The Grounded Knowledge Project creates gathering spaces for scholars committed to community-based research and public humanities in religious studies and builds resources for the ongoing development of this work.
As part of this initiative, the Institute for Diversity and Civic Life convened a retreat in June 2023 for the members of the Luce Foundation COVID-19 Emergency Grantee Network to explore lessons learned, best practices and challenges facing community-based scholarship. Participants also had the opportunity to request funding for the ongoing work or next steps of their projects as part of a special micro-grant initiative made possible by the Henry Luce Foundation.
The Institute for Diversity and Civic Life is pleased to announce the micro-grant awardees:
- Ana Dopico and Marcial Godoy-Anativia, Hemispheric Institute, New York University, “Remembering COVID/Remembering Mutual Aid: Photographic Activations of Community Memory”
- Munir Jiwa, Center for Islamic Studies, the Graduate Theological Union, “Muslims in the Bay Area: Leading, Bridging and Belonging”
- Nathan Jeremie-Brink, New Brunswick Theological Seminary and Kristin O’Brassill-Kulfan, Rutgers University, “Pequannock Community History Project”
- Rev. Dr. Teresa L. Smallwood, United Lutheran Seminary, “Planning for the Future: Divine Rest, Strategic Breaks, Long Term Service”
The micro-grant projects will later be showcased on the Grounded Knowledge Project resource website, which will launch in early 2024.
The Institute for Diversity and Civic Life is grateful for the generous support of the Henry Luce Foundation, which seeks to enrich public discourse by promoting innovative scholarship, cultivating new leaders, and fostering international understanding. Established in 1936 by Henry R. Luce, the co-founder and editor-in-chief of Time, Inc., the Luce Foundation advances its mission through grantmaking and leadership programs in the fields of Asia, higher education, religion and theology, art, and public policy.