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:

Education Development and Demonstration grants provide support for teachers and educational institutions at all levels to engage students in sustained, thoughtful study of the humanities.

TYPES OF ASSISTANCE:

Project Grants. Place Cursor Here for Definition

USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS:

Projects should strengthen the capacity of teachers to engage their students in substantive study of the humanities and should address how specific humanities topics are best taught and learned. Projects that deal solely with pedagogical theory or that are intended to improve writing, speaking, or thinking skills apart from a focus on specific humanities content are not normally supported.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Applicant Eligibility:   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-government-general; minority organizations; other specialized groups; and quasi-public nonprofit institutions may apply.

Beneficiary Eligibility:   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-government-general; minority organizations; other specialized groups; and quasi-public nonprofit institutions will benefit.

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

Pre-application Coordination:   Informal inquiry with the headquarters office, followed by submission of a preliminary draft is encouraged. Endowment staff should be sent preliminary applications at least eight weeks in advance of final application deadline for eligibility review. The standard application forms as furnished by the Endowment 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:   Submit to the headquarters office a proposal accompanied by an application form. Use of program guidelines provided by the agency is essential. Guidelines are available online (http://www.neh.gov/grants/grants.html)or upon request to the headquarters office. This program is subject to the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-110.

Award Procedure:   Applications are reviewed by panels of scholars, teachers, and educational administrators at all academic levels and by other appropriate individuals. Awards are made by the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities after advice of the National Council on the Humanities.

Deadlines:   Humanities Focus Grants: April 15, 2002 for projects beginning after September 1, 2002. Exemplary Education Projects: October 15, 2002 for projects beginning after May 1, 2003. Schools for a New Millennium: Implementation Grants: October 1, 2002 for projects beginning after May 1, 2003.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:   Approximately 6 months; 4 months for Humanities Focus Grants.

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

Renewals:   Applications for renewal must compete against new applications. Applications for renewal must demonstrate a record of success and the potential to serve new audiences.

ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:

Formula and Matching Requirements:   This program has no statutory formula. Source: Program Guidelines. Contact: See Headquarters Office below.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:   Funds must be expended during the grant period. Funds are released as required. Grants are available for projects for a maximum of 3 years.

POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Reports:   Progress reports are required at least annually. Cash reports on project expenditures 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 $5,288,790; FY 02 est $5,050,000; FY 03 est Not available.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance:   Humanities Initiatives at Historically Black, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and Tribal Colleges and Universities do not exceed $100,000. Enduring Questions Course Grants do not exceed $38,000.

In fiscal year 2001, 253 applications were received and 80 awards made. In fiscal year 2002, 335 applications and 73 grants 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:   National Endowment for the Humanities, Division of Education Programs 400 Seventh Street, SW District of Columbia 20505 Email: hi@neh.gov, Washington, District of Columbia 20506 Email: hi@neh.gov Phone: (202) 606-8463.

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

EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS:

(1) A Humanities Focus Grant to Five Colleges, Inc., in Amherst, Massachusetts, to support a series of workshops for teachers from four western Massachusetts school districts on new approaches to the American Revolution. (2) An Exemplary Education Project grant to the San Diego State University in San Diego, California, to develop and disseminate an Internet-based model curriculum for middle and high school courses in world history covering ancient times up to 1500 CE. (3) A Humanities Focus Grant to Prince George's Community College in Largo, Maryland, to implement a yearlong faculty seminar to explore Aristotle's works and contributions to Western thought. (4) An Exemplary Education Project grant the Community College Humanities Association in Newark, New Jersey, to conduct a nationwide mentoring project to strengthen the role of humanities faculty in community college programs for future teachers. (5) A Schools for a New Millennium implementation grant to Kenwood Academy, a public high school in Chicago, Illinois, to conduct a teacher-training program leading to the development of web-based humanities courses on the diverse social, literary, and cultural history of Chicago.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:

Proposals are read and evaluated on whether the intellectual quality of the project is excellent; whether the project is well designed; and whether the project will have significant results. See the program guidelines for detailed criteria.