Call for Applications: From Pitch to Publish in the Public Humanities

Today, it is vital that researchers’ work is made widely available and accessible to the public.

Is your research part of the public discourse? Do you have stories the public at large would benefit from knowing? Do you want to reach a broader audience, an audience beyond the peer-reviewed academic outlets? Do you want to learn how to pitch your specific story and research to non-academic publications?

We have invited two writers and journalists, Lauren Markham and Chris Feliciano Arnold (see bios below), to offer insights on the public humanities writing, pitching, and publication process in a series of panels, workshops, and individual feedback sessions.

To receive 20 minutes of individualized feedback on a pitch, please apply. In the application, please address the following:

Project Description (250–300 words)

In about 250 words of engaging prose, describe what your project is about. Imagine the jacket copy on a book.

Project Scope (250–300 words)

What are key people, places and ideas in this project? What structure will this project take on the page?

Why This Project Matters: (250–300 words)

What makes this a compelling read to a wide audience? Who is your primary audience for this project? What sets this project apart from other projects on the same subject?

Deadline to Apply: November 14, 2025

Consultations: February 2–3, 2026

Application Eligibility

The program is available for ladder faculty, adjuncts, and lecturers, postdocs, and advanced graduate students (ATC). Selected applicants are required to attend at least two of the three public events, but are highly encouraged to attend all three:

• Monday, February 2, 2026, 10:30 AM–12 PM: Enliven Your Prose with Research Details, Public Workshop with Arnold and Markham
• Monday, February 2, 2026, 4:00–5:00 PM:  Pitching and Working with Newspaper Editors on Op-eds and Opinion Pieces with Arnold
• Tuesday, February 3, 2026, 4:00–5:30 PM: Writing for the Public in Times of Peril, a panel with Arnold, Markham, and Two Editors

Applicants must be members of one of the co-sponsoring units: