•	Endowment-Wide Programs and Initiatives

      I. Program Description

     II. Award Information

   III. Eligibility

   IV. Application and Submission

    V. Application Review

   VI. Award Administration

  VII. Points of Contact

VIII. Other Information

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 •  Definitions of types of funding

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To obtain a printed version of these
guidelines, call 202-606-8446, send an
e-mail to info@neh.gov, or write to
NEH, Office of Communications
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW,
Washington, DC 20506.

An art museum collaborated with a national cultural organization on an exhibition that brought rare foreign objects to the U.S. and traveled to venues in major metropolitan areas over several months. The exhibition featured high-quality works of art and also placed them into the context of the country’s history and culture over several centuries. Also included was a dedicated Web site that expanded on the content of the exhibition by adding complementary interactive content.

A major public library, state history museum, and city art museum collaborated to explore the history of the region as expressed through literature, historical artifacts, and art, by creating a traveling exhibition and a related reading and discussion program series. The reading and discussion programs expanded the exhibition’s reach by including a call-in radio show, in which rural listeners discussed with scholars the books that they had read.

A historic home partnered with a history museum to highlight patterns of historical change in the region. Through complementary exhibitions at both institutions, the lives of the house's owners were interpreted in terms of major national events and patterns. The historic home was linked to other relevant historical sites via a driving tour that was available on a Web site. Using cell phones to deliver content, the project enabled visitors to access information about the area’s history at selected stops.

• build on sound humanities scholarship,
• deepen public understanding of significant humanities questions,
• involve humanities scholars in all phases of development and implementation,
• appeal to broad audiences,
• approach the subject analytically and interpretively through an appropriate variety of perspectives, and
• employ appealing and accessible program formats that will actively engage the general public in learning.

• final consultation with scholars or other advisers;
• final exhibition design and fabrication, as well as crating and shipping;
• Web site development;
• completion of interactive program components;
• publication costs for complementary materials, including catalogues and curriculum guides;
• publicity expenses;
• staff training specifically for the project’s interpretive programs;
• development of teachers’ guides and curriculum materials;
• presentation and distribution of public programs and related materials; and
• audience evaluation.

Implementation grants may not be used for:

• single-site temporary exhibitions;
• purchase of art, artifacts, or collections;
• dramatic adaptations of literary works;
• professional development;
• expenses for program venues in foreign countries;
• projects that will satisfy requirements for educational degrees or formal professional training;
• programs primarily for students in formal learning environments;
• general operations, renovation, restoration, rehabilitation, or construction;
• projects primarily devoted to basic background research on the subject, as opposed to actual interpretion for the public;
• projects for preservation, cataloging, or archiving;
• projects that seek to persuade participants of a particular political, philosophical, religious, or ideological point of view;
• projects that advocate a particular program of social action; or
• print publications that are not an integral part of a larger set of interpretive activities for which funding is being requested.

1. eligible objects borrowed from abroad while on exhibition in the United States;
2. eligible objects from the United States while on exhibition abroad, preferably when part of an exchange of exhibitions with a foreign country; and
3. eligible objects from the United States while on exhibition in the United States, in connection with other eligible items from outside the United States that are integral to the exhibition as a whole.

• collaboration with multiple institutional partners;
• a wide-ranging combination of diverse formats (e.g., exhibitions, reading and discussion programs, digital formats, lecture series, symposia, neighborhood tours, curriculum guides, publications, and broadcast media); or
• programming at a large number of venues.

