NEH Grant Programs
Fellowship Programs at Independent Research Institutions; Receipt Deadline: August 20, 2009 (for projects beginning in May 2010)
Advice for Applicants to Upcoming NEH Grant Competitions
Some applicants for NEH grants report that they have recently had difficulty submitting their applications through Grants.gov; they found that the system has periodically been slow and unresponsive. This problem exists because Grants.gov—the system used by applicants to the grant programs of most federal government agencies—has recently had to deal with an unusually high volume of applications. The system has therefore been overloaded. Unfortunately, the problem is expected to continue at least through mid-summer, when system upgrades are scheduled to be installed.
In response to this problem, NEH offers the following advice to prospective applicants. We strongly urge you not to submit your application on the day of the deadline, but instead to submit your application early. If applications are submitted over a period of time, the load of applications should be more manageable for Grants.gov. Applying early will also give you a margin for error, should you need help from Grants.gov to resolve a technical problem when you attempt to submit your application. If possible, you should also plan to submit your application outside of normal business hours on the East Coast. Grants.gov tends to work more smoothly in the early morning, in the evening, and especially on weekends.
Successfully receiving your application is very important to us, so we hope that this advice will be helpful to you. And if you continue to have problems with Grants.gov, please contact NEH division or office staff, using the contact information provided in the program guidelines. We apologize for any inconvenience that you may encounter in submitting your application.
To check on the current status of Grants.gov, please consult the Grants.gov blog.
Date posted: May 6, 2009
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 45.161
Draft Proposals (optional):
Program staff recommends that draft proposals be submitted at least six weeks before the deadline. Time constraints may prevent staff from reviewing draft proposals submitted after that date.
Questions?
Contact the staff of NEH’s Division of Research at 202-606-8200 and fpiri@neh.gov. Hearing-impaired applicants can contact NEH via TDD at 1-866-372-2930.
Grant Program Description
Grants for Fellowship Programs at Independent Research Institutions (FPIRI) support fellowships at institutions devoted to advanced study and research in the humanities. NEH fellowships provide scholars with research time and access to resources that might not be available at their home institutions. Fellowship programs may be administered by independent centers for advanced study, libraries, and museums in the United States; American overseas research centers; and organizations that have expertise in promoting research on foreign cultures. Individual scholars must apply directly to the institutions themselves. A list of currently funded institutions is available. In evaluating applications from programs at institutions located in the United States, priority is given to those with library holdings, archives, or other special collections—either on site or nearby—that are available as resources for NEH fellows. American overseas research centers should demonstrate a particular benefit to NEH fellows by virtue of their location and other resources. FPIRI grants provide funding to programs for humanities fellowships of four to twelve months. Fellowship tenure must be continuous.
However, the maximum amount of NEH funding is $50,400 for a six- to twelve-month fellowship and $25,200 for a four- to five-month fellowship. A grantee institution may supplement the stipends of NEH fellows from its own funds, and fellows may receive additional funds from other sources. NEH fellows must be granted the same benefits, services, and accommodations normally accorded other fellows.
Grantee institutions are subject to a number of specific conditions governing the administration of a FPIRI grant (see Section VI, Award Administration Information).
III. Award Information
Awards are generally made for one to four years. Recent grants have ranged from $138,000 to $618,750.
Successful applicants will be awarded a grant in outright funds, matching funds, or a combination of the two, depending on the request of the applicant and the availability of funds. (Learn more about different types of grant funding.)
NEH may offer funding at a level different from that requested. In some instances, NEH may offer matching funds only, or it may offer a combination of matching and outright funds in response to a request for outright funds.
Cost sharing is not required.
Eligibility
Any U.S. nonprofit organization or institution with IRS 501(c)(3) status is eligible, as are state and local governmental agencies and tribal governments. Individuals are not eligible to apply.
In addition, to apply for a FPIRI grant, institutions must
  • be financed, governed, and administered independently of institutions of higher education, and
  • have established and maintained fellowship programs with their own or other funding.
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 and Submission Information

Applications must be submitted by the August 20, 2009, deadline.
