June 11, 2010

Durbin Announces More than $1.25 Million in NEH Grants for Illinois Organizations

[WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today that the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has awarded 7 grants totaling $1,265,227 to 6 Illinois organizations. Several of these organizations have been recognized by the NEH for advancing the goals of its We the People program.

The We the People program encourages and strengthens the teaching, study, and understanding of American history and culture. Today’s grants were awarded through a highly competitive review and selection process to ensure that the best humanities research, education, and preservation is cultivated.

The following Chicago Metro Area organizations will receive funding:
  • Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum: $40,000 in funding for the Planning Storage Improvements for the Historical Collections project.
  • Lewis University: $230,000 in funding for the Breaking New Ground: A History of African American Farm Owners Since the Civil War project. This project has been specifically recognized by the NEH for advancing the goals of the We the People program.
  • Loyola University, Chicago: $175,000 in funding for the WoolfOnline: Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse project.
  • University of Chicago: $250,000 in funding for the Uncovering a Provincial Settlement in Egypt: The Tell Edfu Project.
  • University of Chicago: $306,507 in funding for the Rehousing Metal Artifacts of the Oriental Institute project.
The following Central Illinois organizations will receive funding:
  • Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum Foundation: $250,000 in funding for the Papers of Abraham Lincoln project. This project has been specifically recognized by the NEH for advancing the goals of the We the People program.
  • University of Illinois, Urbana: $13,720 in funding for the Planning for an Energy Efficient and Sustainable HVAC System at the Archives Research Center project. This project has been specifically recognized by the NEH for advancing the goals of the We the People program.