Date posted: October 18, 2007

Contact the staff of NEH's Division of Public Programs at 202-606-8269 and publicpgms@neh.gov. Hearing-impaired applicants can contact NEH via TDD at 1-866-372-2930.

America's Historical and Cultural Organizations implementation grants support traveling or long-term museum exhibitions, library-based projects, interpretation of historic places or areas, interpretive Web sites, or other program formats that creatively engage audiences in exploring humanities ideas and questions.

Applications for panel exhibitions are accepted only from organizations other than museums, such as libraries or library systems. Panel exhibitions must travel beyond a single site and must also incorporate at least one other program format.

Applications that make innovative use of emerging technologies are encouraged. Projects should do more than simply provide a digital archive of material. They should offer new ways of contextualizing and interpreting information so as to engage public audiences interactively in exploring humanities ideas and questions. Applications may, for example, include plans to create Web sites, PDA tours and resources, podcasts, virtual environments, wiki formats or others that utilize user-generated content, virtual imaging, GIS mapping, online scholar-led discussions, video on demand, streaming video, games, or other formats. Digital components must rest on sound humanities scholarship and enhance the project's humanities content in ways that take unique advantage of the proposed formats.

Support is also available to expand previously-funded NEH projects through the addition of new, complementary formats, for example, developing a series of reading and discussion programs around an exhibition or film or using digital formats to add new interpretive dimensions to a project. The new formats should complement and expand the project's original humanities content in unique ways and should reach audiences that were not served by the original project.

This program also supports Chairman's Special Award projects. These are more complex projects of national visibility that would be of compelling interest to the general public, show exceptional promise of dealing with important humanities ideas in new ways, and reach large audiences. These goals can be accomplished through combining a variety of program formats, forming creative collaborations among diverse institutions, and expanding of the scope and reach of the project. The following are examples of these types of projects:

An art museum collaborates with a national cultural organization on an exhibition that brings rare foreign objects to the U.S. and travels to venues in major metropolitan areas over several months. The exhibition features high-quality works of art and also places them into the context of the country's history and culture over several centuries. Also included is a dedicated Web site that expands on the content of the exhibition by adding complementary interactive content.

A major public library, state history museum, and city art museum collaborate to explore the history of the region as expressed through literature, historical artifacts, and art by creating a traveling exhibition and a related reading and discussion program series. The reading and discussion programs expand their reach by including a call-in radio show for rural listeners to discuss the books they have read with scholars.

A historic home partners with a history museum to highlight patterns of historical change in the region. Through complementary exhibitions at both institutions, the lives of the house's owners are interpreted in terms of major national events and patterns. The historic home is linked to other relevant historical sites via a driving tour that is available on a Web site. Using cell phones to deliver content, visitors can access information about the area's history at selected stops.

America's Historical and Cultural Organizations grants support media projects for local distribution that accompany museum exhibitions, library programs, public discussion forums, hands-on learning experiences, discussion series based on reading or film viewing, multi-faceted conferences or symposia, or stand-alone Web sites. If you are planning to produce a radio program, film, television series, or podcast for broad regional or national distribution over broadcast media or the Internet, the more appropriate program to apply to is America's Media Makers.

• build on sound humanities scholarship,
• deepen public understanding of significant humanities questions,
• involve humanities scholars in all phases of development and implementation,
• appeal to broad audiences,
• approach the subject analytically and interpretively through an appropriate variety of perspectives, and
• employ appealing and accessible program formats that will actively engage the general public in learning.

Each project should be guided by a team of advisors who have helped develop the project's concepts and themes. The advisory team's expertise normally complements that of the applicant's staff. The team must include humanities scholars. As needed, it may also include others with experience and knowledge appropriate to the project's formats or technical requirements. Proposals that are competitive have a variety of consultants representing a wide range of humanities perspectives. In contrast, projects that rely on a single consultant are not competitive.

Applicants for implementation/production grants should have already done most of the planning for their projects, including the identification of the key humanities themes, relevant scholarship, and program formats.

Grant funds can support all typical activities connected with project implementation and production, including:

• final consultation with scholars or other advisers;
• final exhibition design and fabrication, as well as crating and shipping;
• Web site development;
• completion of interactive program components;
• publication costs for complementary materials, including catalogues and curriculum guides;
• publicity expenses;
• staff training specifically for the project’s interpretive programs;
• development of teachers’ guides and curriculum materials;
• presentation and distribution of public programs and related materials; and
• audience evaluation.