1. Table of contents
   List all parts of the application with corresponding page numbers.
2. Budget
   Using the instructions, complete the budget form (14-page PDF). If you wish, you may attach separate pages with notes to explain any of the budget items in more detail. Applicants are advised to retain a copy of the PDF containing their budget form.
3. Narrative
   Narratives should not exceed twenty-five single-spaced pages with one-inch margins. At least 11-point type should be used. Of the total number of pages in the narrative, the pages devoted to the Special Requirements section should be as follows: fifteen pages for object-based interpretive exhibitions, and ten pages for all other interpretive formats, including panel or other smaller ancillary exhibitions.
   Narratives for Chairman’s Special Award projects can be up to thirty pages long, allocated as needed between the general narrative and the Special Requirements sections.
   • The nature of the request
     Provide a one- to two-paragraph overview of the project and its interpretive goals. Describe the format(s) of all programs proposed, the subject and main themes, the amount of money requested from NEH, and the total project budget. Explain the appropriateness of the project for your organization(s).
     For exhibitions, outline the expected size (i.e., square footage and approximate number of objects), anticipated opening date, and venues.
     Applications that build on previously funded NEH projects by adding new program formats must describe the previous project’s components, explain what the new formats would be, show how they would effectively enhance the previous project, and explain how audiences would be reached and how new interpretive possibilities would be added.
   • Project introduction
     Describe the subject and discuss the project’s interpretive approach and its use of significant humanities themes. Discuss the relationship of the themes to relevant humanities scholarship. Explain why the project will engage the public and what you expect people to learn.
     If the project represents a change from existing programs offered by the organization, discuss how the new approaches and formats would differ from what is currently available.
     Give a brief history of the project to date (e.g., any previous funding from other sources, development activities, research already completed, consultation with scholars or other advisers, contacts with partner organizations, and other related activities). If appropriate, describe the relationship of the project to others on the topic and explain what its unique contribution would be.
   • Description
     Describe the project’s components and material resources (e.g., objects, images, documents, audio and/or video materials, Web-based information) and how they will effectively convey the project’s themes. If necessary, discuss how permissions or rights will be obtained for key materials and the likely costs of obtaining those rights.
     Describe what will take place at all of the project’s different venues. Explain why these particular program formats have been chosen and how they will complement one another.
     If the application is for a Chairman’s Special Award level of funding, explain why the institutional collaborations, number of program formats, and broad reach to audiences make the project a good candidate for the higher funding level. Explain why the project will be unusually significant and appealing, and why it will have exceptionally broad reach nationally.
     For Web-based or other digital projects, describe the humanities content, including the principal figures, events, issues, and themes to be explored and the humanities scholarship to be used. Explain how the organization and presentation of material will enhance users’ understanding of the content. If the project relies substantially on user-generated content, include a description of how the project will use humanities scholars and draw upon humanities scholarship. In addition, outline the criteria and process to be used for selecting the content that will ultimately be made available to the public.
     Web sites should be designed in accordance with accepted standards for accessibility and usability by members of the general public, including those with visual and other disabilities.
     Include examples of existing projects (such as Web sites) that you would use as models for your proposed project. All applicants must include a sample of previous work from the individuals who would be most involved in the design and production of the digital components. (Please see the instructions for sending work samples below.)
   • Audience
     Describe the expected participants or audiences, including any targeted groups. Describe any outreach efforts for underserved groups. Discuss any difficulties that may be encountered in reaching certain audiences and the strategies for overcoming them. Describe the publicity plans and the audience evaluation procedures.
   • Organizational Profile
     Provide a short profile of your organization and other major partner organizations. These descriptions should include the
     • institutional mission, origin, and size;
     • annual operating budget;
     • annual number of visitors (for museums and historic sites);
     • special characteristics and current activities; and
     • humanities resources (such as collections or staff).
     Limit this profile to one page for your organization and a half page for each of the other collaborating organizations.
   • Project team
     Provide a comprehensive overview of the project team, including staff members, scholars, and other program experts. Using short paragraphs, describe the qualifications and contributions of each project team member and indicate how their expertise is suited to the project. Organize the paragraphs into two sections: one for staff from your institution and one for outside consultants.
     Include specific details on the responsibilities of each of the other collaborating organizations. If the institutions involved have any prior experience in cooperating with one another, describe that experience and the nature of those partnerships.
     Include in the appendices résumés (two pages or less) for each person listed and letters of commitment from consultants.
   • Work plan
     Provide a detailed month-by-month schedule of the specific tasks and the individuals responsible for them. It is often helpful to present this section in a grid format. Clearly indicate when the planning team will meet; explain the expected results of each meeting.
   • Samples of previous digital work
     Provide examples of previously completed work. If members of the digital team have not worked together before, separate samples should be submitted for each principal member.
     Append a page to the end of the narrative describing the sample or samples of the companion digital component and indicating the roles played by each person on the digital team. In addition, please specify the platform on which the sample component is designed to operate.
     If the digital work is on a Web site, provide the URL and clearly indicate that this Web site is your work sample. If the sample work is on a DVD or CD, follow the instructions in the “How to Submit Supplementary Materials” section below.
   • Fundraising plans
     If your organization intends to share some of the costs, explain how your share will be met and outline the fundraising plan. Note that NEH is rarely able to support full costs of projects approved for funding.

   SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS – Provide detailed information on the formats that are applicable to your project.

   • Information on public accessibility and admission (required of all projects)

     As a taxpayer-supported federal agency, the NEH endeavors to make the products of its grants available to the broadest possible audience. Institutions hosting NEH-supported projects must provide several hours of free admission each week. Provide a statement of general admission policies for your institution as well as the proposed admission policy for all anticipated sites. If admission fees will be used to defray costs of the project, include the anticipated amount of revenue under “Project Income” in Section B of the budget.

     For projects that lead to the development of Web sites, all other considerations being equal, the NEH gives preference to those that provide free access to the public.

   • Walkthrough for exhibitions or historic site interpretation

     Exhibition walkthroughs should show clearly how the humanities content of the project will actually be communicated to the public. If the project’s primary interpretive format is an artifact- or object-based exhibition, this section should be no more than 15 single-spaced pages in length, excluding graphics and interpretive text samples. For all other types of exhibitions, this section should not exceed 10 pages.

     Begin by explaining the interpretive strategies and the design philosophy for the exhibition. Provide a complete list of exhibition objects in the Appendix, as noted below.

     Then provide a detailed “descriptive tour,” showing how a typical visitor would experience it section by section. Thumbnail images of a few of the exhibition objects may be incorporated into the text if they help to clarify the description. Be sure to provide specific examples of takeaway messages and how they will be conveyed. Include five to ten sample illustrations of objects or images and sample text for five or six labels and three or four panels.

     Include a rendering of the exhibition’s floor plan and elevations of at least two exhibit areas.

     Projects that involve heritage trails or walking tours should include four to five samples from the proposed trail signage.

   • Travel schedule with venues, when applicable

     All venues for traveling exhibitions or other traveling programs should be confirmed and letters of commitment from the relevant partner institutions included in an appendix.

   • Publications

     Describe the content (including brief abstracts of essays), author(s), format, estimated print run, distribution plans, and sale price of any publications for which funding is requested. Explain how these publications will complement the project’s other formats.

     Proceeds from the sale of any publications will be subject to the NEH policy on program income, which is outlined in Article 16 of the General Terms and Conditions for Awards to Organizations.

   • Public programs

     Describe the types of public programs that will be offered and how they will enhance the overall project. Describe the topics of lectures or other presentations, identify participating speakers, and describe the expected audiences.

   • Oral histories

     Applicants planning projects with oral history components should discuss how the project will adhere to the guidelines of the Oral History Association and should include an outline of proposed topics for the interviews, a list of the people to be interviewed or a description of the criteria for their selection, the plans for their recruitment, a description of the qualifications of the interviewers, a discussion of how the interviews will complement existing resources, and a copy of the permission or release form.

   • Audiovisual and/or multimedia formats

     Provide a description of each multimedia component of the project, including Web sites. If possible, include a script or story line and a description of the images that will be used. Explain what unique contributions the multimedia components will make to the overall project.

