients will receive $15,000 each, and complete a digital humanities project on African poetry which will be featured on the Portal. This project must include a critical commentary on the technological and thematic challenge of the project and its effectiveness, along with a plan for future work of expansion of the current project.

Application Requirements:

  • Project Proposal: a description of the proposed research plan consisting of the following (should not exceed 3 pages):
  • Abstract (300 words maximum)
  • Project Narrative: The narrative should describe the guiding premises of the project clearly, provide a clear overview of the project’s structure (components, personnel, tasks), and describe in concrete terms what the project hopes to accomplish by the end of the 12-month period. Include:
    • The nature of the project
    • The area of African Poetry being explored
    • The research question and approach
    • Technological requirements: include and specific equipment, software, server time, or hosting (NOTE: Personal computer purchases are not permitted)
    • A detailed timeline including key dates and milestones
  • A detailed budget (1 page maximum) including clear explanations for each item and a justification of their importance to the project.
  • CV from the primary researcher. Include relevant examples of previous projects.

Deadline: July 7, 2023

Submit all application documents through Submittable.

For any questions, contact APDP’s Project Manager Rezina Habtemariam at [email protected].