Implementation grants may not be used for:

• single-site temporary exhibitions;
• purchase of art, artifacts, or collections;
• dramatic adaptations of literary works;
• general professional development;
• expenses for program venues in foreign countries;
• projects that will satisfy requirements for educational degrees or formal professional training;
• programs primarily for students in formal learning environments;
• general operations, renovation, restoration, rehabilitation, or construction;
• projects primarily devoted to basic background research on the subject, as opposed to actual interpretation for the public;
• projects for preservation, cataloging, or archiving;
• projects that seek to persuade participants of a particular political, philosophical, religious, or ideological point of view; or
• projects that advocate a particular program of social action.

1. eligible objects borrowed from abroad while on exhibition in the United States;
2. eligible objects from the United States while on exhibition abroad, preferably when part of an exchange of exhibitions with a foreign country; and
3. eligible objects from the United States while on exhibition in the United States, in connection with other eligible items from outside the United States that are integral to the exhibition as a whole.

The Indemnity Program is administered by the National Endowment for the Arts. Further information on this program can be found here.

We the People Grant Program

NEH especially invites public programs proposals in the following areas:

• Family and Youth Programs in American History: These public programs encourage intergenerational learning about and reflection on significant topics in U.S. history and culture. Grants support the development of programming tailored to youth and/or family audiences at museums, libraries, historical societies and sites, parks, and other places in the community.
• Interpreting America's Historic Places: These grants promote public knowledge and understanding of American history through interpretation of significant American places. The "place" to be interpreted might be a single historic site, a series of sites, an entire neighborhood, a community or town, or a larger geographical region. Please consult the guidelines for Interpreting America's Historic Places implementation grants for further information.
• The new Picturing America program introduces young people to some of America's great art treasures. The goal of Picturing America is to promote the teaching, study, and understanding of American history and culture. NEH encourages proposals for America’s Historical and Cultural Organization projects that focus on one or more of the art works or artists in the Picturing America collection; the physical place in which they emerged; their social and intellectual context and influence; or other ways in which American art sheds light on the people, history, and culture of the United States.

Rediscovering Afghanistan

Digital Humanities Initiative

Awards are usually made for a period of 18-36 months. Awards typically do not exceed $400,000. However, awards of up to $1,000,000 are available for Chairman’s Special Award projects that would have exceptional significance and exceptionally wide reach to audiences through any of the following:

• collaboration with multiple institutional partners;
• a wide-ranging combination of diverse formats (i.e., exhibitions, reading & discussion programs, Web sites, lecture series, symposia, neighborhood tours, curriculum guides, publications, etc); and
• programming at a large number of venues.

Please note that NEH support for a project in an early stage does not imply commitment for ongoing support. Proposals for successive phases of a project must be submitted separately and are evaluated independently.

Cost Sharing

Cost sharing is not required. NEH, however, is rarely able to support the full costs of projects approved for funding. In most cases, NEH grants cover no more than 50-60% of project costs. (Learn more about different types of grant 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.

New applications for projects that would use the same topics and formats from a current implementation project to reach new venues and audiences will not be accepted until the current project has been completed and an evaluation submitted. (The evaluation can be included with the new application.) Only one such application will be accepted for any given project.

If an application for a project is already under review, another application for the same project may not be accepted.

Ineligible applications will not be reviewed.

Application advice and proposal drafts:

Your application should consist of the following parts:

1. Table of contents List all parts of the application with corresponding page numbers.
2. Budget Using the instructions, complete the budget form (14-page PDF). If you wish, you may attach separate pages with notes to explain any of the budget items in more detail. Applicants are advised to retain a copy of the PDF containing their budget form.
3. Narrative Narratives should not exceed 25 single-spaced pages with one-inch margins and should be at least 11-point font. Of this total, the pages devoted to the Special Requirements section should be as follows: 15 pages for object-based interpretive exhibitions, and 10 pages for all other interpretive formats, including panel or other smaller ancillary exhibitions.

   Applications for Chairman’s Special Award projects can be up to 30 pages long, allocated as needed between the general narrative and the Special Requirements sections.

   The application narrative should contain the following information, in this order:

   • The nature of the request Provide a one- to two-paragraph overview of the project and its interpretive goals. Describe the format(s) of all programs proposed, the subject and main themes, the amount of money requested from NEH, and the total project budget. Explain the appropriateness of the project for your organization(s).

     For exhibitions, outline the expected size (i.e., square footage and approximate number of objects), anticipated opening date, and venues.

     Applications that build on previously-funded NEH projects by adding new program formats must describe the previous project’s components, explain what the new formats would be, indicate how they would effectively enhance the previous project, and explain how new audiences would be reached and what new interpretive possibilities would be added.

