The Benson Center funds research and educational initiatives that contribute to critical reflection on the development of Western civilization. Although funding is open to any faculty at CU Boulder, special consideration is given to faculty fellows, and those who have a demonstrated interest in the study of Western Civ through participation at Center events. Faculty interested in applying for grants should consider applying as faculty fellows, which is a year-long appointment to participate in Center programming and includes a $4,000 stipend.
Faculty grants are awarded three times throughout the academic year. The deadlines to apply are September 1, December 1, and March 1. Faculty with off-cycle requests should email BensonCenter@colorado.edu. Recipients of funding are asked to acknowledge the Center in event advertising and submit a brief online report no later than 1 month after the conclusion of the activity. The reports help the Center attract donor funding for future faculty grants.
During the 2023–24 academic year, the Benson Center has awarded 5 faculty grants totaling $8,173.
| 2023-24 Grantee | Home Department | Amount Awarded | In Support of | Date of event |
| Peter Hunt | Classics | $973 | Dr. Hunt's research as an Athenian social historian | October 16, 2023 |
| Brian Catlos | Religious Studies | $1,000 | Support for the CU Mediterranean Studies Group | Ongoing support |
| Zachary Herz | Classics | $4,000 |
Book workshop for manuscript of "The God and the Bureaucrat: A Story of Roman Law." |
Ongoing support |
| Carole Newlands | Classics | $1,000 | Lecture by Prof. V. Panoussi on the CU Boulder campus |
March 3, 2024 |
| Jackie Elliott | Classics | $1,200 | Prof. H. Gardner lecture: "Art will get us through it: plague and poetry from Vergil's bees to Emily St. John Mandel's Station Eleven." | January 19, 2024 |