How to Prepare your Application
Application advice and proposal drafts
Applicants may submit by e-mail drafts of their proposals at least six weeks before the deadline to fpiri@neh.gov. A response cannot be guaranteed if the draft arrives later. The preliminary proposal gives an applicant the opportunity to receive staff comments about the substance and format of the application. These comments are not part of the formal review process. Once NEH has received a formal application, its staff will not comment on its status except with respect to questions of completeness or eligibility.
You are encouraged to review the list of questions evaluators are asked to consider when judging the quality of your application (see Section V, Application Review).
All applications must be downloaded, completed, and submitted via Grants.gov.
Your application should consist of the following five parts:
  1. Table of contents
    List all parts of the application with corresponding page numbers.
  2. Narrative
    Limit the narrative to 25 double-spaced pages with one-inch margins using at least 11-point type.
    Information requested in this section may already exist in annual reports, auditors’ reports, and brochures. Institutions may refer to such material when preparing a detailed description that includes the following sections in this order:
    1. The institution and its programs
      Provide an overview of the institution, describing
      • the intellectual significance of the work the institution supports, including its value to scholars and general audiences in the humanities;
      • the institution’s purpose, philosophy, history, governance, and sources of funding;
      • the administrative structure, size of the staff, and location;
      • the size and scope of library holdings, archives, or special collections available on site or nearby;
      • the resources and facilities available for study, research, and discussion (e.g., offices, computer equipment, carrels, and common rooms); and
      • the services available to NEH fellows (e.g., secretarial, research, or technical assistance; photocopying; meals; and housing or housing assistance).
    2. The fellowship program
      Describe the history, purpose, scope, and focus of special fields of interest and its relation to the overall structure and goals of the institution. Include information about any special fields of interest to the fellowship program and any particular mix of scholars that the institution attempts to achieve. Describe the activities of the fellows.
      Where applicable, address the ways in which the institution nurtures collegiality among the scholars and interaction with the local scholarly community. Describe the institution’s seminars, colloquia, luncheon symposia, and other means of fostering intellectual interaction.
    3. Publicity procedures
      Identify target audiences. Explain how the institution will publicize fellowships to qualified applicants, especially through Web sites, listservs, or other online means. Describe the publicity methods that the institution will use to attract a diverse group of scholars with related interests. Assess the effectiveness of past publicity efforts.
    4. Selection procedures
      Note the pertinent instructions in the conditions governing the administration of an NEH fellowship program (see Section VI, Award Administration Information). Include the criteria for making awards and the schedule for selection procedures. Regarding the selection committee, explain the conflict-of-interest rules by which deliberations on applications are governed, the process and criteria for choosing members of the committee, and the number of years for which they serve. Describe the composition of the selection committee with respect to discipline, geographical diversity, institutional characteristics, and other factors.
      In cases where awards are made through more than one program or committee, describe the selection procedures used by each and explain how funds are allocated among programs or committees.
    5. Program evaluation
      Describe the kinds of reports that the institution requests from fellows and the most recent assessment of the value of the institution’s programs to these scholars.
    6. Institution staff and program administration
      Identify the program’s permanent professional staff. Explain how responsibility for the program is divided among staff members and the extent to which they will be directly involved in the administration of the program.
    7. Program funding
      List the stipend amounts and lengths of tenure of the fellowships offered. Explain how stipend amounts are determined. Provide an annual budget for the complete fellowship program as it currently exists, including funds budgeted from the institution’s own resources and from other sources. Divide the budget into categories of expenses similar to those in the NEH budget described below. Clearly distinguish long-term from short-term research awards. A sample annual budget (1-page PDF) for an institution’s full fellowship program is available. (Note that this budget includes items that would not be supported by FPIRI grants. FPIRI grants support only fellowship stipends and standard allowances, as well as a portion of the costs for both publicizing the availability of the fellowships and selecting the fellows.)
      If the institution has received an NEH Challenge Grant to endow fellowships, explain how the annual income from the endowment generated by the Challenge Grant is currently used.
