Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 45.169

Questions?
Questions about this request for proposals can be answered by the staff of the NEH Digital Humanities Initiative (DHI) via email at dhi@neh.gov. Hearing impaired applicants can contact NEH via TDD at 1-866-372-2930. Because the NEH's DHI staff is dispersed across the agency, for a fast response please contact the DHI program first by e-mail. Applicants wishing to speak to a staff member by telephone should provide in the e-mail a telephone number and a preferred time to call.

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) invite applications to the Digital Humanities Start-Up Grants program. This program is designed to encourage innovations in the digital humanities. By awarding relatively low-dollar grants during the planning stages, the goal is to identify projects that are particularly innovative and have the potential to make a positive impact on the humanities.

In an effort to foster new collaborations and advance the role of cultural repositories in online teaching, learning, and research, this program is co-sponsored by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). NEH and IMLS encourage library and museum officials as well as scholars, scientists, educational institutions, and other non-profit organizations to apply for these grants and to collaborate when appropriate.

Proposals should be for the planning or initial stages of digital initiatives in any area of the humanities. Digital Humanities Start-Up Grants may involve:

• research that brings new approaches or documents best practices in the study of the digital humanities;
• planning and prototyping new digital tools for preserving, analyzing, and making accessible digital resources, including libraries' and museums' digital assets;
• scholarship that examines the philosophical implications and impact of the use of emerging technologies;
• innovative uses of technology for public programming and education utilizing both traditional and/or new media; and
• new digital modes of publication facilitating the dissemination of humanities scholarship in advanced academic as well as informal or formal educational settings at all academic levels.

Innovation is a hallmark of this grant category. All applicants must propose an innovative approach, method, tool, or idea that has not been used before in the humanities. These grants are modeled, in part, on the "high risk/high reward" paradigm often used by funding agencies in the sciences. NEH is requesting proposals for projects that take some risks in the pursuit of innovation and excellence.

Digital Humanities Start-Up Grants should result in plans, prototypes, or proofs of concept for long-term digital humanities projects prior to implementation.

Two levels of awards will be made in this program. Level I awards are small grants designed to fund brainstorming sessions, workshops, early alpha-level prototypes, and initial planning. Level II awards are larger grants that can be used for more fully-formed projects that are ready to start the first stage of implementation or the creation of working prototypes. Applicants must state in their narrative which funding level they seek. The Endowment will be setting aside funds for each of the two levels and more awards will be made in the Level I category. Applicants should carefully choose the funding level appropriate to the needs of the proposed project. See the section on Awards for more details.

Digital Humanities Start-Up Grants support full-time or part-time activities for periods up to eighteen months. Support is available for various combinations of scholars, consultants, and research assistants; project-related travel; and technical support and services. Up to 20% of the total grant may also be used for the acquisition of computing hardware and software. All grantees are expected to communicate the results of their work to appropriate scholarly and public audiences. In order to facilitate dissemination and the maximum usage of the projects that are ultimately developed through the Digital Humanities Start-Up Grants, applicants are strongly encouraged to base their projects on open source and fully accessible software.

Successful applicants will be expected, as one of their work products, to create a "lessons learned" white paper. This white paper should document the project, including lessons learned, so that others can benefit from their experience. This white paper will be posted on the NEH and/or IMLS Web sites.

Types of projects not supported

Digital Humanities Start-Up Grants cannot be used for:

• projects that mainly involve digitization, unless the applicant is proposing an innovative new method for digitization;
• the implementation or assessment of existing digital applications in the humanities (however, exploration of or planning for a new direction or tool for an established project is allowed);
• recurring or established conferences or professional meetings;
• acquisition of computer equipment or software in excess of 20% of the grant total;
• creative or performing arts;
• empirical social scientific research;
• work undertaken in the pursuit of an academic degree;
• the preparation or publication of textbooks; or
• projects devoted to political, religious, commercial, or social advocacy.

