The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) provides summer stipends to encourage new research and publications in the humanities. It’s a highly competitive process, yet for two consecutive years, those select few have included College of Arts and Science faculty.

Johanna Kramer, an associate professor of English who specializes in medieval studies, used her 2024 stipend to research and complete her book, “Critical Wisdom: Reading ‘The Canterbury Tales’ Through Proverbs.” 

While many scholars view Geoffrey Chaucer — author of "The Canterbury Tales" — as being influenced by continental European literary sources, Kramer asserts Chaucer engaged with highly diverse discourse and utilized an expansive range of literary traditions, including native English sources. 

The journey to a successful grant application can seem daunting. In the past five years, the NEH received an average of 792 applicants annually, awarding summer stipends to only 13 percent. However, A&S success stories like Kramer and Gregory are realized with support from the College of Arts and Science’s Office of Research and Creative Activities (ORCA). 

Working closely with the Division of Research, Innovation and Impact, ORCA improves the odds through full lifecycle support of sponsored individual and team projects — from pre-award to grant closeout — as well as guidance for faculty and students across every department in the College of Arts & Science.