I. Program Description II. Endowment-Wide Programs and Initiatives III. Award Information IV. Eligibility V. Application and Submission Information VI. Application Review VII. NEH Award Administration Information [U.S. Partners Only] VIII. DFG Award Administration Information [German Partners Only] IX. Points of Contact X. Other Information • Budget Instructions and Sample Budget (5-page PDF) • Budget form (14-page PDF) • Definitions of types of funding • DUNS Number Requirement • Frequently Asked Questions • Sample Projects • Sample narrative: Cornell University Library (27-page PDF) • Registration Checklist • Download the current version of Adobe Reader • How to convert documents into PDFs • Tips for Creating PDF Files in Grants.gov Applications • Grants.gov FAQs • Grants.gov customer support 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.

• the development and presentation of courses or programs on the care and management of collections for staff in cultural organizations who are responsible for the day-to-day care of collections;
• the development and presentation of courses or programs that focus on the skills and knowledge required to provide or enhance intellectual access to humanities collections;
• graduate programs in preservation and conservation; and
• preservation field services that serve a multi-state region and provide surveys, consultations, workshops, reference services, and informational materials to the staff of institutions responsible for the care of humanities collections.

• programs on the care and management of collections that are the responsibility of an agency of the federal government or are not regularly accessible for research, education, or public programming;
• programs about the preservation of the built or natural environment;
• programs that are not regional or national in scope; or
• support of either full-time or permanent faculty positions in graduate programs.

1. Description of the project and its significance
   Provide a one-page abstract written for a non-specialist audience, clearly explaining the project's importance to the humanities, its principal activities, and its expected results. Describe the kinds of humanities collections that would benefit and describe the project's intended outcome in quantitative terms (e.g., the number of participants).
2. Table of contents
   List all parts of the application and, beginning with the narrative, number all pages consecutively.
3. List of participants
   On a separate page, list in alphabetical order, surnames first, all project participants and collaborators and their institutional affiliations. This list should include advisory board members and authors of letters of support, if any. The list is used to ensure that prospective panelists have no conflict of interest with the project that they will be evaluating.
4. Narrative
   Limit the narrative to twenty-five single-sided and single-spaced pages. All pages should have one-inch margins and the font size should be no smaller than eleven point. Use appendices to provide supplementary material.
   Individuals with a variety of professional backgrounds will read these applications and advise NEH on their merits. Project narratives should, therefore, be written so that they can be understood by persons who may not have the same technical awareness as the applicant.
   Keep the application review criteria (see below) in mind when writing the narrative, which consists of the following sections:
   • Significance
     Discuss the national or regional needs this education or training program will serve. This discussion should include the program's intended audience, its potential impact on preservation and access practices, and the kinds of institutions and humanities collections that will benefit. Describe how this program relates to others of a similar nature that currently exist or have been conducted in the past. Clarify the degree to which this program will build on past work or break new ground.
   • Institutional profile
     Provide general information about the applicant institution or organization and explain why it is an appropriate provider of the education and training services. Include a description of the institution's mission, organizational structure, annual budget and sources of income, and staff.
   • Curriculum and work plan
     Thoroughly describe the content of the curriculum including requirements and any costs for attendance; the time and location of the program; the duration, structure, and assignments for the course(s); the materials to be used and why; and the program's expected results. Include course syllabi in the appendices. Explain how the curriculum and duration of the program reflect the subjects taught and the educational needs or level of the attendees.
     Proposals for regional preservation services must incorporate a detailed account of each type of service or activity that will be implemented during the period of the grant, including staff involved, procedures to be followed, fees to be charged, and number of institutions or participants who would benefit.
   • Evaluation
     Describe how the program and its results will be evaluated by participants and by the applicant organization. Discuss how the impact of these activities on institutions and the professional competence of their staff will be measured. For ongoing projects, describe their accomplishments in the current or past grant period and the degree to which the project met its established goals.
   • Sustainability
     As relevant, discuss how the project’s results will be maintained and supported beyond the period of the grant. For example, for courses developed with NEH support, describe plans for their continuation. For Web-based resources created with NEH support, discuss how the content will be updated and maintained. For projects that have received past NEH funding, discuss efforts and strategies that have been implemented or are planned to broaden and strengthen the base of financial support.
   • Staff, faculty, and consultants
     Using short paragraphs, provide the names and relevant professional experience of the persons responsible for creating and conducting the programs, courses, symposia, workshops, or events.
5. Budget
   Using the instructions, complete the budget form (PDF). While all items should be justified by the narrative, further explanation may be included in brief budget notes.
   For any outsourced work, third-party contractor costs should be included in the budget category "Services." Attach a complete itemization of these costs to the budget form. If there is more than one contractor, each one must be listed on the budget form and the costs itemized separately.
   To the maximum extent practical, all procurement contracts must be made through an open and free competition. They are to be awarded to the bidder or offeror whose bid or offer is most advantageous, considering price, quality and other factors. Applicants must justify procurement contracts in excess of $100,000 that are not awarded by competitive bids or offers.
   Permanent equipment may be purchased for a project if an analysis demonstrates that it is the most economical and practical alternative to leasing. Permanent equipment is defined as nonexpendable personal property costing $5,000 or more and having a useful life of more than one year.
   Consistent with the Buy American Act (41 U.S.C. 10a-c and Public Law 105-277), grantees and subrecipients who purchase equipment and products with grant funds should purchase only American-made equipment and products.
6. Appendices
   Use appendices to provide:
   • course outlines;
   • brief résumés (no longer than two pages) for staff with major responsibilities for the project's implementation;
   • job descriptions for any additional staff who will be hired specifically to work on the project;
   • letters of commitment from outside participants and cooperating institutions; and
   • letters of support (no more than three). Such letters should address the criteria for funding established by this category (see below). Authors of letters of support will not participate in the NEH review process.
7. History of grants
   If the project has received previous support from any federal or nonfederal sources, including NEH, list on one page the sources, dates, and amounts of these funds. If the project has a long history of support, the sources and contributions may be grouped and summarized.

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 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.
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 (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.
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 (applicants should discuss their request with a NEH program officer before submitting such an application).
   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.

• the significance and potential impact of the project for improving preservation and access practices;
• the soundness of the methodology and the program's structure and curriculum in relation to its educational goals;
• the professional training and experience of the staff in relation to the activity for which support is requested;
• the quality and scope of the proposed plans for sustaining the products and work of the project beyond the grant period; and
• the appropriateness of the project's budget.