    8. Future of the institution’s fellowship program
      Describe any proposed changes in the institution’s focus, interests, purposes, scope, structure, or mix of fellows. Discuss how these changes will affect the work of scholars supported through the institution's programs. Explain any changes in the number of fellows (NEH-supported and other) or stipend levels needed to achieve the institution’s purposes.
  3. Budget
    Provide a budget for the fellowship program. A sample budget for requested NEH funds, year by year, is available for guidance. The budget subcategories used in the sample budget are meant to be illustrative; applicants should substitute or add other subcategories, as appropriate.
    Payments to Grantees: Stipends are limited to no more than $50,400 in NEH funds per fellow for fellows with tenure of six to twelve months, and to no more than $25,200 in NEH funds per fellow for fellows with tenure of four to five months. Applicants should not request funding for stipends during the first year of the grant.
    Publicity and Selection: Applicants may request up to $6,000 per year to defray the cost of publicity and selection of NEH fellows. These costs are incurred a year before the fellows’ tenure. Applicants should not request funding for these activities in the final year of the grant.
    Grant Period
    The grant period encompasses the entire period for which NEH support is requested in the current application. All project activities and the expenditure of all project funds must occur during the grant period.
  4. Appendices
    Use appendices to provide
    • brief résumés (two-page maximum) for the director of the institution and the principal staff involved in the program.
    • lists of members of the selection committee or rating panel or slate of outside reviewers who chose the fellows or other grantees for the current year and the two preceding years, annotated as to discipline, institutional affiliation, and academic rank.
    • lists of all fellows for the current year and for the two preceding years, including their fields, home institutions, and two- to three-paragraph descriptions of the projects of the long-term fellows. This list should distinguish long-term fellows (i.e., those supported for four or more months) from short-term fellows (i.e., those supported for fewer than four months). Applicants for renewal grants should identify the NEH fellows on the list.
    • lists of publications of previous fellows (NEH and others). Clearly identify NEH fellows and provide full citations for all publications.
    • lists of the names of publications, organizations, and institutions receiving announcements of the grant program (addresses are unnecessary).
    • a comparative statistical analysis of the applicant pool and the resulting awards for the current year and for each of the two preceding years, distinguishing applicants for NEH fellowships from others and including an explanation of significant trends and a statement of efforts that the institution is making to influence the trends. The most important general categories of analysis are fields of study, types of institution (e.g., research university versus four-year college), academic rank, and geographical distribution.
    • a statement of the guidance, instructions, and selection criteria provided to those who take part in the selection of fellows and other grantees.
    • copies of materials advertising the availability of fellowships.
    • copies of application forms and instructions and form letters used in responding to inquiries from potential applicants.
    • a copy of the institution’s research misconduct policy.
    • copies of reports from long-term postdoctoral fellows (i.e., those supported for four or more months) for the last three years. Applicants for renewal grants should supply reports only from NEH fellows.
  5. Statement of history of any federal grants
    If an institution has received previous support from any federal sources, including NEH, in the five years preceding this application, list the sources, dates, and total dollar amount of each contribution. If an institution has had a long history of support, organize and summarize the sources and contributions so that the list fits on one page.
How to Submit Your Application via Grants.gov
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 the Grants.gov checklist to guide you through the registration process. We strongly recommend that you complete 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.
Download the Application Package
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.
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.
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 all the required forms, you may receive an error message indicating that your application is not valid. 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:
  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.
To assist applicants, Grants.gov provides a helpful troubleshooting page.
How to Fill Out the SF-424 Short Form
Select the form from the menu and double click to open it. Please provide the following information:
  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 grants 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 (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 Primary Contact/Grants Administrator is not the same person as the Project Director. If the project director and the grants 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.
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:
  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.
How to Use the NEH Attachment Form
You will use this form to attach the 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, many low-cost and free software packages will do so. To learn more, go to www.neh.gov/grants/grantsgov/pdf.html.
When you open the NEH Attachment Form, you will find fifteen 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 table of contents. Please name the file “contents.pdf”.
