Scholarly Editions and Translations

Frequently Asked Questions

Collaborative Research
Program Description
1. How many participants must a project have to qualify for a Collaborative Research grant?
Collaborative Research projects must have at least two participants.
2. I am working on a research project, but I am the only participant. May I apply to the Collaborative Research program?
No. Collaborative Research grants support original research undertaken by a team of two or more scholars. If you are the only participant, you should apply to the Fellowships program.
3. May a Collaborative Research grant be used for an interdisciplinary project?
Yes. Résumés of the participants should demonstrate pertinent expertise.
4. Our translation project used to receive NEH support from the Collaborative Research program. Should we apply to it or to the Scholarly Editions and Translations program?
Collaborative Research previously supported editions and translations, but editions and translations are now evaluated in the same program. You must apply to the Scholarly Editions and Translations program if your project is an edition or a translation.
5. What is the difference between the Scholarly Editions and Translations program and the Collaborative Research program?
Collaborative Research supports a broad range of original projects that significantly add to knowledge and understanding in the humanities, whereas Scholarly Editions and Translations supports only the preparation of authoritative and annotated editions of texts and documents, either in their original language or in translation, that are of value to humanities scholars and general readers.
6. Must all Collaborative Research projects have project websites? Must they disseminate their results electronically?
No. Although NEH encourages its grantees to have an online presence, projects without their own websites are eligible. Projects intending to disseminate their results only in print volumes are also eligible. For further guidance applicants should consult section IV of the guidelines on “Final product and dissemination.”
Award Information
7. Must indirect costs be paid for out of the funds awarded by NEH, or does NEH defray indirect costs through a separate award?
NEH makes only one award, which includes all project costs—both indirect and direct.
8. Why is cost sharing important?
Cost sharing can be vital to the successful completion of a project, since NEH is often unable to support the full costs of projects approved for funding.
Eligibility
9. I am not a U.S. citizen. Am I eligible to apply for a Collaborative Research grant?
You may apply through a sponsoring U.S. nonprofit institution with IRS 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. If you are not affiliated with an eligible institution, you may apply as an unaffiliated project director, but only if you will have been a resident of the U.S. for at least the three years immediately prior to the deadline.
10. I am a U.S. citizen teaching at a foreign university. Am I eligible to apply for a Collaborative Research grant?
Yes. You may apply through a sponsoring U.S. nonprofit institution with IRS 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, or you may apply (if you are not affiliated with an eligible institution) as an unaffiliated project director.
11. I am a U.S. citizen collaborating with someone from another country. May I include this person on the project budget?
Yes. Collaborators may be from other countries, and such collaborators may be included in the project budget.
12. I am a graduate student completing my Ph.D. May I apply as a project director for a Collaborative Research grant?
Persons enrolled in academic degree programs are not eligible to apply as project directors for Collaborative Research grants. If you have passed your dissertation defense but have not yet received the degree, you are eligible to apply—if you are also a U.S. citizen or will also have been a resident of the U.S. for at least the three years immediately prior to the application deadline. To demonstrate your eligibility, your dean or department chair must fax a signed letter to NEH (to 202-606-8204), stating that you have successfully completed all requirements for the Ph.D.; alternatively, the dean or department chair may include a PDF version of the signed letter as an attachment to an e-mail message sent to collaborative@neh.gov.
13. Do I need to have an advanced degree such as a Ph.D. to apply as a project director for a Collaborative Research grant?
No. However, your résumé should include publications, presentations, and other related experience that demonstrate your ability to carry out the project that you are proposing.
14. May I apply as an unaffiliated project director for a Collaborative Research grant, or must I apply through my institution?
Only adjunct faculty and those who are not affiliated with a U.S. nonprofit institution with IRS 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status may apply as unaffiliated project directors, although they are strongly encouraged to seek a sponsoring institution. Project directors affiliated with such an institution must ordinarily apply through that institution. If the project can be better hosted by a different institution, they may apply through that institution.
15. May an institution submit more than one application to the Collaborative Research and Scholarly Editions and Translations programs?
Yes. However, any one project director may direct only one application to either the Collaborative Research program or the Scholarly Editions and Translations program, but not both.
16. May a project director submit more than one application to the Collaborative Research and Scholarly Editions and Translations programs?
No. Project directors may submit only one application to either the Collaborative Research program or the Scholarly Editions and Translations program, but not both; they may, however, apply for other NEH awards, including Fellowships or Summer Stipends.
Application and Submission Information
17. Must I apply through Grants.gov?
Yes. Instructions can be found in the guidelines.
18. Until what time can I apply on the day of the deadline?
You may apply until 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on the day of the deadline. However, 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.
19. My project is a conference. Do I need commitments to participate from all invited conference participants before applying?
No. However, it is preferable to have commitments from as many participants as possible.
20. Must I have a contract with a publisher before applying?
No. Although having a contract may be helpful, proposals lacking a contract often are successful, so long as there is an appropriate and feasible plan to disseminate the results.
21. I have some supporting materials that are not in electronic format. How can I submit them?
All materials must be submittedly electronically (as PDF files) through Grants.gov, except for audio or video materials. (If the audio or visual materials can be accessed by evaluators on a website, you need only provide the URL at which they can be accessed.). Audio or visual materials that cannot be accessed at a website should be sent by commercial delivery service to Collaborative Research, Division of Research Programs, Room 318, National Endowment for the Humanities, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20506, 202-606-8200.
Budget
22. Some of the items on our budget form can’t be explained in the space available. Can we submit an additional written explanation for these items?
Yes. You can submit a written explanation, known as a budget addendum.
23. How long can the budget addendum be?
The budget addendum can be up to, but no more than, two pages.
24. Where should the budget addendum be placed in the application?
The budget addendum must be placed directly after the budget form and submitted in the same attachment as the budget.
25. The budget has a line for items that I will not be asking for, but I do not see items that I need. What should I do?
This form can be customized to suit your project. You can remove the line items that you do not need and add the ones that you do need.
26. We will be serving food at our conference. Where do we list this expense?
You cannot budget for the cost of food at a conference. You may, however, ask for a per diem (room and board) amount for conference participants.
27. Members of our project team travel every year to the national conference for our discipline. May we charge these costs to the project budget?
No. The program does not provide funding for this purpose.
Application Review
28. My application for a Collaborative Research grant was unsuccessful. Is there anything I can do to increase my chances for success next time?
In addition to requesting sample proposals and submitting a draft proposal for comment, as described below (see question 30), you may also ask for copies of the evaluators’ comments about your project. For reasons of confidentiality, requests must be filed by e-mail (collaborative@neh.gov) by either the project director or the institutional grants administrator.
29. I applied for a grant last year and was unsuccessful. Will this be held against me if I apply again this year?
No. NEH regards all applications as new applications.
30. What help is available for all applicants?
The staff of the Collaborative Research program will answer questions and review drafts of proposals submitted up to six weeks before the deadline. A response cannot be guaranteed if the draft arrives later. In addition, applicants may examine the narrative sections of sample funded proposals; samples are available on the sidebar on the first page of the guidelines, under Program Resources. Additional samples may be requested, from the lists of successful proposals available at www.neh.gov/news/recentawards.html. Applicants may contact staff by telephone (202-606-8200) or e-mail (collaborative@neh.gov). Draft proposals must be submitted by e-mail.