Collaborative Research
Division of Research Programs
THE DEADLINE FOR THIS CYCLE HAS PASSED.
Updated guidelines will be posted in advance of the next deadline. In the meantime, please use these guidelines to get a sense of what is involved in assembling an application.
Grant Snapshot
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The Collaborative Research program aims to advance humanistic knowledge by supporting teams of scholars working on a joint endeavor. NEH encourages projects that incorporate multiple points of view, pursue new avenues of inquiry in the humanities, and lead to manuscripts for print publication or to scholarly digital projects.
Collaborators may come from one or more institutions. They may propose research in a single field of study or interdisciplinary work. NEH encourages partnerships with researchers from 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 outcomes, such as a co-authored or multi-authored book; a themed issue of a peer-reviewed journal; a series of peer-reviewed articles; a born-digital publication; or an open-access website or other digital resource. All project outcomes must incorporate collaboration and interpretation to address significant humanities research questions.
The program includes four project categories: Planning International Collaboration, Convening, Manuscript Preparation, and Scholarly Digital Projects. 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.
Note about Humanities Perspectives on Artificial Intelligence
This grant program is one of ten NEH programs that are part of NEH’s Humanities Perspectives on Artificial Intelligence initiative, which is encouraging research on the ethical, legal, and societal implications of AI. To learn more about the initiative, please see our page about the AI initiative.
What’s new for 2023:
- Manuscript Preparation and Scholarly Digital Projects applications from community colleges or certain minority-serving institutions, or that include such an institution as a subrecipient and full partner in the conceptualization and execution of the project, may request an additional $50,000 of support (up to $300,000 for a three-year performance period). Eligible minority-serving institutions are: Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Predominantly Black Institutions, Native American-Serving Non-Tribal Institutions, and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions.
- The allowable period of performance for Convening applications is now six to twelve months. It is no longer necessary to pro-rate the funding request by month for Convenings.
- The page limit for the Work Plan attachment has been increased from two pages to three.
You may submit an optional draft. You must use the draft template found under “Program Resources” on this page and must submit it no later than September 18, 2023, to @email. Put “Collaborative Research Draft” in the subject line of the message. NEH staff will read only one draft per project per competition deadline.
Watch the Collaborative Research Pre Application Webinar 2023 below.
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
Collaborative Research Notice of Funding Opportunity, 2023 (PDF)
Collaborative Research Grants.gov application package
Program Resources
Collaborative Research Frequently Asked Questions, 2023
Collaborative Research draft template
List of Recent Collaborative Research Awards
Sample Application Narratives
Planning International Collaboration
University of Rochester, Fedchenko: Eco-Biography of a Glacier
Convening
University of Colorado, Empire of Correspondence
Manuscript Preparation
Marquette University, Spanish Civil War and Visual Culture
Pennsylvania State University, Sovereign Kin: A History of the Cherokee Nation
Scholarly Digital Projects
Purdue University, Mapping London’s Theater Districts, 1576-1642
University of Arizona, Shared Churches in Early Modern Europe, 1500-1800
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.
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. 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.
