USA Scholarships
Louisville First Book Grant 2027 - Up to $55,000
Louisville Institute''s First Book Grant (FBG) for Research on Minoritized Christian Communities in North America buys academic release so early-career religion scholars can finish a first book (or a second book when tenure requires it). For the 2027 competition, applications close 15 January 2027 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time, three awards of up to $55,000 each fund sabbaticals in the 2027-2028 academic year or calendar year 2027, and public announcements follow in April 2027. Pre-tenured faculty at accredited seminaries, theological schools, colleges, or universities in the United States or Canada negotiate up to a full year away from teaching and service. Grantees also attend the required Winter Seminar in January 2028, with Louisville Institute covering approved travel and lodging.
What is the Louisville Institute First Book Grant?
Louisville Institute's First Book Grant sits at the crossroads of the North American church and the academy. The program pays for release time so pre-tenured religion scholars can finish a first monograph, or a second book when tenure rules demand it, on how minoritized Christian communities worship, lead, and live out faith in the United States and Canada. Lilly Endowment support lets Louisville Institute award up to $55,000 per grant, and the 2027 competition will name three winners after an increasingly selective review.
The grant grew out of a long-running First Book program for scholars of color and now uses the formal title First Book Grant for Research on Minoritized Christian Communities in North America. The focus is still early-career faculty at seminaries, theological schools, colleges, and universities who bridge scholarship and congregational life. Panels favor projects already moving toward print, especially manuscripts under contract or in serious conversation with a publisher.
Your institution has to do its part. Louisville Institute usually funds a second term or semester of leave stacked on an existing sabbatical so you can spend a full school year on the manuscript. You also write a statement about significant adversity you have faced in your professional life, because the Institute understands that access to time and stability is not evenly distributed. If selected, you join other Louisville Institute grantees at Winter Seminar in January 2028; travel and lodging for that event are covered, and attendance is mandatory.
For the 2027 cycle, mark 15 January 2027 on your calendar for the application and 22 January 2027 for recommendation letters. Public announcements arrive in April 2027, and funded leave runs in the 2027-2028 academic year or across calendar year 2027 depending on your school's calendar. With more than seventy applications in the most recent cycle, you need a sharp narrative, a feasible budget, a solid letter of release, and referees who can vouch for the book's importance before the portal closes.
Eligibility
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✓Terminal research degreeYou need a Ph.D., Th.D., or another terminal research degree in your field. Doctoral students are not eligible for this grant; Louisville Institute directs them to separate fellowship programs instead.
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✓Pre-tenured faculty appointmentYou must hold a full-time, tenure-track or renewable contract faculty line at an accredited seminary, theological school, college, or university in the United States or Canada. The grant targets scholars still working toward tenure.
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✓First book (or tenure-driven second book)Your project should lead to publication of a first scholarly monograph, or a second book if your institution requires one for tenure or promotion. Preference goes to manuscripts already under contract or active consideration with a publisher.
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✓Minoritized Christianity in North AmericaProjects must study Christian faith and practice in the United States or Canada, especially how worship, leadership, institutions, and belief among minoritized communities are shaped by migration, social history, and cultural difference. Fields include history, theology, ethics, biblical studies, and interdisciplinary work.
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✓Significant adversity in your careerEligible applicants have faced meaningful professional adversity, defined broadly as discrimination, health challenges, economic hardship, disasters, or other barriers to stability and opportunity. You will submit a dedicated statement explaining how that context shapes your work.
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✓Negotiated release timeYour institution must agree to release you from teaching and administrative duties for up to a full academic year. The grant typically funds a second term or semester of release on top of an existing sabbatical. If your school does not grant sabbaticals, email [email protected] before applying.
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✓Louisville Institute conflict rulesSeminary staff, trustees, students, and Louisville Institute advisory board members (and their immediate families) cannot apply. You may apply for only one Louisville Institute grant or fellowship between 1 June 2026 and 31 May 2027, and prior Louisville awards must be closed with final reports submitted.
Benefits
- Maximum grant amount Up to $55,000
- Primary use Salary and benefit replacement for leave
- Leave length Up to one academic year
- Awards in 2027 cycle 3 grants
- Winter Seminar travel and lodging Covered when approved
- Research travel beyond leave Only if budgeted and approved
- Tuition or student aid Not covered
Document checklist
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✓Portal application and general informationCreate an account at portal.louisville-institute.org and complete every required field in the First Book Grant form before 15 January 2027, 11:59 PM Eastern Time.
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✓Statement of significant adversityA focused narrative on professional adversity you have faced and how it connects to your scholarly project and vocation in the academy or church.
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✓Project summary and narrativeA concise summary plus a fuller project narrative describing the book, its contribution to the study of minoritized Christianity, and your plan for the leave year.
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✓BibliographySources that anchor your argument and show the manuscript sits in current scholarly conversations about North American religion.
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✓Line-item budget and budget narrativeMost funds replace salary and benefits during leave. If you need research travel, materials, or assistance beyond release time, itemize costs and explain each line in the narrative.
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✓Curriculum vitaeEducation, appointments, publications, presentations, grants, and teaching that show you are ready to finish the book during the funded leave.
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✓Two letters of recommendationReferees submit directly through the portal by 22 January 2027. Choose senior scholars who can speak to the project and your readiness for a competitive book grant.
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✓Letter of releaseDocumentation from your institution confirming the leave arrangement and how Louisville Institute funds will buy release from teaching and administrative work.
How to apply
Deadline and timeline
FAQ
What is the Louisville Institute First Book Grant?
It is a competitive grant of up to $55,000 that buys academic release for pre-tenured faculty finishing a first scholarly book (or a tenure-required second book) on minoritized Christian communities in the United States or Canada. Louisville Institute, funded by Lilly Endowment, selects three grantees in the 2027 cycle and requires attendance at Winter Seminar.
When is the Louisville First Book Grant deadline for 2027?
Applications are due 15 January 2027 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time through portal.louisville-institute.org. Two recommendation letters must arrive by 22 January 2027. Awards are announced publicly in April 2027.
How much does the Louisville Institute First Book Grant pay?
Each award is worth up to $55,000 in US dollars. Most of the money replaces salary and benefits during a research leave, typically funding a second semester or term of release on top of an existing sabbatical. Additional research costs require a detailed budget and narrative.
Who is eligible for the First Book Grant for minority scholars?
Pre-tenured faculty with a terminal research degree at accredited US or Canadian institutions may apply if they are writing a first book on minoritized Christianity in North America, can negotiate a full year of release, and meet Louisville Institute adversity and conflict-of-interest rules. Doctoral students must apply to other Louisville Institute fellowships instead.
How many Louisville First Book Grants are awarded each year?
The 2027 cycle will fund three grants. Competition has intensified: Louisville Institute reported more than seventy applications in 2026 compared with roughly twenty in typical earlier cycles.
Do I need a publisher contract to apply?
A contract is not strictly required, but the Institute gives preference to projects already underway, including manuscripts under contract or active consideration with an academic press. Your narrative should show realistic progress toward publication.
What is Winter Seminar for First Book grantees?
Winter Seminar is a required two-day gathering in January 2028 where First Book grantees join recipients from other Louisville Institute programs to share projects and build collegial ties. Approved travel and lodging are covered; skipping the seminar is not an option if you accept the grant.
Can Canadian faculty apply for the Louisville First Book Grant?
Yes. Eligible appointments include full-time pre-tenure faculty at accredited colleges, universities, seminaries, and theological schools in Canada as well as the United States. The book must address Christian faith and practice in North American contexts.
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