Previously Funded Projects
An institution that has received a Preservation Assistance Grant may apply for another grant to support the next phase of its preservation efforts. For example, after completing a preservation assessment, an institution might apply to purchase storage supplies and cabinets to rehouse a collection identified as a high priority for improved storage. Subsequent proposals are considered new applications and evaluated according to the same criteria as other applications.
Preservation Assistance Grants may not be used for:
- projects that preserve, organize, or describe materials that are the responsibility of an agency of the federal government;
- projects that preserve, organize, or describe materials that are not regularly accessible
for research, education, or public programming;
- projects that focus on collections that fall outside of the humanities;
- projects that seek to catalog, index, or arrange and describe collections;
- projects that focus on preserving or restoring buildings or other structures;
- capital improvements to buildings and building systems, including the purchase of equipment
such as air conditioners, dehumidifiers, and security and fire protection systems;
- salaries and fringe benefits for the staff of an institution;
- computers;
- reformatting of collections (e.g., digitizing, photocopying,
- microfilming, or copying to another medium) or the purchase of equipment for
reformatting (e.g., computers, scanners, digital cameras, cassette decks, and CD-ROM drives);
- library binding;
- graduate-level conservation training or training related to advanced conservation treatment;
- conservation or restoration treatments (including deacidification and encapsulation) or
the purchase of conservation or restoration treatment supplies and equipment (e.g., mending tape, erasers, and cleaning supplies);
- attendance at regular meetings of museum, library, archives, or preservation organizations; or
- the recovery of indirect costs.
The Endowment currently sponsors one agency-wide program, We the People, and two special initiatives,
Rediscovering Afghanistan and the Digital Humanities Initiative.
Below is information on each. The NEH encourages applications in these three special areas of interest. Proposals will be evaluated through NEH's established review process and will not receive special consideration.
We the People Grant Program
To help Americans make sense of their history and of the world around them, NEH established the We the People program.
NEH encourages applications that explore significant events and themes in our nation's history and culture and
that advance knowledge of the principles that define America. To learn more about We the People,
visit the program's Web site.
Rediscovering Afghanistan
NEH invites applications for projects that focus on Afghanistan's history and culture.
The special initiative is designed to promote research, education, and public programs
about Afghanistan and to encourage United States institutions to assist Afghanistan in efforts
to preserve and document its cultural resources. Learn
more about the initiative.
Digital Humanities Initiative
NEH is interested in receiving applications for projects that use digital technology or study its impact.
Digital technologies offer humanists new methods of conducting research, conceptualizing relationships,
and presenting scholarship. Digital humanities projects deploy these technologies and methods to
enhance our understanding of a topic or issue. NEH is also interested in projects that study
the impact of digital technology on the humanities—exploring the ways in which it changes
how we read, write, think, and learn. Learn
more about the initiative.
Outright grants of up to $6,000 will be awarded.
All grants are awarded for a period of eighteen months, although a grantee may complete a project in a shorter period of time.
Cost Sharing
Cost sharing is not required. If eligible expenses are more than $6,000, an applicant may cover the difference and show this as cost sharing in the project's budget.
Any U.S. nonprofit organization is eligible, as are state and local governmental
agencies and tribal governments. Grants are not awarded to individuals. NEH will give
priority to smaller institutions and to institutions that have not previously received
an NEH grant.
Only one application for a Preservation Assistance Grant may be submitted annually
by an institution, although distinct collecting entities of a larger organization may apply
in the same year, such as the library and museum of a university or two historic sites
within a historical society.
Applicants must also:
- care for and have custody of the humanities collections that are the focus of the application;
- have at least one staff member or the full-time equivalent, whether paid or unpaid; and
- be open and be able to provide services or programs at least 120 days per year.
NEH generally does not award grants to other federal entities or to applicants whose projects are so closely intertwined with a federal entity that the project takes on characteristics of the federal entity’s own authorized activities. This does not preclude applicants from using grant funds from, or sites and materials controlled by, other federal entities in their projects.
Ineligible applications will not be reviewed.
Application Advice:
You will prepare your application for submission via Grants.gov just as you would a paper application. Your application should consist of the following parts:
- Project Narrative
Answer the following questions in order. State each question as
the heading for the answer to that question. Project narratives are
limited to five single-spaced pages. The font size should be no smaller
than eleven point and all pages should have one-inch margins. Applicants
should keep the application review criteria (see below) in mind when
writing their narratives.
- What activity (or activities) would the grant support?
State the specific activity or activities that
the grant would support and the goals of the proposed project.
- What are the content and size of the humanities collections
that are the focus of the project?
