Call for Nominations

Please note: the nomination process for the 2022 Katz Prize is now closed. The below information is for reference only. For information about next year’s nomination cycle, check back in Spring 2023.

We are pleased to announce a call for nominations for the inaugural Stanley N. Katz Prize for Excellence in Public Humanities. Created to commemorate the Council's 50th anniversary and honor the legacy of scholar and longtime NJCH board member Stan Katz, the prize will recognize a New Jersey-based organization that has demonstrated significant engagement with and impact through recent community-focused public humanities work in our state.

Winners will receive an award of $5,000 from NJCH

Organizations may self-nominate

Winner Announced: September 29, 2022

Katz Prize image

ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible for nomination, an organization must:

  • Have completed the nominated project between 2017 and 2022 (i.e., within the last five years).
  • Be a New Jersey-based nonprofit organization or government entity.

Nomination Guidelines

Anyone may nominate an organization, and nominators may nominate any organization that they believe best exemplifies the purpose of the Prize and fulfills its eligibility requirements; please note that self-nominations from organizations *are* permitted. All nominations will be kept confidential.

Nominators must explicitly identify a single project for which they wish to nominate an organization, and should be prepared to demonstrate the project’s significant impact in the field of the public humanities; successful incorporation of humanistic scholarship or methods; and innovative approach(es) to a topic or question of importance to New Jersey communities, ideally the organization’s local community.

Nominated projects may take any number of forms, including but not limited to:

  • a book
  • an exhibition
  • an event or series of events (in-person, hybrid, or virtual)
  • a discussion program
  • an archival or oral history project
  • a digital humanities project

Projects that served and engaged members of communities that traditionally have had less access to humanities programs and resources are especially encouraged.

Selection Criteria and Process

All nominations and supporting materials will be evaluated by a committee of distinguished peer reviewers with expertise in the public humanities. Reviewers for this program will be asked to evaluate all eligible projects on the following five criteria:

  • Significance of the project’s impact in the local community and in the public humanities space more broadly, regardless of the project’s scale
  • Thoughtful and consistent incorporation of humanities methods, practices, and/or scholarship
  • Demonstrated capacity to define, engage, and sustain a particular audience (or audiences)
  • Evidence of creativity and innovation in the design and implementation of the project
  • Incorporation of community members' expertise, values, and needs in the design and implementation of the project

The inaugural Katz Prize winner will be selected in late summer 2022 and formally announced at NJCH’s 50th Anniversary Gala at Morven Museum and Gardens on September 29, 2022. The selection committee also will designate two honorable mentions, which will be announced and publicly recognized by NJCH.

HOW TO NOMINATE AN ORGANIZATION

All nominations for the inaugural Katz Prize for Excellence in Public Humanities must have been submitted by August 1, 2022 at 11:59 PM EDT.

Your nomination packet should contain the following (explained in greater detail below):

  1. Completed Katz Prize Nomination Form
  2. Supporting Materials (three)
  3. Recommendation Letters (optional, three maximum)

Completing the Nomination Packet

Click the accordion menus below for detailed information and instructions about how to complete the nomination process. Please be sure to read the nomination instructions carefully. If you have any questions about the process, contact us at katzprize@gmail.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a single organization be nominated more than once for different projects? No. If an organization receives more than one nomination for different projects, NJCH will contact the organization directly and ask them to select the project for which they would like to be considered.

Are projects housed within universities eligible for the Katz Prize? Yes. Please keep in mind that nominated projects from universities will be considered at the level of the department, not the institution.

Are there page or length limits for the Supporting Materials? No. We realize that some of your Supporting Materials may be lengthy, particularly if you are submitting a publication or documentary. That said, you should aim for representative rather than exhaustive when you consider how much material to submit. A well-selected excerpt or clip may be more effective than a longer submission!

Who is on the prize committee? The Katz Prize for Excellence in Public Humanities selection committee is made up of individuals with a diverse range of experience and expertise in the arena of the public humanities, including representatives from NJCH’s grantee community, humanities scholars and practitioners, experts in philanthropy and community impact, NJCH staff, and leaders from New Jersey’s cultural and artistic sectors.