   • Project introduction Describe the subject and discuss the project's interpretive approach and its use of significant humanities themes. Explain why the project will engage the public and what you expect people to learn.

     If the project represents a change from existing programs offered by the organization, discuss how the new approaches and formats would differ from what is currently available.

     Give a brief history of the project to date (e.g., any previous funding from any other sources, development activities, research already completed, consultation with scholars or other advisers, contacts with partner organizations, and other related activities). If appropriate, describe the relationship of the project to others on the topic, and explain what its unique contribution would be.

   • Description Describe the project's components and material resources (e.g., books, films, objects, historic structures, images, documents, audio or video materials, Web-based information) and how they will effectively convey the project's themes. If necessary, explain how permissions or rights will be obtained for key materials and the likely costs of obtaining those rights.

     Describe what will take place at each of the project’s different venues. Explain why the particular program formats have been chosen and how they will complement one other.

     If your application is for the Chairman’s Special Award level of funding, explain why the institutional collaborations, number of program formats, and broad reach to audiences make the project a good candidate for this higher funding level. Explain why it would be unusually significant and appealing and why it would have exceptionally broad reach throughout the country.

     For Web-based or other digital projects, describe the humanities content, including the principal figures, events, issues, and themes to be explored and the humanities scholarship to be used. Explain how the organization and presentation of material would enhance users’ understanding of the content. If the project relies substantially on user-generated content, include a description of the criteria that will be used for selecting the material that will ultimately be made available to the public and how humanities scholars would be involved to ensure quality control through screening the material.

     Web sites should be designed in accordance with accepted standards for accessibility and usability by members of the general public, including those with visual and other disabilities.

     Include examples of existing projects (such as Web sites) that you would use as models for your proposed project. All applicants must include a sample of previous work from the individuals who would be most involved in the design and production of the digital components. (Please see the instructions for sending work samples below.)

   • Audience Describe the expected participants or audiences, including any targeted groups. Describe any outreach efforts for underserved groups. Discuss any difficulties that may be encountered in reaching certain audiences and the strategies for overcoming them. Describe the publicity plans and the audience evaluation procedures.
   • Organizational Profile Provide a short profile of your organization and other major partner organizations. These descriptions should include the:
     • institutional mission, origin, and size;
     • annual operating budget;
     • annual visitation (for museums and historic sites);
     • special characteristics and current activities; and
     • humanities resources (e.g., collections or staff).
     Limit this profile to one page for your organization and a half page for each of the other collaborating organizations.
   • Project team Provide a comprehensive overview of the project team, including staff members, scholars, and others appropriate to the needs of the project. Using short paragraphs, describe the qualifications and contributions of each project team member and indicate how their expertise is suited to the project. Organize the paragraphs into two sections: one for staff from your institution, the other for outside consultants.

     Include specific details on the responsibilities of each of the other collaborating organizations. If the institutions involved have any prior experience in cooperating with one another, describe that experience and the nature of those partnerships.

     Include in the appendix résumés (two pages or less) for each person listed and letters of commitment from consultants.

   • Work plan Provide a detailed month-by-month schedule of the specific tasks and the individuals responsible for them. It is often helpful to present this section in a grid format. Clearly indicate when the planning team will meet and the expected results of each meeting.
   • Samples of previous digital work

     Provide examples of previously completed work. If members of the digital team have not worked together before, then separate samples should be submitted for each principal member.

     Append a page to the end of the narrative describing the sample or samples of the companion digital component and indicating the roles played by each person on the digital team. In addition, please specify the platform on which the sample component is designed to operate.

     If the digital work is on a Web site, provide the URL and clearly indicate that this Web site is your work sample. If the sample work is on a DVD or CD, follow the instructions in the "How to Submit Supplementary Materials" section below.

   • Fund-raising plan If your organization intends to share some of the costs, explain how your share will be met and outline the fund-raising plan. Note that NEH is rarely able to support full costs of projects approved for funding.

   SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS – Provide detailed information on the formats that are applicable to your project.

   • Information on public accessibility and admission (required of all projects)

     As a taxpayer-supported federal agency, the NEH endeavors to make the products of its grants available to the broadest possible audience. Institutions hosting NEH-supported projects must provide several hours of free admission each week. Provide a statement of general admission policies for your institution as well as the proposed admissions policy for all anticipated sites. If admission fees will be used to defray costs of the project, include the anticipated amount of revenue under "Project Income" in Section B of the budget.

     For projects that lead to the development of Web sites, all other considerations being equal, the NEH gives preference to those that provide free access to the public.

