Luce Initiative on Southeast Asia


Please Note: The LuceSEA competition concluded in June 2023 and is no longer accepting applications.

The Luce Initiative on Southeast Asia (LuceSEA) was a multi-year grants competition approved by the Henry Luce Foundation’s Directors in June 2018. Administered by the Foundation’s Asia Program, the broad goal of LuceSEA has been to strengthen the study of Southeast Asia in institutions of higher learning in North America and in Southeast Asia by providing resources for the creation of models, strategies and partnerships to bolster existing program structures and take them in new directions, contributing in the process to both institution and field building. Its aim has been to support work in new and emerging areas of inquiry; enhance scholarly infrastructure for teaching and research relevant to SEA; foster collaboration by linking academic centers to each other and with partners outside academia; and expand engagement between North American and Southeast Asian scholars and institutions.

Over the life of the initiative, the Foundation awarded 20 grants, investing over $15 million.

Read about the LuceSEA-supported projects:

View All LuceSEA grants


While LuceSEA has come to an end, the Foundation will continue to consider proposals with a Southeast Asia focus through the Asia Program’s Responsive Grants category.