FEDERAL AGENCY:

NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES, NATIONAL FOUNDATION ON THE ARTS AND THE HUMANITIES

AUTHORIZATION:

National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965, as amended, Public Law 89-209, 20 U.S.C. 951 et seq.

OBJECTIVES:

To strengthen the intellectual foundations of the humanities through the collaboration of scholars and the support of post-doctoral fellowship programs at independent research institutions.

TYPES OF ASSISTANCE:

Project Grants. Place Cursor Here for Definition

USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS:

Collaborative Research and Scholarly Editions grants support up to three years of research. Awards support direct costs, including salaries, travel, supplies, and appropriate research assistance and consultation. Grants also support fellowships offered through independent research centers and institutions.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Applicant Eligibility:   For collaborative research and scholarly editions, institutions of higher education, nonprofit professional associations, scholarly societies, and other nonprofit organizations in the United States may apply. For support of fellowship programs, U.S. independent research centers, scholarly societies, and international research organizations with existing fellowship programs may apply.

Beneficiary Eligibility:   U.S. citizens and residents, State and local governments, sponsored organizations, public and private nonprofit institutions/organizations, other public institutions/organizations, Federally recognized Indian tribal governments, Native American organizations, U.S. territories; non-governmental-general; minority organizations, other specialized groups; and quasi-public nonprofit institutions benefit.

Credentials/Documentation:   Cost will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular No. A-87 for State and local governments. Costs will also be determined in accordance with OMB Circular No. A-122 for nonprofit organizations and OMB Circular No. A-21 for educational institutions.

Pre-application Coordination:   After application instructions are received, draft applications or brief descriptions of proposed projects may be submitted to determine eligibility and competitiveness at least eight weeks prior to formal application. The standard application forms as furnished by the Federal agency and required by OMB Circular No. A- 102 must be used for this program. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure:   Direct application to Division of Research Programs,Room 318. NEH application instructions are available online (http://www.neh.gov/grants/grants.html) or upon request to the Division of Research Programs. This program is subject to the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-110.

Award Procedure:   Applications are reviewed by subject area specialists, panels of scholars, and other appropriate individuals outside the agency. Awards are made by the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities after recommendation by the National Council on the Humanities.

Deadlines:   For collaborative research and scholarly editions, the annual deadline is September 1. For support of fellowship programs offered through independent research centers and institutions, the annual deadline is September 1.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:   For collaborative research, scholarly editions and fellowship programs offered through independent research centers and international research organizations, approximately seven months.

Appeals:   None, but applicant may reapply with a revised proposal.

Renewals:   Renewal applications are eligible; they are evaluated in competition with new applications.

ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:

Formula and Matching Requirements:   This program has no statutory formula. Cost-sharing by institutional applicants is expected; matching funds are encouraged. Source: Program application instructions. Contact: See Headquarters Office below.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:   Up to 36 months. Funds are released as required and must be expended during the grant period.

POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Reports:   Progress reports are required at least annually, no more frequently than quarterly. Cash reports are required quarterly. Final progress and expenditure reports are due within 90 days after completion or termination of project support by NEH.

Audits:   In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A- 133 (Revised, June 24, 1997), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $300,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $300,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133. For nongovernmental recipients, audits are to be carried out in accordance with the provisions set forth in OMB Circular No. A-110, "Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Nonprofit Organizations Uniform Administrative Requirements" and with OMB Circular No. A-133. In addition, grants are subject to inspection and audits by NEH and other Federal officials.

Records:   Documentation of expenditures and other fiscal records must be retained for three years following the submission of the final expenditure report.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION:

Account Identification:   59-0200-0-1-503.

Obligations:   (Grants) FY 01 $5,018,008; FY 02 est $5,400,000; and FY 03 est Not available.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance:  
FY 14 from $70,000 to $415,000; $210,000 average.

In fiscal year 2001, 129 applications were received; 40 awards were made. In fiscal year 2002, 189 applications were received and 60 grants are anticipated to be awarded. In fiscal year 2003, 200 applications and 62 awards are anticipated.

REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:

45 CFR 1100 and 1105. The publication entitled "National Endowment for the Humanities Grant Programs, 2000-2001" is available upon request from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Washington, DC 20506. It is also available online at http://www.neh.gov/grants.html. Available from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402, is the Endowment's official publication, "Humanities" by subscription (6 issues annually, $24.00 domestic, $30.00 foreign).

INFORMATION CONTACTS:

Regional or Local Office:   None.

Headquarters Office:   Division of Research and Education, Room 318, National Endowment for the Humanities, Washington, DC 20506. Telephone: (202) 606-8200.

Web Site Address:  
http://www.neh.gov/divisions/research

EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS:

(1) A grant was awarded to a university for the preparation of an edition of the Dead Sea Scrolls. (2) A grant was made to a university to support the preparation of an edition of the papers of Thomas Jefferson. (3) An international team of scholars received a grant to support analysis and preparation of philosophical works in Sanskrit. (4) A grant to a university to support the preparation of an edition of the papers of John Dewey (5) A grant to a university supported excavation of the ancient Red Sea port of Berenike, Egypt. (6) A grant was made to a preservation society in support of archaeological investigations of the fort and colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. (7) A grant was made to support research opportunities at an independent research center in San Marino, California. 8) A grant supported a scholarly organization's fellowship program for American scholars conducting research in China.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:

The principal criteria considered by evaluators are: (1) The intellectual significance of the project; (2) the appropriateness of the research questions posed; (3) the quality and expertise of the researchers; (4) the promise of quality and usefulness of the resulting publication or other outcome; and (5) the potential for success. For fellowship programs at independent research institutions, evaluators are asked to assess the intrinsic importance of the institution's fellowship programs, the quality of scholarship produced by previous fellows, the relation of this work to the institution's mission and resources, the degree to which the institution promotes collegial exchange, the effectiveness of the administration of the programs, and the equity of the application and selection procedures.