CHARLESTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) — The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has begun a large-scale reduction in funding and staff, following recent changes implemented by the Trump administration. Over the past two weeks, the agency has issued more than 1,000 grant termination notices and announced that several long-running grant programs will no longer offer future application deadlines.
From 2020 to 2024, NEH provided over $7.1 million in grant funding to West Virginia, supporting museums, historic sites, independent scholars, and humanities council affiliates. The recent cuts raise uncertainty about the future of these initiatives.
One 2024 project affected is based at West Virginia University, where faculty received NEH funding to develop a book examining how Appalachian rural communities form grassroots coalitions in response to environmental and economic challenges tied to resource extraction. Another project impacted is Arthurdale Heritage, Inc., which in 2023 was awarded funding to update the interpretive plan for a museum dedicated to the history of the nation’s first New Deal community.
In addition to grant cancellations, approximately 65% of NEH employees received reduction-in-force notices as of April 10. The loss of staff may limit the agency’s ability to administer existing programs and future funding rounds.
NEH is a federal agency that supports humanities programs nationwide, offering dozens of grant opportunities each year. For more information, visit neh.gov.