   • Walkthrough for exhibitions or historic site interpretation

     Exhibition walkthroughs should show clearly how the humanities content of the project will actually be communicated to the public. If the project’s primary interpretive format is an artifact- or object-based exhibition, this section should be no more than 15 single-spaced pages in length, excluding graphics and interpretive text samples. For all other types of exhibitions, this section should not exceed 10 pages.

     Begin by explaining the interpretive strategies and the design philosophy for the exhibition. Provide a complete list of exhibition objects in the Appendix, as noted below.

     Then provide a detailed "descriptive tour," showing how a typical visitor would experience it section by section. Thumbnail images of a few of the exhibition objects may be incorporated into the text if they help to clarify the description. Be sure to provide specific examples of takeaway messages and how they will be conveyed. Include five to ten sample illustrations of objects or images and sample text for five or six labels and three or four panels.

     Include a rendering of the exhibition’s floor plan and elevations of at least two exhibit areas.

     Projects that involve heritage trails or walking tours should include four to five samples from the proposed trail signage.

   • Travel schedule with venues, when applicable

     All venues for traveling exhibitions or other traveling programs should be confirmed and letters of commitment from the relevant partner institutions included in an appendix.

   • Publications

     Describe the content (including brief abstracts of essays), author(s), format, estimated print run, distribution plans, and sale price of any publications for which funding is requested. Explain how these publications will complement the project’s other formats.

     Proceeds from the sale of any publications will be subject to the NEH policy on program income, which is outlined in Article 16 of the General Terms and Conditions for Awards to Organizations.

   • Public programs

     Describe the types of public programs that will be offered and how they will enhance the overall project. Describe the topics of lectures or other presentations, identify participating speakers, and describe the expected audiences.

   • Oral histories

     Projects with oral history components should discuss how the project will adhere to the guidelines of the Oral History Association and include: an outline of proposed topics for the interviews, a list of the people to be interviewed or a description of the criteria for their selection, the plans for their recruitment, a description of the qualifications of the interviewers, a discussion of how the interviews will complement existing resources, and a copy of the permission or release form.

   • Audiovisual and/or multimedia formats

     Provide a description of each multimedia component of the project, including Web sites. If possible, include a script or story line and a description of the images that will be used. Explain what unique contributions the multimedia components will make to the overall project.

     If a Web site or other product involving new technologies will be a critical interpretive component of the exhibition and will represent a large portion of the funds requested from NEH, applicants should provide following information:

     • Describe the user experience. Outline the proposed pathways that would guide a user through the material. Explain how the images, audio, text, and interactivity would enhance the user's understanding of the subject. Include screen shots.
     • Describe how front-end evaluation and beta-testing with representative users will take place.
     • Describe the technical plan and outline the specific material, both audio and visual, which will be used. Explain how this material will be formatted and processed.
     • Describe the hardware and software to be used and the reasons for the choices.
     • Include evidence that appropriate permissions have been or can be secured for the materials that will be included.
     • Describe the distribution or marketing plan, explaining how the product will be publicized and made available to audiences.
     • For Web sites, include a working prototype on a disk or via a functioning URL. Provide plans for regular site management, including updating of the humanities content, server maintenance and security, monitoring of traffic, and collection of user feedback.
     • For a CD-ROM or DVD, provide a working prototype on disk. The prototype should provide working links to all major sections of the proposed product and should present one representative section in detail.
   If you have questions about the appropriate amount of information that needs to be included in this section of the proposal, contact a program officer for specific guidance.
   • Conservation treatment

     If the funding requested for conservation treatment exceeds fifteen percent of the total amount requested from NEH, include a separate section discussing the rationale for conserving the objects being used. Provide a list of individual objects, sample condition reports, a timetable for the treatment of objects, description of the conservation methods, and the qualifications of the conservator.

4. Appendices The following information should appear in the application's appendices:
   • résumés (two pages or less) of all key project staff and consultants;
   • letters of commitment from consultants, participating organizations, and venues;
   • bibliography or filmography of sources;
   • list of objects to be included in the show; and
   • description of the collections or archives upon which the project is based, if appropriate and not already covered in the narrative.

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, you may skip this step. If not, please see our handy checklist to guide you through the registration process. We recommend 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.

• PureEdge for PC;
• PureEdge for Mac (Intel processor); or
• PureEdge for Mac (PPC processor).

Once installed, this software will allow you to view and fill out Grants.gov application packages for any federal agency.

If you have a problem installing PureEdge Viewer, 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 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.

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 it, you may receive an error message indicating that your application is not valid if all of the forms have not been completed. 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.

