The Hall Family Foundation has made a $1.46 million combination gift and challenge grant to support the humanities at Kansas University.

The foundation’s donation will support two initiatives. A $468,800 gift will create fellowships for four incoming humanities doctoral students, and a $1 million challenge grant, when matched, will provide $2 million in endowed fellowships for midcareer faculty members in the humanities, according to a new release from KU.

Student recipients of the doctoral fellowships will receive $29,300 a year for up to four years; this will cover tuition and fees and provide a subsistence stipend. Midcareer faculty who receive the fellowship will see a salary increase and a 25 percent reduction in their teaching load, expanding time for research. The grant also will cover research-related costs.

Both fellowships will be administered by KU’s Hall Center for the Humanities. Victor Bailey, Hall Center director since 2000, thanked the foundation for its generosity.

“The Hall Family Foundation once again demonstrates its fervent commitment to the humanities at KU,” he said. “This generous grant will strengthen our recruitment of the top graduate students and ultimately will pay tribute to KU’s midcareer faculty who are rising stars within the humanities.”

In 2014, the foundation made a $25 million lead gift for construction of a $75 million health education building at the Kansas University Medical Center.

The $1 million challenge grant for midcareer faculty fellowships requires a one-to-one match. KU Endowment is seeking donors to establish four fellowship endowments to qualify for the matching funds.