We the People Grant Program To help Americans make sense of their history and of the world around them, NEH established the We the People program. NEH encourages applications that explore significant events and themes in our nation's history and culture and that advance knowledge of the principles that define America. To learn more about We the People, visit the program's Web site. Proposals will be evaluated through NEH's established review process and will not receive special consideration.

Rediscovering Afghanistan NEH invites applications for projects that focus on Afghanistan's history and culture. The special initiative is designed to promote research, education, and public programs about Afghanistan and to encourage United States institutions to assist Afghanistan in efforts to preserve and document its cultural resources. Learn more about the initiative.

Digital Humanities Initiative NEH is interested in receiving applications for projects that utilize or study the impact of digital technology. Digital technologies offer humanists new methods of conducting research, conceptualizing relationships, and presenting scholarship. Digital humanities projects deploy these technologies and methods to enhance our understanding of a topic or issue. NEH is also interested in projects that study the impact of digital technology on the humanities—exploring the ways in which it changes how we read, write, think, and learn. Proposals will be evaluated through NEH's established review process and will not receive special consideration. Learn more about the initiative

Digital Humanities Start-Up Grants have two levels of funding: Level I Grants range from $5,000 to $25,000 in outright funding. Level II Grants range from $25,001 to $50,000 in outright funding. In the narrative, applicants must specify which level of funding they seek.

Cost Sharing Cost-sharing is not required for Digital Humanities Start-Up Grants. However, applicants are welcome to use cost-sharing for start-up projects in which the total budget exceeds the NEH grant limit. Cost sharing consists of the cash contributions made to the project by the applicant and third parties, as well as third party in-kind contributions, such as donated services and goods. (Learn more about different types of grant funding.)

Subsequent Project Phases As the name implies, Digital Humanities Start-Up Grants support the initial phases of digital projects. Other NEH funding programs can support subsequent phases; however, the receipt of a Digital Humanities Start-Up Grants does not carry with it either the implication or the guarantee of continued support beyond the completion of the grant.

Eligible applicants:

• Any U.S. nonprofit organization or institution with IRS 501(c)(3) tax exempt status;
• State and local governmental agencies and Native American tribal organizations; and
• U.S. citizens or foreign nationals who have been living in the United States or its jurisdictions for at least the three years immediately prior to the application deadline.

Individuals affiliated with an eligible institution must apply through an institution, ordinarily their own institution. Adjunct faculty may apply as individuals.

Degree candidates may not be project directors.

Project directors may submit only one application to this program at a time although they may participate in more than one Digital Humanities Start-Up Grant. They may also apply for other NEH awards.

When two or more institutions or organizations collaborate on a project, one of them must serve as the lead applicant and administer the grant on behalf of the others.

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 other federal entities in their projects, as long as these resources are not used as gifts to release NEH matching funds.

Ineligible applications will not be reviewed.

Application advice and proposal drafts: Prior to submitting a proposal, applicants are encouraged to contact program officers who can offer advice about preparing the proposal, and review draft proposals. These comments are not part of the formal review process and have no bearing on the final outcome of the proposal, but applicants in other programs have found them helpful in strengthening their applications. Program staff recommend that draft proposals be submitted six weeks before the deadline. Time restraints may prevent staff from reviewing draft proposals submitted after that date. Draft proposals may be submitted by e-mail attachment at dhi@neh.gov.

You will prepare your application for submission via Grants.gov just as you would a paper application. Your application should consist of the following parts:

1. Statement of significance and impact Provide a one-page abstract written for a nonspecialist audience stating clearly the importance of the proposed work and its relation to larger issues in the humanities.
2. Table of contents List all parts of the application and corresponding page numbers.
3. List of participants On a separate page, list in alphabetical order, surnames first, all project participants and collaborators and their institutional affiliations, if any. The names on this list should match the names mentioned in the staff section of the project's narrative description. The list is used to ensure that prospective panelists and reviewers have no conflict of interest with the project that they will be evaluating. This list should include advisory board members, if any.
4. Narrative Applicants should provide an intellectual justification for the project and a work plan. For Level I Start-Up grants, the narrative section should not exceed five double-spaced pages. For Level II Start-Up grants, the narrative should not exceed twelve double-spaced pages. All pages should have one-inch margins and the font size should be no smaller than eleven point. The narrative should address the long-term goals for the project as well as the start-up activities that the Digital Humanities Start-Up Grant would support. Applicants should keep in mind the criteria (listed below) used to evaluate proposals. Applicants must state whether they are applying for a Level I or Level II grant.

