NEH-Mellon Fellowships for Digital Publication
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.
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Through NEH-Mellon Fellowships for Digital Publication, the National Endowment for the Humanities and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation jointly support individual scholars pursuing interpretive research projects that require digital expression and digital publication. To be eligible for this special opportunity, an applicant’s plans for digital publication must be integral to the project’s research goals. That is, the project must be conceived as digital because the research topics being addressed and methods applied demand presentation beyond traditional print publication. Successful projects will likely incorporate visual, audio, and/or other multimedia materials or flexible reading pathways that could not be included in traditionally published books, as well as an active distribution plan.
All projects must be interpretive. That is, projects must advance a scholarly argument through digital means and tools. Stand-alone databases and other projects that lack an explicit interpretive argument are not eligible.
Applications submitted for this special opportunity will be evaluated separately from other NEH Fellowships applications, but, like applications submitted to the NEH Fellowships program, will be held to the highest standards of scholarship. Applicants must clearly articulate the intellectual significance of the proposed project, including value to humanities scholars, general audiences, or both.
Applicants interested in conducting research and writing leading to traditional print or e-book publications should apply to the NEH Fellowships program.
Applicants may apply to only one of the following research programs for individuals in a given year:
- Fellowships, or
- NEH-Mellon Fellowships for Digital Publications, or
- Fellowships for Advanced Social Science Research on Japan, or
- Awards for Faculty at Hispanic-Serving Institutions, or
- Awards for Faculty at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, or
- Awards for Faculty at Tribal Colleges and Universities.
Important Announcement
The Grants.gov application package for this program is now available.
As soon as you know you're ready to apply for this grant, make sure you register for a grants.gov account as this is vital to the grants process. If you already have registered, make sure the account is up to date.
Begin by reading the full grant guidelines and studying the application. The files are linked below. You want to ensure you understand all the expectations and restrictions for projects delivered under this grant and are prepared to write the most effective application.
Download Application Materials
NEH-Mellon Fellowships for Digital Publication program guidelines (PDF)
NEH-Mellon Fellowships for Digital Publication program guidelines (DOC)
NEH-Mellon Fellowships for Digital Publication Grants.gov Application Package
Program Resources
Fellowships Frequently Asked Questions, 2019 (PDF)
NEH-Mellon Fellowships Award List 2017-2018
Sample Application Narratives
Anthropology, Democracy and Cultural Exchange after the Arab Spring
Music, A Critical Edition of Italian Songs from the Time of Christopher Columbus
Be sure to follow the instructions outlined in the guidelines and in the grants.gov instructions.
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.
NEH requests letters of reference from your recommenders approximately seven to ten days after the application deadline. You will be notified by e-mail when each of your letters of reference has been received. After you have received the fifth message from Grants.gov (confirming that NEH received your application), you may check the status of your letters by logging in to the secure area of NEH’s website. Enter your NEH application number and your Grants.gov tracking number. You will be able to see the names and e-mail addresses of your letter writers and whether their letters have arrived. If necessary, you may send reminders to your letter writers (including the upload link) from this site. You are responsible for ensuring that your letter writers have received the solicitations from NEH and submitted their letters.
