Award Reinstatement Instructions

(Published June 17, 2026)

• Reinstatement Assurance Form Instructions 

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CONTENTS

• Purpose
• Finding the Reinstatement Assurances Form in eGMS Reach 
• Instructions for Awards to Organizations
• Completing the Reinstatement Assurance Form - Organizations 
• Certification Page Instructions - Organizations 
• Instructions for Awards to Individuals 
• Completing the Reinstatement Assurance Form - Individuals 
• Certification Page Instructions- Individuals 
• Post-Submission 
• Notification 

Purpose

This document provides instructions for completing the Reinstatement Assurances Form (RAF).

The RAF applies only to awards NEH terminated in April 2025 that are eligible for reinstatement pursuant to the rulings issued in ACLS, et al., v. English, et al., Case No. 25 Civ. 3657 (S.D.N.Y.), and Authors Guild, et al., v. NEH, et al., Case No. 25 Civ. 3923 (S.D.N.Y.), dated May 7, 2026.

If your award was pending or in the offer stage when NEH terminated awards in April 2025, it is not subject to reinstatement.

You may not use this form to request reinstatement if NEH reinstated your award prior to the May 7, 2026, S.D.N.Y. court ruling.

Additional resources:

• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Reinstated Awards
• Restarting Your Project: Planning Tips and Best Practices

Finding the Reinstatement Assurances Form in eGMS Reach

In eGMS Reach, navigate to the Forms tab. Select Action Edit next to the Award Reinstatement Assurances Form. The form contains six questions and a certification section. Each question requires a drop-down selection of Yes or No, with boxes for your customized input as needed.

Instructions for Awards to Organizations

The Institutional Grant Administrator (IGA) listed on the NEH award in eGMS Reach is the only individual with access and permission to certify the RAF. 

If you need to update your IGA, a senior official within the organization must send an email to @email with the Subject Line: FAIN (your award number) Request IGA Change for Reinstatement. Provide the new IGA’s name, title, address, phone number, and email address. The request must include the following statement of assurance for the proposed IGA: 

_______[NAME]__________ is an official at______[ORGANIZATION]_____ with the legal authority to give assurances, make commitments, enter into contracts, and execute financial assistance documents on behalf of the organization in reference to the award above. The IGA certifies that commitments made on grant proposals and the terms and conditions of award will be honored and ensures the recipient organization agrees to comply with regulations, guidelines, and policies.

Completing the Reinstatement Assurance Form - Organizations

A recipient organization should review and follow the guidance below when completing each question of the RAF.  All responses should reflect the organization’s current capacity, intent to continue the project, and ability to complete the award activities under a reinstated award. 

Question 1: Do you want NEH to reinstate this award? 

Evaluate your organization’s intent and capacity to determine whether you want to resume the project.

• If you do not want NEH to reinstate your award, select No and certify the form. You do not need to respond to the other questions.
• If you want NEH to reinstate your award, select Yes and answer the questions.
• If you have completed the project and have appropriate documentation and records of all costs incurred during the period in which the award was terminated, you may request reinstatement in order to seek reimbursement for allowable costs and allowable activities. Please refer to the FAQ for additional guidance.

Question 2: Do you currently have the capacity to complete the project as planned?

Assess whether your organization currently has the resources, personnel, subawards, and contracts in place to complete the project as originally planned.

If you select No, please describe the steps you will take to prepare for reinstatement. NEH permits a three-month restart period that you may use to reassemble staff, re-engage partners, or reestablish project infrastructure, as needed.

NEH will evaluate your response and follow up, if necessary.

Question 3: Will the scope of the project remain the same?

If the project is unchanged, select Yes.

If No, you will be prompted to provide an explanation of the proposed changes in scope.

What is a change in scope? A change in scope occurs when a recipient proposes to alter the core elements of the approved project—its activities, objectives, or purpose—as outlined in the approved award.