Describe the collections that are the focus of the grant and
their significance to the humanities. Identify the categories
of materials and indicate, where pertinent, the date ranges and
quantities for the majority of the items. Highlight specific examples
of important items in the collections. The description of your
collections should be about one full page in length.
A description of an archival collection, for example, might
begin by stating that the collection comprises two hundred letters
written by a school teacher between 1870 and 1885; twenty-four
linear feet of records pertaining to a local business active from
1940 through 1970; fifty-two maps documenting the history and
development of the locality; twelve volumes of birth and death
records for local residents from 1860 to 1950; and nine hundred
photographs from a photographic studio active during the 1930s
and 1940s. The description should then proceed to discuss in detail
the content of these materials and their significance to the humanities.
If only a portion of an institution's collections
is the focus of the project, briefly describe the overall collections
and then provide a detailed account of the portion that is the
focus of the project.
- How are these humanities collections used?
Explain how the collections are used. If collections
are used for exhibitions or educational programs, describe the
nature of these programs. For example, explain how collections
have been used in an exhibition that explores a community's history
or how they have been used in school programs and classroom instructional
materials. If the collections are used for research, describe
the range of subjects that have been (or could be) explored. Provide
examples of research projects conducted by students, scholars,
or genealogists. By discussing the use of collections, an applicant
will help evaluators understand their importance to the humanities
and to the institution's mission. This section of the application
should be about one full page in length.
- What is the nature and mission of your institution?
Describe the mission of the institution and discuss specific
budget or staffing considerations that characterize it as small
or mid-sized, including:
- type of institution: museum, archives, arts or cultural organization,
historical organization, public library, historic site or house, college, university, or
research library (if other, explain);
- amount of operating budget in the most recently completed fiscal year*;
- number of full-time paid staff members*;
- number of part-time paid staff members*;
- number of volunteers*; and
- number of days or hours per
year the institution is open.*
* - Libraries, archives, museums, etc., that are part of a larger organization, such as
a college or university, should provide this information for their institutional unit and
explain the specific budget or staffing considerations that characterize the unit as a smaller
or mid-sized institution.
- Has your institution ever had a preservation or conservation
assessment or consultation?
If yes, provide the date of the assessment and the name(s)
of the assessor(s).
Has your institution ever engaged a preservation
consultant for purposes other than a general preservation or conservation
assessment? If yes, briefly elaborate.
- What is the importance of this project to the institution?
Discuss how this project fits into the institution's overall
preservation needs or plans. Describe the current condition of
collections. Explain how the proposed activities build on previous
preservation efforts and how the project fits into future preservation
plans.
Applicants proposing to attend workshops or training
courses should describe their content and explain how the knowledge
gained would be used to improve preservation practices at the
institution. Workshops must be attended during the period of the
grant. If a regularly offered workshop has not been scheduled
at the time of application, contact the workshop's provider to
confirm that it will be offered. In an appendix, provide information
about the workshop (e.g., a description, announcement, or program)
obtained from the provider.
- What are the names and qualifications of the consultant(s)
and staff involved in the project?
Using short paragraphs, provide the name(s) and
qualifications of the consultant(s) selected for the project,
as well as the names and relevant experiences of the participating
staff. Applicants requesting training in the care and preservation
of humanities collections must seek a consultant specifically
knowledgeable about the collection type or types that are the
focus of the project. For preservation training projects, identify
the staff person(s) who will attend the training and state their
positions and responsibilities.
- What is the plan of work for the project?
Outline the steps of the project, the sequence
in which they will occur, and indicate who is responsible for
which activities.
- Budget
Provide an itemized budget showing the project's expenses rounded
to the nearest dollar. A sample budget is provided here to illustrate
the format you should follow:
Sample
Preservation Assistance Grant Budget |
Applicant
Organization:
The Town Museum and Library
Consultant
Fees. Provide the following information for each consultant.
Name
of Consultant: |
First
name Last Name |
|
No.
of days on project: |
Daily
rate of compensation: |
Total:
|
|
Travel:
For each trip, indicate the number of persons traveling,
the total days they will be in travel status, and the
total subsistence and transportation costs for that trip.
The lowest available commercial fares for coach or equivalent
accommodations must be used.