HOW TO FILL OUT THE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE 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 grant 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 non-specialist audience. Provide a brief description of your project. The description should be written for a non-specialist 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 (e.g., 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 Institutional Grants Administrator is not the same person as the Project Director. If the project director and the grant 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: www.Grants.gov/CustomerSupport.

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 (applicants should discuss their request with a NEH program officer before submitting such an application). 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.

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, there are many low-cost and free software packages available. To learn more, go to http://www.neh.gov/grants/grantsgov/pdf.html.

When you open the NEH Attachment Form, you will find 15 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 budget. Please name the file "budget.pdf".

ATTACHMENT 3: To this button, please attach your narrative. Please name the file "narrative.pdf".

ATTACHMENT 4: To this button, please attach your special requirements. Please name the file "special.pdf".

ATTACHMENT 5: To this button, please attach your résumés. Please name the file "resumes.pdf".

ATTACHMENT 6: To this button, please attach your letters of commitment. Please name the file "letters.pdf".

ATTACHMENT 7: To this button, please attach your bibliography. Please name the file "bibliography.pdf".

ATTACHMENT 8: For exhibitions, to this button please attach your object list. Please name the file “objects.pdf.

ATTACHMENT 9: To this button, please attach your description of collections or archives. Please name the file "description.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. Do not embed any additonal PDF files within any of the PDF attachments.

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 was 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, which includes a tracking number, will appear indicating 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.

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.

HOW TO SUBMIT SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS

In addition to any required work samples, applicants may also include supplementary materials, such as slides (up to ten, with brief captions), photographs, catalogs, CD-ROMs, etc. for presentation at the panel meeting. Please provide 7 copies of each item. If you are sending supplementary materials, please include a list of the materials to be mailed separately in your Grants.gov submission.

The package should clearly identify the project director, project title, and sponsoring institution.

Mail the materials to:

Implementation Grants: America’s Historical and Cultural Organizations
Division of Public Programs
National Endowment for the Humanities
Room 426
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20506
202-606-8269

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.

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

DEADLINES

Evaluators are asked to apply the following criteria::

1. Intellectual content: How well does the project deal with significant humanities themes? Is it broadly conceived, based on sound scholarship, and appropriately analytical?
2. Audience interest: Does the applicant demonstrate that the topic would have broad public appeal and expand the public's understanding of the humanities? Will the project effectively draw in and engage audiences?
3. Justification for higher funding: If the application requests a higher Chairman's Special Award level of funding, how convincing is the case that the project involves a large number of institutional partners, combines several different program formats, is of unusual public appeal, and has unusually broad reach?
4. Format: Are the program formats appropriate to the ideas, themes, and audiences? If the project involves multiple formats, how well do they complement and support one another? If the project relies substantially on user- or audience-generated content, is it clear how that material would be reviewed and made publicly available? If the project expands on a previously-funded NEH project, how well do the new formats complement and expand the original humanities content, and how well are they likely to reach diferent audiences?
5. Program resources: Has the applicant clearly identified the appropriate materials and resources? Are they well matched to the larger interpretive themes and ideas, and are they available?
6. Scope and reach: How broadly will the project reach, both geographically and in terms of audiences? Would it be replicable by other similar institutions?
7. Project team: Does the project team have the necessary expertise, interpretive experience, and technical skills? Has the project effectively involved a team of humanities scholars? Are all the institutional partners in place and is there evidence that they will collaborate productively?
8. Work plan: Is the work plan realistic and efficient?
9. Budget: Are the project's costs realistic, appropriate, and reasonable?

All other considerations being equal, preference will be given to projects that provide free access to digital materials produced with grant funds.

Review and Selection Process

Award notices

Applicants to the January 23, 2008, deadline will be notified by mail in September 2008 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 reasons for funding decisions on their applications by sending a letter or e-mail to NEH, Division of Public Programs, Room 426, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20506 or publicpgms@neh.gov.

Administrative requirements

Before submitting an application, applicants should review their responsibilities as an award recipient .

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.

Interim and final performance reports will be required.

Further details can be found in Performance Reporting Requirements (formerly enclosure 2).

A Federal Cash Transactions Report (2-page PDF) will be due within 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter. A final Financial Status Report (2-page PDF) will be due within 90 days after the completion date of the award period. Further details can be found in Financial Reporting Requirements (formerly Enclosure 1).

If you have questions about the program, contact: Division of Public Programs National Endowment for the Humanities Room 426 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20506 202-606-8269

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/applicants/applicant_help.jsp Grants.gov support line: 1-800-518-GRANTS (4726)

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 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.