   Provide a detailed project description that addresses the following topics:

   • Enhancing the humanities through the use of emerging technologies Provide a clear and concise explanation of the start-up activities and the ultimate project results noting their value to scholars, students, and general audiences in the humanities. Describe the scope of the project activities, the relationship of the project to other published and ongoing work in the field, and major issues to be addressed. Address how the project will take an innovative approach towards meeting its objectives. Applicants should provide a rationale for the compatibility of their methodological approach with the intellectual goals of the project and the expectations of its users. NEH views the use of open source software as a key component in the broad distribution of exemplary digital scholarship in the humanities. If either the start-up project or the long-term project is not predicated on generally accessible open source software, explain why and also explain how the Endowment's dissemination goals will still be satisfied by the project.
   • History and duration of the project Provide a concise history of the project, including information about preliminary research or planning, previous related work, previous financial support, publications produced, and resources or research facilities available. It is anticipated that work on projects initiated during the term of a Digital Humanities Start-Up Grant will continue after the period of the grant. The applicant should describe plans for that work and probable sources of support for subsequent phases of the project.
   • Staff Identify the project director and collaborators who would work on the project during the proposed grant period, and describe their responsibilities and qualifications. Project directors must devote a significant portion of their time to their projects. All persons directly involved in the conduct of the proposed project—whether or not their salaries are paid from grant funds—should be listed, their anticipated commitments of time should be indicated, and the reasons for and nature of their collaboration explained. If the project has an advisory board, provide a statement of its function and a list of board members.
   • Methods Explain the project's methods.
     • Describe in detail the tasks to be undertaken and the computer technology to be employed.
     • Indicate what technical and staff resources will be required.
     • Describe the staff's experience with the technology and its application to the humanities.
     • Describe plans for evaluating the results of the start-up activities. This evaluation should be simultaneously summative with regard to the Digital Humanities Start-Up Grant and formative with regard to the long-term project goals.
   • Final Product and Dissemination Describe the plans to disseminate the project results through various media (printed articles or books, presentations at meetings, electronic media or some combination). Applicants should also discuss how the project's ultimate product is likely to be disseminated and what provisions will be made for the long-term maintenance of such a product. Applicants should discuss how their white paper will detail the activities of the project and how it could be useful to the field.
   • Work Plan Describe the specific tasks that will be accomplished during the grant period and identify the staff members involved. The start-up activities described in the proposal should be completed by the end of the grant period.

5. Project budget Using the instructions, complete the budget form (PDF).

   All project directors will attend a planning meeting at NEH's offices in Washington, D.C. Directors should budget accordingly for a one-day meeting in the first year of the requested grant period.

   Budget narrative (optional)

   If needed, include a brief supplement to the narrative explaining projected expenses or other items in the financial information provided on NEH's budget form. The budget narrative may be single-spaced.

   Applicants are advised to retain a copy of the PDF containing their budget form.

6. Biographies Include a biographies section that contains a brief, one-paragraph biography for each principal project participant.
7. Letters of Commitment Include letters of commitment from other participants and cooperating institutions.

REGISTER OR VERIFY REGISTRATION WITH GRANTS.GOV

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 and you have verified that your registration is still valid, you may skip this step. If not, please see our handy checklist to guide you through the registration process. We strongly recommend you complete or verify 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.