     If a Web site or other product involving new technologies will be a critical interpretive component of the exhibition and will represent a large portion of the funds requested from NEH, applicants should provide the following information:

     • Describe the user experience. Outline the proposed pathways that would guide a user through the material. Explain how the images, audio, text, and interactivity would enhance the user's understanding of the subject. Include screen shots.
     • Describe how front-end evaluation and beta-testing with representative users will take place.
     • Describe the technical plan and outline the specific material, both audio and visual, which will be used. Explain how this material will be formatted and processed.
     • Describe the hardware and software to be used and the reasons for the choices.
     • Include evidence that appropriate permissions have been or can be secured for the materials that will be included.
     • Describe the distribution or marketing plan, explaining how the product will be publicized and made available to audiences.
     • For Web sites, include a working prototype on a disk or via a functioning URL. Provide plans for regular site management, including updating of the humanities content, server maintenance and security, monitoring of traffic, and collection of user feedback.
     • For a CD-ROM or DVD, provide a working prototype on disk. The prototype should provide working links to all major sections of the proposed product and should present one representative section in detail.
   If you have questions about the appropriate amount of information that needs to be included in this section of the proposal, contact a program officer for specific guidance.
   • Conservation treatment

     If the funding requested for conservation treatment exceeds 15 percent of the total amount requested from NEH, include a separate section discussing the rationale for conserving the objects being used. Provide a list of individual objects, sample condition reports, a timetable for the treatment of objects, description of the conservation methods, and the qualifications of the conservator.

4. Appendices The following information should appear in the application’s appendices:
   • résumés (two pages or less) of all key project staff and consultants;
   • letters of commitment from consultants and collaborating organizations;
   • bibliography or filmography of sources;
   • lists of objects;
   • a description of the collections or archives upon which the project is based, if appropriate and not already covered in the narrative.

1. 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.
2. Supplementary Cover Sheet for NEH Grant Programs—this form asks for additional information about the project director, the institution, and the budget.
3. NEH Attachment Form—this form allows you to attach your narrative, budget, and the other parts of your application.

1. Name of Federal Agency: This will be filled in automatically with “National Endowment for the Humanities.”
2. 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.
3. Date Received: Please leave blank.
4. Funding Opportunity Number: This will be filled in automatically.
5. 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, for example, in the 5th Congressional District of your state, 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.)
6. Project Information: Provide the title of your project. Your title should be brief, descriptive, and substantive. It should also be informative to a nonspecialist audience. Provide a brief description of your project. The description should be written for a nonspecialist 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.
7. 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.
8. Primary Contact/Grants Administrator: Provide the contact information for the official responsible for the administration of the grant (e.g., 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.
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.

1. Project Director: Use the pull-down menu to select the major field of study for the project director.
2. Institution Information: Use the pull-down menu to select your type of institution.
3. 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.
4. 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. Before submitting an application for a supplement, applicants should discuss their request with an NEH program officer.
   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.

1. Intellectual content: How well does the project deal with significant humanities themes? Is it broadly conceived, based on sound scholarship, and appropriately analytical?
2. Audience interest and reach: Does the applicant demonstrate that the topic would have broad public appeal and expand the public's understanding of the humanities? Will the project effectively draw in and engage audiences?
3. Justification for higher funding: If the application requests a higher Chairman’s Special Award, how well is the case made that the traveling exhibition would be unusually significant and appealing and that it would travel widely?
4. Format: Are the program formats appropriate to the ideas, themes, and audiences? If the project involves multiple formats, how well do they complement and support one another? If the project relies substantially on user- or audience-generated content, is it clear how that material would be reviewed and made publicly available?
5. Program resources: Has the applicant clearly identified the appropriate materials and resources? Are they well matched to the larger interpretive themes and ideas, and are they available?
6. Scope and reach: How broadly will the project reach, both geographically and in terms of audiences? Would it be replicable by other similar institutions?
7. Project team: Does the project team have the necessary expertise, interpretive experience, and technical skills? Has the project effectively involved a team of humanities scholars? Are all the institutional partners in place, and is there evidence that they will collaborate productively?
8. Work plan: Is the work plan realistic and efficient?
9. Budget: Are the project’s costs realistic, appropriate, and reasonable?

If you have questions about the program, contact

Division of Public Programs
National Endowment for the Humanities
Room 426
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20506
202-606-8269 or publicpgms@neh.gov

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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.