2021 Virtual Gatherings

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RFP in Word format
RFP in PDF format

Proposals were due May 21, 2021. We will share accepted gatherings here when details become available. If you have an idea for a virtual gathering please email us at [email protected].

In light of the continued impossibility of in-person events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, NCPH seeks to fund proposals for informal virtual gatherings (in lieu of our usual mini-cons) to be planned and executed by members in the remainder of 2021. Virtual gatherings will bring public historians together to socialize, support each other, and work through areas of shared concern.

Because NCPH has a small staff, by proposing an idea you agree to take the lead on the planning and running of the gathering should it be selected, although assistance in the form of promotion, managing sign-ups, and access to NCPH platforms or our Zoom account will be possible. You must be a member of NCPH to host an NCPH virtual gathering, but proposed programming should be free and open to non-members. 

We aim to fund five virtual gatherings, spread out throughout the remainder of the year, that promote connection while discussing a topic of common interest. The topic is up to you, but should follow these general guidelines:

  • Gatherings will help public historians build their networks and communities, but they need not be rigorous or formal; we’re open to a wide range of ideas, which might be just as focused on mental health and general well-being, having fun, and making friends as they are on traditional professional development or networking.
  • We’ve found that the most successful gatherings are on the small side, with a limited scope and a solid sense of audience and goals for the conversation. Please use your proposal to tell us who you envision participating in the gathering and what your goals are.
  • The submitter of the proposal must be an NCPH member.
  • Funding should be used to compensate facilitator(s)/discussion leader(s) for their time.

Examples of successful past events in this model include: events to support people in a specific phase of their public history career, in the vein of the NCPH Professional Development Committee’s “Making Moves at Mid-Career” coffee break at Virtual NCPH 2021; events tailored to a specific sub-field of the profession, like the Consultants’ Speakeasy or New Professional and Student Social at our annual meeting; and conversations with a narrowly-defined topic or problem for discussion, like the Dine and Discuss dinner conversation “Leading by Zoom.” We encourage creativity and are interested in hearing more out-of-the-box ideas.