Attention Microsoft Vista users: Please note that Grants.gov does not currently support the new Microsoft Vista Operating system. The PureEdge software used by Grants.gov forms are not compatible with Vista. Grants.gov will be reviewing this new product to determine if it can be supported in the future. If you have any questions regarding this matter please email the Grants.gov help desk at support@grants.gov or call 1-800-518-4726.

DOWNLOAD APPLICATION PACKAGE

Save the application package to your computer's hard drive. To open the application package, select the file and double click. You do not have to be online to work on it.

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: http://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 in the left-hand column ("Programs other than Challenge Grants"). Do not leave this section blank.
4. Application Information: Indicate whether the applications 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.

HOW TO USE THE NEH ATTACHMENT 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, 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 statement of significance and impact. Please name the file "statement.pdf".

ATTACHMENT 2: To this button, please attach your table of contents. Please name the file "contents.pdf".

ATTACHMENT 3: To this button, please attach your list of project participants. Please name the file "participantslist.pdf".

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

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

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

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

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.

DEADLINES

Applications will be accepted at two deadlines: October 16, 2007 or April 2, 2008.

Grants.gov will date/time stamp your application after it is fully uploaded. Only applications submitted during the application windows will be reviewed. Supplementary materials must also arrive at NEH by the relevant application deadline to be considered as part of the application.

Evaluation of the application will take into account both the activities proposed for the start-up project and the long-term project goals.

Evaluators are asked to apply the following criteria.

1. Intellectual significance of the long-term project, including its potential to enhance research, teaching, and learning in the humanities; the likelihood that it will stimulate new research or approaches to the humanities or use new digital technologies to communicate humanities scholarship to broad audiences; its relationship to larger themes in the humanities; and the significance of the material on which the project is based.
2. Quality of the specific start-up activities that will be funded through the grant as an initial step leading to the fulfillment of the long-term project goals; the appropriateness of the proposed methods; the appropriateness of the technology employed in the project; the feasibility of the work plan.
3. Qualifications, expertise, and levels of commitment of the project director and key project staff or contributors.
4. Promise of quality, usefulness to the targeted audience, and/or impact on scholarship of the long-term project; soundness of the dissemination plans, including benefit to the audience identified in the proposal; and the strength of the case for employing print, microform, digital format, or a combination of media.
5. Quality of the assessment and evaluation of the start-up activities, and the potential contribution of this evaluation to the realization of the long-term goals.
6. Potential for success, including the likelihood that the work proposed will be completed within the projected time frame; where appropriate, the project's previous record of success; and the reasonableness of the proposed budget in relation to anticipated results.

Review and Selection Process Knowledgeable persons outside NEH will read each application and advise the agency about its merits. The Endowment's staff comments on matters of fact or on significant issues that otherwise would be missing from these reviews, then makes recommendations to the National Council on the Humanities. The National Council meets at various times during the year to advise the NEH chairman on grants. The chairman takes into account the advice provided by the review process and, by law, makes all funding decisions.

Award notices Applicants to the October 16, 2007 deadline will be notified by mail in April, 2008. Applicants to the April 2, 2008 deadline will be notified in September, 2008. 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 an e-mail to dhi@neh.gov.

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

Award conditions The requirements for awards to organizations 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. The requirements for awards to individuals are contained in the General Terms and Conditions for Awards to Individuals.

Reporting requirements A schedule of report due dates will be included with the award document.

Final performance reports will be required and interim reports may be required depending on the length of the grant period. Further details can be found in Performance Reporting Requirements (formerly Enclosure 2).

For organizations, 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).

A white paper will be required. This white paper should document the project, including lessons learned, so that others can benefit. This white paper will be posted on the NEH and/or IMLS Web site.

For awards to individuals, a Final Financial Status Report for Individuals (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 Instructions for Individuals (1-page PDF).

If you have questions about the program, contact the DHI Staff at: dhi@neh.gov. Because the NEH's DHI staff is dispersed across the agency, for a fast response please contact the DHI program first by e-mail. Applicants wishing to speak to a staff member by telephone should provide in the e-mail a telephone number and a preferred time to call.

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
Grant.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.