Funding Opportunity for

Organizations

Collaborative Research

Maximum award amount

Depending on funding category, up to $250,000.

Expected Output

Book; Themed Issue of Peer-Reviewed Journal

Period of performance

Up to three years (Depending on funding category)

The Collaborative Research program aims to advance humanistic knowledge by supporting teams of scholars working on a joint project leading to a tangible interpretive product. Teams may propose research in a single field of study or interdisciplinary work. NEH encourages projects that incorporate multiple points of view and pursue new avenues of inquiry.

Collaborators may come from one or more institutions. NEH encourages partnerships with researchers in the natural and social sciences, but projects must focus on humanistic content and employ humanistic methods. International collaboration is welcome, but scholars at U.S. institutions must contribute significantly to the project.

Proposed projects must aim to result in tangible and sustainable outputs, such as a co-authored or multi-authored book, an edited volume, a themed issue of a peer-reviewed journal, or a series of peer-reviewed articles. All project outputs must incorporate collaboration and interpretation to address significant humanities research questions.

This year the program is supporting two project categories: Manuscript Preparation and Planning International Collaboration. The categories support different project types or stages and have different performance periods and award ceilings. Applicants must specify only one project category for support.

What’s new for 2025:

  • The program will not be accepting applications in two of last year's project categories: Convenings and Scholarly Digital Projects.
  • The additional $50,000 previously available to collaborations including community colleges or certain Minority Serving Institutions will not be available.
  • Additional Funding Restrictions have been added. See section D.6. of the Notice of Funding Opportunity.
  • NEH staff will not read and respond to drafts.
  • There will not be a pre-application webinar. 

 

Next

Application Instructions

Review your application package

Read the Notice of Funding Opportunity to ensure you understand all the expectations and restrictions for projects delivered under this program and are prepared to write the most effective application.

Application Materials

Notice of Funding Opportunity, 2025 (PDF)

Grants.gov application package

Program Resources

Frequently Asked Questions, 2025

List of Recent Awards

Policy on the Use of Artificial Intelligence for NEH Grant Proposals

Sample Application Narratives

Planning International Collaboration

University of Rochester, Fedchenko: Eco-Biography of a Glacier

Syracuse University, Taj of the Raj?: Decolonizing the Imperial Collections, Architecture, and Gardens of the Victoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata

Rutgers University, Unboxing Artificial Intelligence: An International Collaboration Bringing Humanities Perspectives to AI

Manuscript Preparation

Marquette University, Spanish Civil War and Visual Culture

Pennsylvania State University, Sovereign Kin: A History of the Cherokee Nation

Register for a SAM number and an account on Grants.gov

When you are ready to apply, register for an account with SAM.gov and Grants.gov; both are required. If you already have completed the registrations, make sure they are current. 

Complete your application package

Follow the instructions outlined in the Notice of Funding Opportunity. 

Submit your application package on Grants.gov

You will receive a confirmation from Grants.gov when you’ve successfully submitted your application. Subsequently, you will receive up to five more notices confirming different stages in the application process. Verify that you have received all confirmations. Note that email filters may send these messages to your spam or junk folder. 

Projects Funded by this Grant Program