Faculty Fellows

SCP catalyzes W&M’s cultural and historic resources to generate new knowledge and advance understanding. Through partnership we bridge divides and create common ground in order to build a more just world. Strategic Cultural Partnerships transcends the boundaries between past and present, scholarship and practice, and campus and community to illuminate our diverse stories and imagine our collective future.

We support faculty projects that will advance this mission and contribute to the strategic goals of Vision 2026, particularly university efforts to prepare for the Semiquincentennial celebration in 2026. Continuation funding for particularly promising and compelling projects for previous fellows will also be considered.

Review previously funded projects.

Strategic Cultural Partnerships Faculty Fellows 2026-27

Advancing Cultural Insight, Public Impact & Civic Leadership in a Landmark Year

Strategic Cultural Partnerships (SCP) invites W&M continuing faculty of all appointments to apply for consideration as Strategic Cultural Partnership Faculty Fellows for the 2026–27 academic year — a year of extraordinary opportunity.

2026 marks the Semiquincentennial of the Declaration of Independence, a national moment of reflection, commemoration, and reimagining. At William & Mary, this milestone aligns with the university’s newly launched Year of Civic Leadership, a thematic focus that calls us to engage our communities, strengthen civic engagement, and illuminate the histories and ideas that shape our civic life.

Faculty Fellows will help lead this work.

About Strategic Cultural Partnerships

SCP catalyzes W&M’s cultural and historic resources to generate new knowledge and advance understanding. Through partnership, we bridge divides and create common ground in order to build a more just world. SCP transcends the boundaries between past and present, scholarship and practice, and campus and community to illuminate our diverse stories and imagine our collective future.

Call for Proposals

We seek proposals for faculty projects that will advance this mission and contribute to the strategic goals of Vision 2026, with particular emphasis on civic leadership, public engagement, and executing the university’s role in the 2026 Semiquincentennial. Continuation funding for highly promising projects from previous Fellows will also be considered.

We welcome proposals from faculty across all academic disciplines — from the humanities and social sciences to STEM fields, arts, business, and beyond. The questions of civic leadership, cultural heritage, and public engagement benefit from diverse scholarly perspectives and methodological approaches.

2026–27 Priority Areas

1. Advance civic leadership at W&M and beyond.
2. Contribute to SCP’sWe the Teachers federal grant success, and/or lilyPD, a teacher professional development platform for K-12 history, civics, and social studies educators.
3. Strengthen W&M partnerships with key cultural institutions, particularly local and regional museums and cultural sites.
4. Explore critical issues in museums & cultural heritage organizations

Deliverables & Support

Faculty Fellows will produce at least one form of public dissemination, such as a conference presentation, a publication, a curricular unit, a grant proposal, or another public-facing scholarly contribution.

Between 3–5 Faculty Fellows will be selected for 2026–27. Each Fellow will receive a $5,000 stipend at the conclusion of Spring 2026.

Application Instructions

Submit a proposal including a title, executive summary (3–4 sentences), detailed project description (up to 1,000 words), a description of possible deliverables, and a current C.V.

Deadline: April 17, 2026

Submit to: Mark Hofer ([[mjhofe]]), Office of Strategic Cultural Partnerships

Questions: Contact Mark Hofer or Danny Devlin ([[dfdevlin01]])