From/To:
|
No.
of persons |
Total
travel days |
Subsistence costs |
Transportation
costs |
Total |
Minneapolis,
MN, to
Boise, ID |
1
|
3
|
$200/per day =
$600 |
$400 |
$1,000 |
Supplies, materials, equipment, and workshop registration
fees.
|
Item:
2 dataloggers from "Company Name" catalog
at $275 each |
$550 |
Item:
1 light meter from "X company" catalog at
$216 + shipping |
$250 |
Item:
1 storage cabinet from "Y company" vendor
quote incl. shipping |
$3,500 |
Item:
50 sheets 8 ply Museum Board catalog price |
$800 |
Item:
30 archival boxes from "Vendor" catalog
price $10 each |
$300 |
Item:
workshop registration |
$250 |
|
|
|
Total
of Request |
Total
requested from NEH (up to $6,000)
Cost
sharing by applicant (optional) |
$6,000
$2,850 |
|
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Cost sharing is not required for Preservation Assistance
Grants. However, if eligible expenses are greater than $6,000, the
applicant will need to cover the difference and should enter the amount
in excess of $6,000 on the cost-sharing line of the Supplementary
Cover Sheet and in the budget. For example, if a project costs $8,850,
the applicant may request $6,000 from NEH and provide cost sharing
in the amount of $2,850.
- Appendices
- Supporting documentation
For projects based on a previous preservation assessment, attach
a copy of the executive summary of the assessment.
For projects that involve purchasing supplies and equipment,
provide a list that identifies each item, quantity, unit cost,
and the name of the vendor.
For projects that involve purchasing storage furniture, provide
a description of the furniture, the materials from which it is
made, unit cost, and the name of the vendor.
For preservation training projects, attach workshop descriptions,
announcements, or programs.
- Brief résumés (no longer than two pages) for project
director and other key staff
- Résumés and letters of commitment
for project consultant(s)
Any project that uses a consultant must provide a résumé
and letter of commitment from the consultant.
REGISTER OR VERIFY REGISTRATION WITH GRANTS.GOV
Applications for this program must be submitted via Grants.gov. Before using Grants.gov for the first time, each organization must register with the Web site to create an institutional profile. Once registered, your organization can then apply for any government grant on the Grants.gov Web site.
If your organization has already registered and you have verified that your registration
is still valid, you may skip this step. If not, please see our
handy checklist
to guide you through the registration process. We strongly recommend
you complete or verify your registration at least two weeks before the application
deadline, as it takes time for your registration to be processed. If
you have problems registering with Grants.gov, call the Grants.gov help
desk at 1-800-518-4726.
DOWNLOAD THE FREE ADOBE READER SOFTWARE
To fill out a Grants.gov application package, you will need to download
and install the current version of Adobe Reader. The latest version of Adobe Reader,
which is designed to function with PCs and Macintosh computers using a variety of popular
operating systems, is available at no charge from the Adobe Web site
( www.adobe.com).
Once installed, the current version of Adobe Reader will allow you to view and fill out Grants.gov
application packages for any federal agency. If you have a problem installing Adobe Reader, it
may be because you do not have permission to install a new program on your computer. Many
organizations have rules about installing new programs. If you encounter a problem, contact
your system administrator.
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To submit your application,
you will need to download the application package from the Grants.gov
Web site. You can download the application package at any time.
(You do not have to wait for your Grants.gov registration to
be complete.) Click the button at the right to download the
package. |
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Save the application package to your computer's hard drive. To open the application package, select the file and double click. You do not have to be online to work on it.
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You can save your application package at any time by clicking the "Save" button at the top of your screen.
Tip: If you choose to save your application package before you have completed it, you may receive an error
message indicating that your application is not valid if all of the forms have not been completed. Click "OK" to save your work and complete
the package another time. You can also use e-mail to share the application package with members of your organization or project team.
The application package contains three forms that you must complete in order to submit your application:
- Application for Federal Domestic Assistance - Short Organizational (SF-424 Short)—this form asks for basic information about the project, the project director, and the institution.
- Supplementary Cover Sheet for NEH Grant Programs—this form asks for additional information about the project director, the institution, and the budget.
- NEH Attachment Form—this form allows you to attach your narrative, budget, and the other parts of your application.
HOW TO FILL OUT THE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE,
SF-424 SHORT FORM
Select the form from the menu and double click to open it. Please provide the following information:
- Name of Federal Agency: This will be filled in automatically with "National Endowment for the Humanities."
- Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: This will be filled in automatically with
the CFDA number and title of the NEH program to which you are applying.
- Date Received: Please leave blank.
- Funding Opportunity Number: This will be filled in automatically.
- Applicant Information: In this section, please supply the name, address, employer/taxpayer identification number (EIN/TIN), DUNS number, Web site address, and congressional district of the institution. Also choose the "type" that best describes your institution (you only need to select one).
