Scholarly Editions and Scholarly Translations
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
Maximum award amount
Open to
Expected output
Period of performance
Application available
Optional Draft due
Application due
Expected notification date
Project start date
The Scholarly Editions and Scholarly Translations program provides grants to organizations to support collaborative teams who are editing, annotating, and translating foundational humanities texts that are vital to learning and research but are currently inaccessible or are available only in inadequate editions or translations. Typically, the texts are significant literary, philosophical, and historical materials, but other types of work, such as musical notation, may also be the subject of an edition.
The program supports continuous full-time or part-time activities during the periods of performance of one to three years. Projects must be undertaken by at least two scholars working collaboratively. While international collaboration is permitted, projects must maintain an equitable balance between scholars at U.S. institutions and scholars at non-U.S. institutions. In addition to supporting long-term editorial projects, the program also encourages applications for short-term projects and for projects that are at a planning stage.
What’s new for 2021
- Awards are capped at $300,000 in outright funds, not to exceed $100,000 per year. In addition, organizations submitting proposals that respond to the “A More Perfect Union” special initiative may apply for up to an additional $150,000 in federal matching funds, not to exceed $50,000 per year.
- Projects at a planning stage are encouraged to apply for one or two years of support for up to $75,000 per year or less. Additional writing prompts have been added for planning stage projects.
- Program staff will review one draft proposal per project with a submission deadline of September 24; see special instructions in section D4 of the Notice of Funding Opportunity regarding the format of drafts.
- The narrative now includes a “statement of significance and impact.”
- Applicants must include a discussion of the qualifications sought and duties proposed for new hires made with NEH funds, student workers or unpaid volunteers.
- A two-page work plan is required as Attachment 3.
- The bibliography (Attachment 5) is limited to five pages.
- The instructions for required editorial and translation samples (Attachment 6) have been clarified.
- A table of past productivity is conditionally required as Attachment 8.
- An attachment consisting of a list of past financial support is no longer requested.
- Press subventions are not permitted in this program.
- Applicants are required to submit their budget using the Research and Related Budget Form, included in the Grants.gov application package.
Due to technical difficulties, the live question and answer webinar for this grant program has been rescheduled to Thursday, September 16, 2021 at 3:30 pm Eastern Time. Join here.
The 2021 pre-application webinar discussing how to prepare an application for the Scholarly Editions and Scholarly Translations program can see below:
Read the Notice of Funding Opportunity to ensure you understand the expectations and restrictions for projects delivered under this program and are prepared to write the most effective application.
Application Materials
Scholarly Editions and Scholarly Translations Notice of Funding Opportunity, 2020 and 2021 (PDF)
Scholarly Editions and Scholarly Translations Grants.gov application package
Program Resources
Scholarly Editions and Scholarly Translations Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)
Scholarly Editions and Scholarly Translation awards, 2019-2021
Sample Application Narratives
University of California, Berkeley, Mark Twain Project
University of Michigan, Golden Chronicle Translation of a 20th-Century Tibetan Text
Massachusetts Historical Society, Adams Papers Editorial Project
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, The George and Ira Gershwin Critical Edition
To apply for this grant, you will need to be registered for a D-U-N-S® number, with the System for Awards Management (SAM), and with Grants.gov. If you have registered with these systems previously, confirm that your registrations are current and up to date. If you fail to allow ample time to complete registration with SAM or Grants.gov, you will not be eligible for a deadline extension or waiver of the online electronic submission requirement.
Follow the instructions outlined in the Notice of Funding Opportunity and Grants.gov.
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.