ATTACHMENT 2: To this button, please attach your narrative. Please name the file “narrative.pdf”.
ATTACHMENT 3: To this button, please attach your budget for requested NEH funds, year by year. Please name the file “budget.pdf”.
ATTACHMENT 4: To this button, please attach your brief résumés. Please name the file “resumes.pdf”.
ATTACHMENT 5: To this button, please attach your lists of members of the selection, rating, or review committee. Please name the file “reviewers.pdf”.
ATTACHMENT 6: To this button, please attach your list of fellows. Please name the file “fellows.pdf”.
ATTACHMENT 7: To this button, please attach your list of publications by fellows. Please name the file “publications.pdf”.
ATTACHMENT 8: To this button, please attach your lists of names of publications, organizations, and institutions receiving announcements. Please name the file “announcements.pdf”.
ATTACHMENT 9: To this button, please attach your statistical analysis. Please name the file “statisticalanalysis.pdf”.
ATTACHMENT 10: To this button, please attach your statement of guidance for the review process. Please name the file “reviewguidance.pdf”.
ATTACHMENT 11: To this button, please attach your copies of advertising materials. Please name the file “advertising.pdf”.
ATTACHMENT 12: To this button, please attach your copies of application materials provided to potential applicants. Please name the file “applicationmaterials.pdf”.
ATTACHMENT 13: To this button, please attach your institution’s research misconduct policy. Please name the file “researchmisconduct.pdf”.
ATTACHMENT 14: To this button, please attach your copies of reports from long-term postdoctoral fellows. Please name the file “reports.pdf”.
ATTACHMENT 15: To this button, please attach your statement of history of any federal grants. Please name the file “granthistory.pdf”.
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 were 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 will appear. This page, which includes a tracking number, indicates 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 message.
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.
To assist applicants, Grants.gov provides a helpful troubleshooting page.
HOW TO SUBMIT SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS
If you are sending supplementary materials (those that cannot be submitted electronically), please send eight copies of each item. Send the materials to:
Fellowship Programs at Independent Research Institutions
Division of Research Programs
National Endowment for the Humanities
Room 318
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20506
202-606-8200
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
Draft Proposals (optional): Program staff recommends that draft proposals be submitted at least six weeks before the deadline. Time constraints may prevent staff from reviewing draft proposals submitted after that date.
Applications must be received by Grants.gov by August 20, 2009. Grants.gov will date- and time-stamp your application after it is fully uploaded. Late applications will not be reviewed.
Supplementary materials must also arrive at NEH by August 20, 2009, to be considered as part of the application.
Application Review
Reviewers will be asked to answer the following questions when evaluating applications:
  1. How important to the advancement of the humanities is the fellowship program for which funding is requested?
  2. Are fellows likely to pursue their research more successfully because of the research collections, facilities, services, and other resources provided by the applicant institution? In the case of centers with residential programs, does the application provide evidence that the fellows’ projects benefit significantly from the location of the center and the intellectual exchange among the fellows?
  3. How strong is the institution’s previous record in offering fellowships? Have former fellows been productive? Have the scholarly contributions resulting from their FPIRI fellowships been of value to scholars and general audiences in the humanities?
  4. Is the fellowship selection process, including the choosing of selection committee members, expert and objective?
  5. Does the application make a persuasive case for the amount of NEH support requested for fellowships?
  6. How effective is the publicity for the competition for fellowships?
  7. How effective is the administration of the fellowship program? Is the institution’s research misconduct policy adequate?
  8. Are there ways in which the fellowship program could be improved?
Review and Selection Process
Knowledgeable persons outside NEH will read each application and advise the agency about its merits. NEH 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 Administration Information
Award notices
Applicants will be notified by e-mail in March 2010 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 evaluations of their applications by sending a letter or e-mail message to NEH, Division of Research Programs, Room 318, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20506 or fpiri@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.
Final performance reports will be required. Further details can be found in Performance Reporting Requirements (formerly Enclosure 2).
A final Federal Financial Report (SF-425) will be due within ninety days after the end of the award period.
