Performance Reporting Requirements

(Updated on January 20, 2023)

• Accessing eGMS Reach

• General Reporting Requirements

• How to Submit a Performance Progress Report

• How to Submit a White Paper

Accessing eGMS Reach

eGMS Reach is the online grant management system NEH recipients use to conduct all award management activities, including making prior approval and extension requests, submitting reports, and communicating with NEH staff. Learn how to access eGMS Reach. 

General Reporting Requirements

Recipients are required to submit a final performance report at the conclusion of the period of performance. NEH refers to these reports as "Final PPRs" (Performance Progress Reports). Frequently, performance progress reports are also required during the course of a project. These are referred to as “Interim PPRs.” When events that have a significant impact on the project occur between scheduled performance reporting dates, these should be reported to NEH immediately using the messaging feature in eGMS Reach. If a recipient is required to submit Interim PPRs, the due dates for these reports are listed in the award’s report schedule located in eGMS Reach.  The Final PPR is due within 120 calendar days after the end of the period of performance.   

All PPR reports are web forms that you will fill out and submit via eGMS  Reach. If you have previously received an NEH award and submitted performance reports, you will want to carefully review this current format. 

PPRs serve as a measure of progress achieved on a project. They help to identify programmatic and administrative problems that may need to be resolved, and become a permanent record of project accomplishments.  These reports provide information that the NEH staff uses to evaluate the significance and impact of NEH awards.  

How to Submit a Performance Progress Report (PPR)

Provide information about the progress of your award by answering the questions in the fillable PPR web form.   

Steps to submit a PPR are as follows: 

1. Log into eGMS Reach 

2. Click on the “Go To Award” link 

3. Scroll down and click the “Forms & Reports” tab 

4. Click the pen icon next to the report name (e.g. “PPR Interim” or “PPR Final”).  (If the pen icon is not visible, you do not have permission to submit the report and you should contact the NEH, via eGMS Messaging, and we will help you resolve the issue) 

5. Web form with fillable fields will open. Note: The text from previous reports on an award will auto-load for future reports. You will not affect a previous report by deleting this auto-loaded text and replacing it with new text. If the auto-loaded text is still relevant, you may leave it in. 

6. Below is a preview of the questions you can expect to find on the PPR form. Note that for any narrative questions, there is a limit of 1000 characters.

   Goals & Progress 

   • Briefly summarize your goals for this grant period as laid out in your application's work plan.  

   • Have you achieved your goals?  

   • [If No] Please explain why you have not achieved the goals laid out in your application's work plan.  

   • What, if anything, remains to bring your project to a successful conclusion?  

   
   Changes & Problems 

   • What problems has your project encountered?  

   • How has your project changed?  

   
   Impact 

   • What are the most significant audiences for your project? (dropdown menu: select all that apply)  

   • Additional audiences (add).  

   • How do you see your project making a difference for those audiences?  

   • How has the grant affected your institution?  

   • Has your project engaged with communities that you did not expect? If so, please explain.  

   
   Partners (all yes/no questions) 

   • Has your project involved outreach to veterans or active military?  

   • Has your project involved the participation of HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities)?  

   • Has your project Involved the participation of HSls (Hispanic Serving Institutions)?  

   • Has your project involved the participation of TC Us (Tribal Colleges and Universities)?  

   • Has your project involved the participation of AAPISls (Asian American and Pacific Islander Institutions)?  

   • Has your project involved the participation of Community Colleges?  

   • Has your project involved the participation of local (nearby your institution) museums. historical societies, archives, libraries, or other cultural organizations?  

   
   Additional Questions (some NEH grant programs may include several additional questions in this section) 

7. Please note that NEH is transitioning all awards to the questions below. However, some existing NEH awards may use slightly different questions.

How to Submit a White Paper

1. Log into eGMS Reach 

2. Click on the “Go To Award” link 

3. Scroll down and click the “Forms & Reports” tab 

4. Click the pen icon next to the White Paper report.  (If the pen icon is not visible, you do not have permission to submit the report and you should contact the NEH, via eGMS Messaging, and we will help you resolve the issue) 

5. Web form will open allowing you to upload your PDF file. 

When required by the terms and conditions of an award, a White Paper will be submitted at the end of the period of performance in addition to the Final PPR. Unlike a PPR, which is a series of questions that you must answer, a white paper is a narrative document that you will compose and upload in PDF format. Please note that interim and final PPRs are internal documents read by NEH staff. We use these reports to confirm that you are in compliance with the grant program expectations. We also use them to keep track of all of our projects and to evaluate the impact of our grant programs.   

White Papers, in contrast, serve as the public record of your project after its completion. They are made available publicly through the NEH Funded Projects Query Form, and sometimes hosted on project websites. White Papers are a resource for future applicants as well as students, researchers, and a general public interested in learning about your work. 

The White Paper is an opportunity to share any best practices and lessons learned from the project. Please be candid in describing the work undertaken and the impact of your project for your institution and/or the field: discuss any aspects of the project that might have been done differently, unexpected hurdles encountered, and creative solutions.  The hope is that the White Paper will help inform the work of others in the field. For tips on writing a white paper, you may find this blog post, written by the Office of Digital Humanities, to be helpful: “How to Write a Successful White Paper”. 

OMB NO. 3136-0134, EXPIRES 10/31/2024

The requirements in this document apply to MOST awards issued by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).  Please refer to the "Remarks" section on the Official Notice of Action  included with your award package for the specific requirements that apply to your award. 

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 2 hours per response (for PPR) and 4 hours (for white papers), including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other suggestions for reducing this burden to  @email.