Collaborative Research
Division of Research Programs
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Debate, exchange of ideas, and working together—all are basic activities that advance humanities knowledge and foster rich scholarship that would not be possible by researchers working on their own. The Collaborative Research program aims to advance humanistic knowledge through sustained collaboration between two or more scholars. Collaborators may be drawn from a single institution or several institutions across the United States; up to half of the collaborators may be based outside of the U.S. The program encourages projects that propose diverse approaches to topics, incorporate multiple points of view, and explore new avenues of inquiry in the humanities.
The program allows projects that propose research in a single field of study, as well as interdisciplinary work. Projects that include partnerships with researchers from the natural and social sciences are encouraged but must employ a humanistic research agenda. Partnerships among different types of institutions are welcome as well as new collaborations with international partners.
Proposed projects must aim to result in tangible and sustainable outcomes, for example, co-authored or multi-authored books; born-digital publications; themed issues of peer-reviewed journals; a series of peer-reviewed articles; and open-access scholarly digital resources. All project outcomes must incorporate interpretive work and collaboration to address significant humanities research questions.
What’s new in the Collaborative Research program in 2020
- Program staff will review of one draft per application using the template available under Application Materials. The deadline for submitting drafts is October 15, 2020.
- The program now includes four categories: Planning International Collaboration (NEW), Conference (previously Convening), Manuscript Preparation (previously Publication), and Scholarly Digital Projects (NEW)
- Conference applicants may request a second year of support to prepare papers for publication; the maximum award is $100,000 for two years.
- The formerly separate statement of significance and impact is now incorporated into the application narrative.
- The work plan is a separate attachment.
- You must use the Research and Related Budget Form (included in the Grants.gov application package) and attach a budget justification.
Disclaimer: This list is not a complete list of all changes to this Notice of Funding Opportunity.
A pre-application webinar Collaborative Research 2020-2021: What's New and Application Tips was held on September 30, 2020 and can be seen below:
Begin by reading the Notice of Funding Opportunity. You want 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
Collaborative Research Notice of Funding Opportunity (PDF)
Application Package on Grants.gov
Program Resources
Collaborative Research Frequently Asked Questions, 2020
Collaborative Research draft template
Collaborative Research Awards, 2018-2020
Sample Application Narratives
Indiana University, The Emergence of HIV/AIDS
University of Akron, British Asia and the British Atlantic Conference
University of Nebraska, Washington DC during the Civil War
Duke University, Convening Grant, Rediscovering Neglected Philosophical Works by Early Modern Women
As soon as you know you're ready to apply, make sure you register for a D-U-N-S number, with SAM.gov, and with Grants.gov, as this is vital to the application process. If you already have registered, make sure they are up to date.
Be sure to follow the instructions outlined in the Notice of Funding Opportunity.
You will receive a confirmation from Grants.gov when you've successfully submitted your application.
After you submit your application, Grants.gov will send you up to five e-mail messages confirming receipt of your application. These messages represent different stages in the application acceptance process. You should verify that you have received all confirmation messages. Please note that email filters may send these messages to your spam or junk folder.