Conditions governing the administration of an NEH fellowship program
  • Application and eligibility requirements for NEH fellowships
    NEH fellowships are for individuals who have completed their formal professional training. Degree candidates and individuals seeking support for work in pursuit of a degree are ineligible. Foreign nationals are also ineligible unless they have lived in the United States for the three years immediately preceding the application deadline for the fellowship.
    Institutions must give all eligible applicants equal consideration. They may not restrict applications to members of a scholarly organization or to persons affiliated with institutional members of a scholarly organization. Institutions may not accept applications from any officer, employee, member of the board of trustees or advisers, selection committee member, or officer, employee, or board member of a parent organization until at least one year has elapsed since the person’s last service in such a position.
    Institutions may not require an administrative or application fee of applicants for NEH fellowships.
  • Responsibilities of NEH fellows
    NEH fellows must devote full time to their research projects and may not accept teaching assignments or undertake any other major activities during the tenure of their award. They must submit final reports on their activities and accomplishments to NEH’s Division of Research Programs. NEH fellows are also responsible for ensuring that all scholarly articles, books, and other publications resulting from research supported by their awards contain an acknowledgment of NEH support.
    Residential NEH fellows are expected to remain during their entire fellowship tenure period and to work on their projects on a full-time basis. If a fellow is obliged through special circumstances to depart before the end of the tenure period, it shall be the grantee institution’s responsibility to see that only a pro rata share of the stipend is received, or that the appropriate pro rata share of the stipend be returned if the fellow has already received the full stipend. Nonresidential NEH fellows are also expected to work on their projects on a full-time basis, and the same pro-rata payment policy applies if a fellow is unable to work on his or her project full-time for the full tenure of the fellowship.
  • Selection of NEH fellows
    Each institution must ensure the fair and informed selection of recipients of NEH fellowships by relying on the recommendations of an external committee composed of qualified scholars drawn from outside the institution’s staff and governing bodies. Staff, officers, board members, and trustees of centers and umbrella organizations may not serve as voting members on committees that review applications for NEH awards. NEH funds may be awarded only to applicants recommended by the external committees.
    The grantee must ensure that the selected fellows are not debarred or suspended from doing business with the federal government. For further information, please refer to Article 29 Debarment and Suspension of the General Terms and Conditions for Awards to Organizations.
  • Report on the selection process
    After the completion of each competition and the award of fellowships, the institution must provide NEH’s Division of Research Programs with a full report on its competition.
  • Maintenance of application files of NEH-funded scholars
    Institutions must maintain grant records, including both financial records and the application files of NEH fellows, for a period of at least three years from the date of the submission of the final financial report for the grant. These files must include applications, proposals, and résumés, along with documentation of tenure periods and stipend amounts. Institutions also must keep a record of the selection committee’s deliberations, including application ratings and the selection committee members’ written comments about the proposals. Institutions must immediately provide copies of these applications upon the request of NEH.
  • Research Misconduct Policy
    Each institution must have in place a research misconduct policy. Institutions administering NEH fellowships are subject to NEH’s policy on research misconduct as spelled out in Article 38 of the General Terms and Conditions for Awards to Organizations. The full text of NEH’s research misconduct policy is available online.
  • Publicity
    Institutions are responsible for publicizing NEH fellowships and their application procedures to all qualified potential applicants.
  • Acknowledgment of NEH support
    All materials publicizing or resulting from grant activities must contain an acknowledgment of NEH support. This requirement includes materials that advertise the availability of fellowships at the institution and that describe the procedures for the selection of fellows; announcements of fellows selected; and all scholarly articles, books, and other publications resulting from work conducted by NEH fellows.
    The acknowledgment on grant products, including those NEH fellows produce and reports on work accomplished by NEH fellows, must also include the following statement: “Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this (publication) (program) (Web site) do not necessarily reflect those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.”
Points of Contact
If you have questions about the program, contact
Division of Research Programs
National Endowment for the Humanities
Room 318
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20506
202-606-8200 or fpiri@neh.gov
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)
Grants.gov trouble shooting tips.
Other Information
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 that 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.