If your institution is located in the 5th Congressional District of California, put a "5." If your institution doesn't have a congressional district (e.g. it is in a state or U.S. territory that doesn't have districts or is in a foreign country), put a "0" (zero).
All institutions applying to federal grant programs are required to provide a DUNS number, issued by Dun & Bradstreet, as part of their application. Project directors should contact their institution’s grant administrator or chief financial officer to obtain their institution’s DUNS number. Federal grant applicants can obtain a DUNS number free of charge by calling 1-866-705-5711. ( Learn more about the requirement.)
- Project Information:
Provide the title of your project. Your title should be brief, descriptive, and substantive. It should also be informative to a non-specialist audience. Provide a brief description of your project. The description should be written for a non-specialist audience and clearly state the importance of the proposed work and its relation to larger issues in the humanities. List the starting and ending dates for your project.
- Project Director:
Provide the Social Security Number, name, title, mailing address, e-mail address, and telephone and fax numbers for the project director.
Disclosure of Social Security Numbers is optional. NEH uses them for internal application processing only.
- Primary Contact/Grants Administrator: Provide the contact information for the official responsible for the administration of the grant (i.e., negotiating the project budget and ensuring compliance with the terms and conditions of the award). This person is often a grants or research officer, or a sponsored programs official. Normally, the Institutional Grants Administrator is not the same person as the Project Director. If the project director and the grant administrator are the same person,
skip to Item 9.
- Authorized Representative: Provide the contact information for the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) who is submitting the application on behalf of the institution. This person, often called an "Authorizing Official," is typically the president, vice president, executive director, provost, or chancellor. In order to become an AOR, the person must be designated by the institution's E-Business Point of Contact. For more information, please consult the Grants.gov user guide, which is available
at: www07.grants.gov/applicants/app_help_reso.jsp.
HOW TO FILL OUT THE SUPPLEMENTARY COVER SHEET FOR NEH GRANT PROGRAMS
Select the form from the menu and double click to open it. Please provide the following information:
- Director: Use the pull down menu to select the major field of study for the project director.
- Institution Information: Use the pull down menu to select your type of institution.
- Project Funding: Enter your project funding information. Note that applicants for Challenge Grants should use the right column only; applicants to all other programs should use the left column only.
- Application Information: Indicate whether the proposal will be submitted to other NEH grant programs, government agencies, or private entities for funding. If so, please indicate where and when. NEH frequently cosponsors projects with other funding sources. Providing this information will not prejudice the review of your application.
For Type of Application, check "new" if the application requests a new period of funding, whether for a new project or the next phase of a project previously funded by NEH. Check "supplement" if the application requests additional funding for a current NEH grant. If requesting a supplement, provide the current grant number (applicants should discuss their request with a NEH program officer before submitting such applications).
For Project Field Code, use the pull down menu to select the humanities field of the project. If the project is multidisciplinary, choose the field that corresponds to the project's predominant discipline.
HOW TO USE THE NEH ATTACHMENT FORM
You will use this form to attach the various files that make up your application.
Your attachments must be in Portable Document Format (.pdf).
We cannot accept attachments in their original word processing or spreadsheet formats.
If you don't already have software to convert your files into PDFs, there are many low-cost
and free software packages available. To learn more, go
to www.neh.gov/grants/grantsgov/pdf.html.
When you open the NEH Attachment Form, you will find 15 attachment buttons, labeled "Attachment
1" through "Attachment 15." By clicking on a button, you will be able to choose the file from your
computer that you wish to attach. You must name and attach your files in the proper order so that
we can identify them. Please attach the proper file to the proper button as listed below:
ATTACHMENT 1: To this button, please attach your narrative. Please name the file "narrative.pdf".
ATTACHMENT 2: To this button, please attach your budget. Please name the file "budget.pdf".
ATTACHMENT 3: To this button, please attach your supporting documentation. Please name the file "documentation.pdf".
ATTACHMENT 4: To this button, please attach your résumés for project director and other key staff.
Please name the file "staffresumes.pdf".
ATTACHMENT 5: To this button, please attach your résumés and letter(s) of
commitment for project consultant(s). Please name the file "consultantresumes.pdf".
Use the remaining buttons to attach any additional materials (if appropriate). Please give these attachments meaningful file names and ensure that they are PDFs.
UPLOADING YOUR APPLICATION TO GRANTS.GOV
When you have completed all three forms, use the right-facing arrow to move each of them to the "Mandatory Documents for Submission" column. Once they have been moved over, the "Submit" button will activate. You are now ready to upload your application package to Grants.gov.
