Enduring Questions

1. I teach part time and do not carry a full-time teaching load. Am I eligible to apply?
   No.
2. I have combined two part-time teaching positions at two different institutions to create a full-time teaching load for myself. Am I eligible to apply?
   Yes. The Enduring Questions course grant program accepts applications from faculty members who carry full-time teaching loads, or the combined equivalent of full-time teaching loads, at two-year or four-year colleges and universities. You may be a tenured, tenure-track, non-tenure-track, or adjunct faculty member and you may teach at more than one two- or four-year college or university.
3. How does NEH define “full time”?
   Because academic calendars and expectations for teaching and research differ from institution to institution, you will have to conform to the definition of full time at your institution(s).
4. I am a candidate for a graduate degree. Am I eligible to apply for the Enduring Questions course grant?
   You are eligible if you teach a full-time load at one or more two- or four-year colleges or universities.
5. I want to continue to teach while working on the proposed project. Am I eligible to apply?
   You may teach up to half time during the course development phase of the grant period.
6. May individual institutions submit multiple applications?
   Yes.

1. The guidelines say that enduring questions are predisciplinary. What does that mean?
   They are questions to which no discipline or field or profession can lay an exclusive claim. In many cases they predate the formation of the academic disciplines themselves. Enduring questions can be tackled by reflective individuals regardless of their chosen vocations, areas of expertise, or personal backgrounds.
2. Can an Enduring Questions course be team taught?
   No.
3. I understand that the course cannot be team taught. How may I draw on the academic expertise of colleagues?
   There is an allowance for expert consultation to help you develop the content of the course.
4. May I include and budget for a guest presenter for this project?
   Yes, if the presentation takes place outside of class and directly supports an ancillary student activity.
5. My institution would like to use this grant to develop a common core curriculum that would revolve around enduring questions. Several faculty members would teach different sections of the same class and we would divide the $15,000 stipend among the faculty members. Is this permitted?
   No.
6. We have an established course on enduring questions on our campus already and we would like to use the grant to support ancillary activities such as workshops, faculty development, and conferences. Would this grant be an appropriate source for these types of activities?
   No. This grant is for a single faculty member to develop a new course on an enduring question.
7. Can I teach this course under the rubric of the Honors Program, First-Year Seminar, Residential College, or Capstone Course?
   Yes, provided that the course is open to students regardless of major or concentration.
8. Would the development of an expository writing course be competitive for this grant?
   Probably not, because such writing courses usually involve limited reading. An Enduring Questions course requires extensive reading.
9. Would an online course be competitive in this program?
   Probably not, unless you can demonstrate strategies for creating and sustaining intellectual community and full engagement with extensive reading.
10. What is the difference between the preliminary reading list and the bibliography?
    The preliminary reading list is the proposed list of works that you intend to assign to your students in the course. The bibliography is the list of works that you intend to consult in order to prepare to teach the course.
11. Does class size matter?
    Classes of any size are eligible, from small to large. In all cases, be sure to explain how your class will create and sustain intellectual community.
12. What should the duration of this course be?
    An Enduring Questions course ordinarily runs for a quarter, a semester, or a year.
13. Does the course have to be offered twice within the grant period (eighteen or twenty-four months)?
    Yes.
14. Are there examples of funded proposals from past Enduring Questions competitions?
    Yes. You will find some examples here.

1. What is the stipend for?
   The $15,000 stipend supports the development of a new humanities course. The stipend is intended to allow you to devote the time and energy necessary to create and plan the course.
2. May I take less than $15,000 for my stipend in order to allow more money in the budget for other costs?
   The full $15,000 stipend ordinarily goes to the faculty member who develops the course.
3. Does the $15,000 stipend or another element within the $25,000 budget pay for me to teach the course?
   No. This grant provides support for the development of a course. The institution is responsible for paying the faculty member to teach the course twice.
4. My institution needs to include fringe benefits in the budget. Are my fringe benefits taken out of the $15,000 amount or calculated on top of it?
   Fringe benefits are ordinarily calculated on top of the stipend, unless your institutional policy dictates otherwise.
5. I see that the maximum grant amount is $25,000. After I have budgeted $15,000 for my stipend, what can I use the remaining $10,000 for?
   You may use the remaining $10,000 for any of the following items: books and other materials that are studied in the course; funding for ancillary student activities (e.g., attending plays, concerts, or museum exhibitions); consulting services, such as expert advice for the development of the course’s content; digital consulting services to develop a digital humanities component, such as a project Web site; costs incurred in publicizing and disseminating the course; indirect costs; and fringe benefits.

1. I understand that the Enduring Questions grant program funds the development of a new course. Does NEH have a program to improve an existing course?
   Yes. NEH funds proposals to improve existing courses through its Teaching Development Fellowships program.
2. What other funding opportunities are available at NEH for research and for teaching in the humanities?
   Applicants whose focus is primarily on individual scholarly research leading to publication should consult Summer Stipends, Fellowships, and other NEH research grant programs. Applicants who seek professional development opportunities should consult Summer Seminars and Institutes for school teachers and for college and university teachers, Landmarks of American History and Culture Workshops for school teachers and for community college faculty, and other NEH education grant programs.
   Applicants whose projects focus primarily on using or studying the impact of digital technology should consult Digital Humanities Start-Up Grants and other NEH digital humanities grant programs.

1. What help is available for preparing the proposal?
   Because of the large number of applications, NEH staff members are not able to comment on draft proposals. NEH staff will, however, answer questions not covered in this document. Staff members may be reached at (202) 606-8463 and at enduringquestions@neh.gov.
2. How will my application be reviewed?
   All applications will receive peer review. Teachers and scholars in the humanities will read and rate your application, using the evaluation criteria listed in Section V of the application guidelines. The staff will compile a slate of recommended applications based on the panelists’ comments and ratings. The National Council on the Humanities will review the recommendations and provide additional insight. All advice—from the panelists, staff, and National Council—will be sent to the NEH Chairman. By law, only the Chairman is empowered to make an award.

1. How do I know if I have submitted my application successfully?
   After you sign and submit the application, a confirmation page appears. This page includes the Grants.gov tracking number and other important information. Note the Grants.gov tracking number and save or print the confirmation page for your records.
   You will then receive the following e-mail messages:
   “Grants.gov Submission Receipt”
   “Grants.gov Submission Validation Receipt”
   “Grants.gov Grantor Agency Retrieval Receipt”
   These messages are normally sent within 24 hours of the submission, but minor delays could occur in the event of heavy system usage.
   The final e-mail message that will be sent a few days after the application deadline, “Grants.gov Agency Tracking Number Assignment,” contains instructions on how to retrieve the Agency (NEH) Tracking Number. Note the Agency (NEH) Tracking Number and save or print the message for your records. Include the Agency (NEH) Tracking Number in further correspondence regarding the application.
   If you do not receive these messages, or if the messages indicate that the application has been rejected, contact Grants.gov (www.grants.gov) at 1-800-518-GRANTS (4726) or support@grants.gov. Include the Grants.gov tracking number in correspondence regarding the application.
2. I have downloaded the NEH Supplementary Information for Individuals form, but I can’t save it, or the information that I enter disappears. What should I do?
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