The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has awarded a $105,000 grant to Lori Branch, associate professor in the University of Iowa Department of English, to host a three-week seminar for 16 college and university faculty members on the UI campus.

The seminar will examine the history of the novel as it relates to theses about the secularization of society or the continuing hold of religion on society. The project, titled Religion, Secularism, and the Novel, is one of 10 that the NEH is supporting to college and university faculty members the opportunity to engage in collegial study of significant texts and topics in the humanities.

“The latest round of grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities will provide professional development opportunities for K–12 educators and college faculty, preserve our nation's cultural heritage, and support humanities infrastructure throughout the nation," says Stephen Kidd, executive director of the National Humanities Alliance. “The NEH’s investments generate public-private partnerships, cutting-edge research, promote teaching, and provide lifelong learning opportunities. They create jobs and community hubs in rural and urban areas alike. Both Republicans and Democrats in Congress have continued to affirm the value of these programs to their communities, recently passing a funding increase for the NEH for the fourth year in a row."