Date posted: July 9, 2007

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 45.162

Questions?
Contact the staff of NEH's Division of Education Programs at 202-606-8380 and education@neh.gov. Hearing-impaired applicants can contact NEH via TDD at 1-866-372-2930.

Grants for Teaching and Learning Resources and Curriculum Development support projects that improve specific areas of humanities education and serve as national models of excellence. Projects must draw upon scholarship in the humanities and use scholars and teachers as advisers.

Projects may:

• help schools, colleges, and universities develop (or revise) and implement significant humanities programs, curricula, courses, and materials for teaching and learning; or
• develop materials and tools for classrooms that enhance the acquisition of advanced knowledge and understanding of the humanities, especially materials that apply digital technologies.

Support is available for two types of projects: curriculum development and materials development. Since they have different goals and products, applicants should choose carefully the type of grant most appropriate for their proposed project.

• Curriculum development projects typically bring together faculty within an institution or from cooperating schools, colleges, and universities to prepare, implement, and evaluate new or revised curricula that can serve as models for humanities teachers nationwide. These projects often involve collaboration among schools and institutions of higher education or organizations such as libraries or museums and regional and national consortia.
• Materials development projects involve groups of teachers and scholars working collaboratively to create resources, such as sourcebooks, document collections, or teaching guides, on specific humanities topics and texts. The development of the materials should have a significant impact on humanities instruction nationwide. Such materials may use print or electronic formats, but the preparation of traditional textbooks is ineligible for funding.

As part of a project, applicants may design, produce, and test interactive educational software and other electronic technologies. Projects involving digital materials must run on multiple platforms and must include provisions for long-term access and maintenance.

Providing Access to Grant Products As a taxpayer-supported federal agency, the NEH endeavors to make the products of its grants available to the broadest possible audience. Our goal is for scholars, educators, students, and the American public to have ready and easy access to the wide range of NEH grant products. 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.

Types of projects not supported:

• large-scale acquisition of computer equipment by schools or colleges;
• creative or performing arts;
• empirical social scientific research;
• specific policy studies;
• educational or technical impact assessments;
• work undertaken in the pursuit of an academic degree;
• preparation or publication of textbooks;
• projects that focus on cognitive psychology, pedagogical theory, research on educational methods, tests, or measurements;
• projects designed to persuade participants of a particular political, philosophical, religious, or ideological point of view;
• projects that advocate a particular program of social or political action; or
• projects whose principal purpose is professional development (applicants seeking such grants should consult the guidelines for Summer Seminars and Institutes and other NEH education grant programs).

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.

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. Proposals will be evaluated through NEH's established review process and will not receive special consideration.

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 or study the impact of digital technology. 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.

Curriculum Development Projects can be funded to a maximum of $100,000 and may span a period of 12 to 18 months. Materials Development Projects can be funded to a maximum of $200,000 and may span a period of up to three years. Applicants may request any amount up to the maximum. Cost Sharing Applicants must contribute a minimum of 20% of project costs as cost sharing. Depending on the availability of funds, however, NEH may not be able to support 80% of the costs of projects approved for funding and may offer a smaller amount. Cost sharing consists of the cash contributions made to the project by the applicant and third parties, as well as third party in-kind contributions, such as donated services and goods. Cost sharing includes gift money that will be raised to release federal matching funds. (Learn more about different types of grant funding.)

Any U.S. nonprofit organization or institution with IRS 501(c)3 status is eligible. State and local government agencies are also eligible. When two or more institutions or organizations collaborate on a project, one of them must serve as the lead applicant and administer the grant on behalf of the others. 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.