Per NEH policy, a change in scope includes situations such as:

• Shifting the project’s focus to a different research area or changing the subject matter.
• Adding new activities that were not part of the approved application.
• Removing or reducing activities to a degree that materially changes the project’s goals or outcomes.
• Changing the historical period or primary materials the project is meant to address (e.g., switching from WWI to the Vietnam War).
• Changing the intended audience (for example, from K–12 teachers to higher education faculty).
• Modifying the scale or volume of work, such as significantly reducing or increasing the amount of material to be produced, digitized, or studied.
• Transferring programmatic work to a different third-party through a contract or subaward.

These types of changes alter the project approved through NEH’s merit review process and, therefore, require prior approval from NEH.

Proposing a change in scope: Please provide a detailed description of the proposed changes and explain why they are necessary. Your response should include:

• The reason why the change is necessary.
• The specific activities, objectives, deliverables, or outcomes that would change from the originally approved project.
• Any activities that will be removed or substantially modified.
• Any changes to the subject matter, audience, geographic focus, or materials being studied. 
• Any changes to approved subrecipients or contractors that impact the completion of the project.
• The anticipated impact of the proposed changes on the overall goals and outcomes of the project.

Question 4: Have there been any changes in key personnel?

Key personnel on the award include the PD, any Co‑PDs, or other individuals listed in the terms and conditions of award. Changes to key personnel must be approved by NEH. 

Indicate in your response any proposed change in the PD, Co‑PD, or key personnel; describe the personnel change(s); and provide a brief overview of the proposed replacement(s), including their roles and responsibilities on the project. You must submit the resumes of the proposed replacement(s) through a Participant Change Request in eGMS Reach. 

Question 5: Do you anticipate any significant changes to the approved budget (greater than 25%)?

Significant budget changes are changes in the budget greater than 25% of the total approved award. If this applies to your project, submit a revised budget through an eGMS Change Request. You must also provide a justification that includes an executive level summary explaining the reason for the revisions and highlight all budget changes. 

Example of when a Budget Change Request is required:

•  Total approved funds: $100,000 and your remaining balance is $100,000.
  • If you need to rebudget $25,000 or more, a budget change request is required.

Example of when a Budget Change Request is not required:

• Total approved funds: $100,000 and the amount expended $85,000, leaving a remaining balance of $15,000 that you need to rebudget.
  • Because the $15,000 to be rebudgeted is less than 25% of the total approved award, the change is considered minor rebudgeting and a budget change request is not required.

Question 6: NEH will automatically extend your award's period of performance. All recipients will receive a three-month restart period to resume project activities. After the restart period, the length of the extension will depend on how much time remained on your award when it was terminated in April 2025. If you require a shorter extension period, enter the number of months requested below or accept the automatic calculation. 

Your award is not officially reinstated until NEH issues a NOA–Amendment. NEH will calculate your new period of performance end date only after the reinstatement is processed.

All reinstated awards receive:

• a three-month restart period, and
• an additional extension based on the period of performance remaining at time of termination.

The restart period is intended to allow recipients to:

• engage personnel, contractors, and subrecipients responsible for project work;
• re-establish project operations and activities, including scheduling and procurement; and
• complete administrative, financial, and compliance tasks necessary for the award.

Extensions will be automatically applied as follows:

For additional guidance on the automatic extension period, and examples of how your extension will be calculated, please see the FAQ.

Certification Page Instructions

1. Enter the IGA’s full name and official title.
2. Type the IGA’s signature in the designated signature field.

3. Enter the date the form is completed.

    

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Completing the Reinstatement Assurance Form - Individual Recipient

Instructions for Awards to Individuals

The RAF was developed primarily for awards made to institutions and organizations. If you are an individual recipient (such as a Fellow, Public Scholar, or Summer Stipend recipient), please answer the questions based on your individual circumstances rather than those of an organization. 

The guidance below explains how individual recipients should respond to each question.

Only the individual recipient listed on the NEH award in eGMS Reach has access and authorization to sign the RAF.

Question 1: Do you want NEH to reinstate this award?

Evaluate your intent and capacity to determine whether you want to resume the project.

• If you do not want NEH to reinstate your award, select No and certify the form. You do not need to respond to the other questions.
• If you want NEH to reinstate your award, select Yes and answer the questions.
• If you have completed the project and have appropriate documentation and records of all costs you incurred during the period in which the award was terminated, you may select Yes and answer the questions to request reinstatement in order to seek reimbursement for allowable costs and allowable activities. Please refer to the FAQ for additional guidance.