During the registration process, your institution designated one or more AORs (Authorized Organization Representatives). These AORs typically work in your institution's Sponsored Research Office or Grants Office. When you have completed your application, you must ask your AOR to submit the application, using the special username and password that was assigned to him or her during the registration process.
To submit your application, your computer must have an active connection to the Internet. To begin the submission process, click the "submit" button. A page will appear asking you to sign and submit your application. At this point, your AOR will enter his or her username and password. When you click the "sign and submit application" button, your application package will be uploaded to Grants.gov. Please note that it may take some time to upload your application package depending on the size of your files and the speed of your Internet connection.
After the upload is complete, a confirmation page, which includes a tracking number, will appear indicating that you have submitted your application to Grants.gov. Please print this page for your records. The AOR will also receive a confirmation e-mail.
NEH suggests that you submit your application no later than 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) on
the day of the deadline. That way, should you encounter a technical problem of some kind, you
will still have time to contact the Grants.gov help desk for support. The Grants.gov help desk
is open Monday to Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) at 1-800-518-4726.
You can also send an e-mail to support@grants.gov.
Applications: Must be received by Grants.gov by May 15, 2008.
Grants.gov will date and time stamp your application after it is fully uploaded. Applications submitted after that date will not be accepted. Supplementary materials must also arrive at NEH by May 15, 2008, to be considered as part of the application.
NEH asks panelists knowledgeable about the preservation and use of humanities collections to assess applications according to the following criteria:
The collections and their use in humanities programming, education, or research.
- How adequately has the applicant described the content of the collections that
are the focus of the project? Is there a detailed description of the type of materials,
their quantity, date ranges, and intellectual and historical content?
- How persuasively has the applicant made its case that the collections are
important for humanities purposes, such as exhibitions and public programming,
public education, or research?
The proposed activity and the justification of its importance to the institution.
- Are the proposed activities clearly described and are they feasible?
- How will this project contribute to the institution's capacity to preserve its collections?
The adequacy of the plan of work.
- Has the applicant provided a feasible and clearly described plan of work, timetable, and budget?
- Have supplies and equipment been adequately described and do they meet preservation standards?
- Have workshop topics been described and are the topics appropriate for the applicant's needs?
- Are the roles of the consultants and staff explained?
- Do they have experience and qualifications appropriate to the project's goals?
Late applications will not be reviewed.
Review and Selection Process
Knowledgeable persons outside NEH will read each application and advise the agency about its merits.
The Endowment’s staff comments on matters of fact or on significant issues that otherwise would be
missing from these reviews, then makes recommendations to the National Council on the Humanities.
The National Council meets at various times during the year to advise the NEH chairman on grants.
The chairman takes into account the advice provided by the review process and, by law, makes
all funding decisions.
Award notices
Applicants will be notified of the decision by mail in January
2009. Institutional grants administrators and project directors
of successful applications will also receive at that time award
documents by mail. Applicants may obtain the reasons for funding
decisions on their applications by sending a letter or e-mail to
NEH, Division of Preservation and Access, 1100 Pennsylvania, N.W,
Room 411, Washington, D.C. 20506 or preservation@neh.gov.
Administrative requirements
Award Conditions
Reporting Requirements
A schedule of report due dates will be included with the award document.
A final performance report will be due within 90 days after the award period
ending date or may be submitted earlier if project activities have been completed.
Further details can be found in Performance
Reporting Requirements (formerly Enclosure 2).
If you have questions about the program, contact:
Division of Preservation and Access
Room 411
National Endowment for the Humanities
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20506
202-606-8570
If you need help using Grants.gov, contact:
Privacy Policy
Information in these guidelines is solicited under the authority of the National
Foundation on the Arts and Humanities Act of 1965, as amended, 20 U.S.C. 956. The principal
purpose for which the information will be used is to process the grant application.
The information may also be used for statistical research, analysis of trends, and Congressional
oversight. Failure to provide the information may result in the delay or rejection of the application.
Application Completion Time
The Office of Management and Budget requires federal agencies to supply information
on the time needed to complete forms and also to invite comments on the paperwork burden.
NEH estimates the average time to complete this application is fifteen hours per response.
This estimate includes time for reviewing instructions, researching, gathering, and maintaining
the information needed, and completing and reviewing the application.
Please send any comments regarding the estimated completion time or
any other aspect of this application, including suggestions for reducing
the completion time, to the Office of Publications, National Endowment for
the Humanities, Washington, D.C. 20506; and to the Office of Management and Budget,
Paperwork Reduction Project (3136-0134), Washington, D.C. 20503. According to the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection
of information unless it displays a valid OMB number.
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