How to Prepare your Application
Applicants are encouraged to contact program officers who can offer advice about preparing the proposal, provide samples of narratives from successful applications, and review preliminary proposal drafts if they are submitted by August 15, 2007. Time constraints may prevent staff from reviewing draft proposals submitted after that date. Although this preliminary review is not part of the formal process and has no bearing on the final outcome of the proposal, previous applicants have found it helpful in strengthening their applications. Draft narratives may be submitted by e-mail attachment (education@neh.gov or to your program officer directly), by fax (202-606-8394), or by commercial delivery (Division of Education Programs, NEH, Room 302, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20506). 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:

1. Table of contents Include all parts of the application, with page numbers.
2. Summary Provide a one-page, single-spaced summary of the narrative.
3. Narrative description Applicants should keep in mind the criteria used to evaluate proposals listed below under Application Review. The narrative description is an extended discussion of the project's content, activities, and intended beneficiaries. Narrative descriptions must not exceed twenty double-spaced pages. The font size should be no smaller than eleven point and all pages should have one-inch margins. The narrative should refer to items included in the appendices. It must include the following:
   • Intellectual Rationale Identify the humanities themes and discuss why they are intellectually important. Explain the central subject the project will address.
   • Content and design Discuss the activities of the project. Describe in detail the specific topic(s) and area(s) of the humanities to be explored, and explain their significance for the academic levels that the project will address. Discuss how the project approaches particular issues of teaching and learning in the humanities. If a project involves materials currently under copyright, indicate what will be done to secure the necessary permissions to use them. Identify the intended beneficiaries of the project. When appropriate, describe how the project will help teachers meet applicable curriculum frameworks and academic standards. Use an appendix to provide a detailed schedule of activities and the project reading list or bibliography. If curriculum development is proposed, discuss the texts and other materials to be used, and explain why they were chosen and the reason for the order in which they will be studied. Demonstrate how the project could affect teaching and learning in the humanities nationwide even if it may have an initial use in a single region or institution. If materials development is proposed, list and discuss any similar materials already available. Demonstrate why the proposed materials are needed, what they will add to existing materials, what their potential is for national impact on the humanities, and how they will be made available to others. For example, indicate why the format or formats chosen for a final product (e.g., printed volume, CD-ROM, DVD, Web site) represent the most effective means of dissemination to the intended audience. For materials or curriculum development projects using interactive technology, describe the nature and structure of the interactivity and explain how it is appropriate to learning the subject. Outline the potential pathways that will guide the user through the project, and describe the audio and visual images, text, and interactivity. At a minimum, in an appendix, provide printed screen shots of the proposed project and a description of the project’s use of relevant encoding standards. It is highly recommended that applicants provide a working prototype on a CD-ROM or via a functioning URL. If a Web site is proposed, describe the plans for regular site management and updates.
   • Institutional context Briefly describe how the resources (e.g., faculty, library, archival or museum holdings) of the participating institution(s) support the project. If applicable, discuss any previous efforts to address the issues and objectives of the project. Provide, in an appendix, a letter from an academic administrator that demonstrates institutional commitment to the implementation of the project. In the case of curriculum development projects, the letter must describe institutional support for the implementation of the curriculum. If the proposal is related to a project previously funded by NEH, describe how the current effort builds on past work. Provide, in an appendix, an executive summary of the evaluation of the initial project.
   • Staff and participants Using a brief paragraph for each person, identify project staff members, consultants, and visiting scholars. Define their roles and state their qualifications for their responsibilities in the project. In the appendices, provide a résumé for the project director and brief résumés (two pages) and letters of commitment for other scholars. If the proposed project involves participation of teachers, administrators, or an advisory board, provide their names and pertinent information. In the appendices, include brief résumés (two pages) and letters of commitment for each participant. If participants will be selected at a later date, please include in the appendices a description of the selection procedures and the criteria for selection.
   • Evaluation Describe the project's anticipated impact and the criteria by which it will be measured. Include a specific internal and external evaluation plan that is appropriate to the project. Describe the benchmarks for evaluating progress of the project while it is ongoing. The plan should include an evaluation of the project's effects on teaching and learning in the humanities, and, when appropriate, its impact on student learning gains. Describe the qualifications of the external evaluators.
