Grants.gov Instructions for Unaffiliated Project Directors

Applying to Collaborative Research or Scholarly Editions and Translations

The Grants.gov application process for project directors without an affiliation with an eligible U.S. institution is slightly different from that used by institutions. These instructions will guide you through 1) the registration process; 2) downloading the free Adobe Reader software; 3) downloading the application package; and 4) completing the four required forms (the Application for Federal Domestic Assistance for Individuals, the NEH cover sheet, the Project/Performance Site Locations form, and the attachments form).

For all other aspects of the application, please refer to the main guidelines for the relevant program.

Reminder: If you are affiliated with an eligible institution you MUST apply through an institution (ordinarily that institution) and not as an unaffiliated project director. Adjunct faculty and faculty at for-profit institutions may, however, apply as unaffiliated project directors.

The application package contains four forms that you must complete in order to submit your application:

1. Application for Federal Domestic Assistance—Individual—this form asks for basic information about the project and the project director.
2. Supplementary Cover Sheet for NEH Grant Programs—this form asks for additional information about the project director and the budget.
3. Project/Performance Site Location(s) Form—this form asks for information about the primary site(s) where award activities will be performed.
4. Attachments Form—this form allows you to attach your narrative, budget, and the other parts of your application.

HOW TO FILL OUT THE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE — INDIVIDUAL 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, telephone, and other contact information for the applicant.

   For question “e,” please put the number of your Congressional district. For example, if you live in the 5th Congressional District, put a “5.” If you don't have a Congressional district (e.g., you are in a state or U.S. territory that doesn't have districts or you are in a foreign country), put a “0” (zero).

6. Project Information: Provide the title of your project. Your title should be brief (no more than 125 characters), descriptive, and substantive. It should also be informative to a nonspecialist audience. Provide a brief (no more than one thousand characters) 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. Check the box “By signing this Application. . . ”

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. (As an individual applicant, you are considered the “Project Director.”)
2. Institution Information: Even though this program is for individual applicants, we are still interested in learning more about the institution at which you work. Use the pull-down menu to select the type that best fits your institution. Use “unknown” if none is applicable.
3. Project Funding: Please fill out the project funding boxes in the left-hand column (marked “Programs other than Challenge Grants”).
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 you are 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 FILL OUT THE PROJECT/PERFORMANCE SITE LOCATION(S) FORM

Select the form from the menu and double click to open it. Please provide the requested information. Instructions for the form can be found here: http://grants.gov/assets/Forms/SF424Site_Location_Instructions.pdf. Alternatively, instructions for each requested data element may be viewed by positioning your cursor over the blank field.

HOW TO USE THE ATTACHMENTS FORM

You will use this form to attach the various 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 http://www.neh.gov/grants/grantsgov/pdf.html.

When you open the Attachments 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 statement of significance and impact. Name the file “statement.pdf”.

ATTACHMENT 2: To this button, please attach your table of contents. Name the file “contents.pdf”.

ATTACHMENT 3: To this button, please attach your list of project participants. Name the file “participantslist.pdf”.

ATTACHMENT 4: To this button, please attach your narrative. Name the file “narrative.pdf”.

ATTACHMENT 5: To this button, please attach your budget—and, if applicable, budget addendum. Name the file “budget.pdf”.

ATTACHMENT 6: To this button, please attach your appendices. Name the file “appendices.pdf”.

ATTACHMENT 7: To this button, please attach your history of grants. Name the file “granthistory.pdf”.

Use the remaining buttons to attach any additional materials (if appropriate). Please give these attachments meaningful file names and ensure that they are PDFs.

UPLOADING YOUR APPLICATION TO GRANTS.GOV

When you have completed all four 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.

When you have completed your application, you must submit the application using the special username and password that were assigned to you 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, you will enter your 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. You will also receive a confirmation e-mail message.

NEH strongly suggests that you submit your application no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the day of the deadline. Doing so will leave you time to contact the Grants.gov help desk for support, should you encounter a technical problem of some kind. The Grants.gov Help Desk is now available seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day (except on federal holidays), at 1-800-518-4726. You can also send an e-mail message to support@grants.gov.

HOW TO SUBMIT SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS

If you are sending supplementary materials (those that cannot be submitted electronically), please send eight copies of each item and include at the bottom of the table of contents—submitted via Grants.gov—a list of the materials to be mailed separately. Send the materials to:

Collaborative Research OR Scholarly Editions and Translations
Division of Research Programs
Room 318
National Endowment for the Humanities
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
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 your application arrives intact by the receipt deadline.

If you wish to have the materials returned to you, please include a self-addressed, pre-paid mailer.

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