Human Histories & Cultures Storytelling Grants

The National Geographic Society's Center for Human Histories and Cultures is inviting storytelling proposals that explore the full spectrum of human experience — from ancient origins to contemporary expressions of culture and faith. Funded through a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., this opportunity supports journalists, photographers, filmmakers, podcasters, and other storytellers whose work bridges deep historical legacies with the realities of life today.

There are two funding levels available

Level I (up to US$20,000) — Suited to storytellers who are establishing themselves in their field, looking to gain experience leading projects, and who have not previously received a National Geographic Society grant. You'll have up to one year to implement your fieldwork.

Level II (up to US$100,000) — Open to more established storytellers or those seeking a higher level of funding. Prior National Geographic funding is not required to apply at this level. You'll have up to two years to implement your fieldwork.

The Society is particularly interested in projects that explore:

• Living connections between ancient archaeological sites and the communities who inhabit them today
• Efforts to revitalise endangered languages, crafts, or ancestral knowledge systems
• How religious and spiritual traditions are evolving in globalised, urban, and digital contexts
• Hidden or overlooked historical layers revealed through innovative visual storytelling
• Long-term migrations of people, ideas, or traditions and their contemporary echoes

Projects can span any storytelling medium — photography, documentary film, short-form video, 3D historical reconstructions, podcasts, oral history archives, long-form journalism, digital interactives, in-person exhibitions, or community workshops.

Applicants are expected to have meaningful, lived experience with or collaborative relationships within the communities their stories involve. Projects must be community-informed rather than extractive, and must commit to bringing stories back to the communities from which they were drawn. Best practices for working with Indigenous Peoples and local communities — including prior engagement and respect for autonomy and intellectual property — are central to the selection criteria.

All applications must be submitted in English and include a portfolio demonstrating your storytelling track record and technical expertise. Applications are open to both existing National Geographic Explorers and those not yet part of the community.

Notification of outcomes is expected between May and September 2027.