   • Follow-up and dissemination Explain how and when the grant products will be completed and what arrangements will be made for their ongoing availability. Describe follow-up activities (e.g., workshops with colleagues, dissemination of new curricula, and in-service presentations). Indicate how the results of the project will have a lasting impact after the grant funding ends. For works in print, indicate what arrangements for publication are being made. Provide, where applicable, the expected price of the product. Describe the plans for publicity, including announcements in professional journals, electronic discussion groups, newsletters, or participation in conference sessions or exhibits. For digital materials, include a plan for making materials produced by a project accessible nationwide. Describe how any electronic products will remain on accessible platforms after the end of the grant period. Discuss both the technical and administrative provisions for ensuring long-term access to the information. These include, but are not limited to, the maintenance of archival files, independent of the delivery or presentation software, that would allow the digitized material to be transferred to future media and formats, and the institution's capability and commitment to providing long-term access to the materials. If applicable, provide a justification for any subscriber, user, or licensing fees to access materials developed under the grant. All other considerations being equal, NEH will give preference to projects that provide free, online access to digital materials produced with grant funds.
4. Project budget Complete the budget form (PDF). Review the following budget instructions in addition to those accompanying the budget form.
• Salaries and wages Include all project personnel except participants and consultants who are not employees of the applicant institution. Calculations for faculty compensation should be based on a percentage of academic year or annual salary. NEH funds may not be used to hire replacement teachers or compensate faculty members for performing their regular duties. Compensation for support staff may be calculated as a percentage of salary or based on an hourly rate. Participants and consultants not employed by the applicant institution should be listed, respectively, under Other Costs and Consultant Fees. Salary compensation for employees of colleges and universities should be shown in the project budget as follows:
  • For project directors during the academic year, released time normally should not exceed one course per semester, or the equivalent.
  • For project directors during the summer, compensation is based on a percentage of the director's academic year salary. For example, one month of full-time work would equal one-ninth or 11.1 percent of a nine-month academic year salary. Each co-director receives 80% of these amounts.
  • Stipends for participants employed by the applicant institution should not exceed $100 per day. Stipends should be commensurate with the time commitment expected of the participants.
• Consultant fees List individuals contributing to the project as visiting lecturers and leaders of faculty study sessions. The honoraria for visiting scholars range from $350 to $500 per person per day. (Travel and subsistence costs should be entered in budget section 4.)
• Travel Travel and subsistence costs, including consultant, staff, and participant travel, should be calculated in conformity with institutional policy.
• Other costs Stipends for participants not employed by the applicant institution should be listed here. Participant stipends should not exceed $100 per full day. Stipends should be commensurate with the time commitment expected of the participants.
• Inadmissible budget items The following costs are not allowable and may not appear in project budgets:
  • cost of substitute teachers or compensation for faculty members performing their regular duties;
  • costs related to the regular activities of the institution;
  • rental of recreational facilities and costs related to social events such as banquets, receptions, and entertainment
  • travel associated with independent scholarly research; or
  • development of solely pedagogical education technologies or materials.
• Budget narrative (optional) If needed, provide a brief narrative explaining projected expenses or other items. If there are unusual costs in the budget, they should also be explained.
5. Appendices Include only relevant supplementary materials, such as detailed agendas and workplans, reading lists, syllabi, résumés, and letters of commitment. Each appendix should be identified clearly and listed in the table of contents. Pages of the appendices should be numbered consecutively. Applicants should also provide an executive summary of any evaluations, whether self-evaluations or external evaluations, of any related project(s) previously funded by NEH. Projects proposing a digital component (e.g., Web site, CD-ROM, or DVD) should provide prototypes that demonstrate the proposed component and its relationship to the goals of the project. Applicants may provide a Web site address, or material on CD-ROM or a DVD (eight copies). Printed screen-shots of essential pages or components should also be provided. Applicants should also include an explanation of the appropriate use of relevant encoding standards. All sample materials must be clearly labeled with the name of the project director, the applicant institution, and the title of the project. Include operating instructions when applicable.