Question 2: Do you currently have the capacity to complete the project as planned?

Assess whether you currently have the time and resources to complete the project as originally planned. 

If you select No, please describe the steps you will take to prepare for reinstatement. NEH permits a three-month restart period that you may use to re-establish your project and prepare for a successful implementation. During this time, you should reconnect with collaborators, editors, host institutions, or other project partners; confirm access to project resources; and review your project plan and timeline. 

NEH will evaluate your response and follow up as needed. 

Question 3: Will the scope of the project remain the same?

If the project scope and time commitment are unchanged, select Yes.

If you select No, you will be prompted to provide an explanation of the proposed changes. 

What is a change in scope? A change in scope occurs when a recipient proposes to alter the core elements of the approved project—its activities, objectives, or purpose—as outlined in the original application. 

Per NEH policy, a change in scope includes situations such as:

• Shifting the project’s focus to a different research area or changing the subject matter.
• Adding new activities or removing or reducing activities to a degree that materially changes the project’s goals or outcomes.
• Changing the historical period or primary materials the project is meant to address (e.g., switching from WWI to the Vietnam War).
• Changing the intended audience (for example, from K–12 teachers to higher‑education faculty).
• Modifying the scale or volume of work, such as significantly reducing or increasing the amount of material to be produced, digitized, or studied.

These types of changes alter the project approved through NEH’s merit review process, and therefore require prior approval from NEH.

What is a change in time commitment? NEH will allow individual recipients of reinstated awards to work half-time to full-time on a non-continuous basis. Recipients whose individual awards were terminated after they had begun, and who wish to continue the project, may work between half- and full-time with scheduled periods of inactivity. This approach will support recipients who originally planned ahead and arranged sabbaticals or other uninterrupted periods to focus on their projects.

Recipients will have up to 24 months from time of reinstatement to complete the work in either a full-time or part-time capacity. For example, a Fellowship recipient may elect to work full time over two non-continuous summers to finish the project.

This policy is not intended to encourage you to reduce your overall time commitment to the project; NEH will not allow you to reduce your overall time commitment to the project.

Proposing a change in scope: Please provide a detailed description of the proposed changes and explain why they are necessary. Your response should include:

• The reason why the change is necessary.
• The specific activities, objectives, deliverables, or outcomes that would change from the originally approved project.
• Any activities that will be removed or substantially modified.
• Any changes to the subject matter, audience, geographic focus, or materials being studied.
• The anticipated impact of the proposed changes on the overall goals and outcomes of the project.

Proposing a change in time commitment

Provide a revised monthly timeline identifying if you are working half-time to full-time, or inactive.

Question 4: Have there been any changes in key personnel?

This question is not applicable to awards to individuals. Select No.

Question 5: Do you anticipate any significant changes to the approved budget (greater than 25%)?

This question is not applicable to awards to individuals. Select No.

Question 6: NEH will automatically extend your award's period of performance. All recipients will receive a 3-month restart period to resume project activities. After the restart period, the length of the extension will depend on how much time remained on your award when it was terminated in April 2025. If you require a shorter extension period, enter the number of months requested below or accept the automatic calculation. 

Your award is not officially reinstated until NEH issues a NOA–Amendment. NEH will calculate your new end date only after the reinstatement is processed.

All reinstated awards receive:

• a three-month restart period, and
• an additional extension based on the time remaining at termination.

The restart period is intended to allow recipients to:

• re-establish project activities, including scheduling; and
• complete administrative tasks necessary for the award.

Extensions will be automatically applied as follows:

For additional guidance on the automatic extension period, and examples of how your extension will be calculated, please see the FAQ.

Certification Page Instructions

1. Enter your full name and official title.
2. Type your name in the designated signature field.

3. Enter the date the form is completed.

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Post-Submission

NEH will process reinstatements for organizations and individuals in the order they are received. Processing may take several months. NEH may contact you for more information.

Notification

After NEH completes the review of your RAF, you will receive a Notice of Action-Amendment in eGMS Reach reflecting NEH’s determination regarding reinstatement of your award, and a revised reporting schedule.