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Once installed, this software will allow you to view and fill out Grants.gov application packages for any federal agency. If you have a problem installing PureEdge Viewer, 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.
Download the Application Package

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 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.
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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 (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: http://www.grants.gov/CustomerSupport.

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 an 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.

ATTACHMENT 1: To this button, please attach your table of contents. Please name the file "contents.pdf".

ATTACHMENT 2: To this button, please attach your one-page summary. Please name the file "summary.pdf".

ATTACHMENT 3: To this button, please attach your narrative. Please name the file "narrative.pdf".

ATTACHMENT 4: To this button, please attach your budget. Please name the file "budget.pdf".

ATTACHMENT 5: To this button, please attach your appendices. Please name the file "appendices.pdf".

If you are submitting a large number of appendices, please bundle them together and send them as a single attachment. If you are concerned about the file size, you can group your appendices into multiple attachments. In this case, please name your attachments appendix1.pdf, appendix2.pdf, appendix3.pdf, etc. Please note that you are limited to 15 attachments total for your entire application.

Do not embed any additional .pdf files within any of the attachments.

How to submit supplementary materials If you are sending supplementary materials (those that cannot be submitted electronically), please send 8 copies of each item and include a list of the materials to be sent separately in your Grants.gov submission. To identify the proposal that the samples accompany, indicate the title of the project, the name of the project director, and the applicant institution. Send the materials to: Grants for Teaching and Learning Resources and Curriculum Development
Division of Education Programs
National Endowment for the Humanities
Room 302
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20506
NEH continues to experience lengthy delays in the delivery of mail by the U.S. Postal Service, and in some cases materials are damaged by the irradiation process. We recommend that supplementary materials be sent by a commercial delivery service to ensure that they arrive intact by the receipt deadline.

Deadlines Applications: Must be received by Grants.gov by October 1, 2007. Grants.gov will date/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 October 1, 2007, to be considered as part of the application. The application submitted to Grants.gov must contain all the required elements, including résumés of advising scholars and letters of commitment. No material missing from the Grants.gov submission may be submitted in hard copy after the deadline.

Criteria Applications are evaluated using the following criteria:

1. Intellectual quality
   • The rationale for the project is clear and persuasive with detailed exposition of the topic(s) in the humanities to be addressed.
   • The project draws on sound humanities scholarship.
   • The proposal explains in detail how the grant product will provide teaching and learning resources that are academically rigorous, thoughtful, and stimulating.
   • The project addresses effectively the appropriate issues of teaching and learning in its subject area.
2. Design quality
   • The activities are well planned and described in adequate detail.
   • The activities advance the project in thoughtful and creative ways.
   • Appropriate digital technology and encoding standards are used, whenever applicable.
   • The personnel are qualified to carry out their responsibilities.
   • The plans for administration are sound.
   • The letters from scholars, other consultants, and participants demonstrate interest and commitment.
   • Evidence of commitment and support among the participating institutions is provided.
   • The plans include appropriate evaluation.
   • The project budget is reasonable.
3. Potential for significant impact
   • The project will significantly enhance humanities teaching and learning.
   • The results will be disseminated to those who will find them most useful. For digital materials, all other considerations being equal, preference will be given to projects that provide free, online access to grant products.
   • The project's results will extend beyond the period of the grant.

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 by mail in April 2008 of the decision. 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 Education, Room 302, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20506 or education@neh.gov.

Administrative requirements Before submitting an application, applicants should review their responsibilities as an award recipient and the lobbying certification requirement.

Award conditions The requirements for awards are contained in the General Terms and Conditions for Awards to Organizations, any specific terms and conditions contained in the award document, and the applicable OMB circulars governing federal grants management.

Reporting requirements A schedule of report due dates will be included with the award document. Interim and final performance reports will be required. Further details can be found in Performance Reporting Requirements (formerly Enclosure 2). A Federal Cash Transactions Report (2-page PDF) will be due within 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter. A final Financial Status Report (2-page PDF) will be due within 90 days after the completion date of the award period. Further details can be found in Financial Reporting Requirements (formerly Enclosure 1).

If you have questions about the program, contact: Division of Education Programs
National Endowment for the Humanities
Room 302
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20506

If you need help using Grants.gov, contact: Grants.gov: http://www.grants.gov
Grants.gov help desk: support@grants.gov
Grants.gov customer support tutorials and manuals: http://www.grants.gov/CustomerSupport
Grant.gov support line: 1-800-518-GRANTS (4726)

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.