Funding Opportunity for

Organizations

Media Projects

Maximum award amount

$75,000 for Development, $700,000 for Production, $1,000,000 for Chair’s Special Awards

Expected Output

Film/TV/Video; Online Video; Podcast; Radio Broadcast

Period of performance

Development: 6-12 months, Production: 1-3 years

Applicants to NEH for awards with expected issuance dates on or after October 1, 2024, should be aware of revisions to the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (2 CFR Part 200) effective from that date. All NEH awards issued on or after October 1, 2024, will be subject to the revised regulations. You may incorporate these changes into your applications now.

Additional information is available at https://www.neh.gov/grants/manage/2024-Revisions-to-2-CFR-200

The Media Projects program supports the development, production, and distribution of radio programs, podcasts, documentary films, and documentary film series  that engage general audiences with humanities ideas in creative and appealing ways. Projects must be grounded in humanities scholarship and demonstrate an approach that is thoughtful, balanced, and analytical. Media Projects offers two levels of funding: Development and Production.  

In the recorded workshops below, NEH program officers and previous awardees provide guidance on applying for Media grants.

The tips and advice in these workshops are still relevant; however, if you are applying in 2024-2025, you must follow the deadlines and other instructions in the current Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for your application.

View a segment from a 2020 webinar in which Susi Walsh (Center for Independent Documentary), Arwen Curry (director, Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin), Eric Stange (director, Edgar Allan Poe: Buried Alive), and David Weinstein (NEH program officer) share tips on preparing proposals for NEH Media Projects. Thanks to the Center for Independent Documentary, which hosted the webinar, and the webinar participants.  

Next

Application Instructions

Step 1 Review your application package

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

Application Materials

Notice of Funding Opportunity, August 2024 and January 2025
Grants.gov application package

Program Resources

Frequently Asked Questions, August 2024 and January 2025
Development awards, 2020-2024
Production awards, 2020-2024
Policy on the Use of Artificial Intelligence for NEH Grant Proposals

Sample Application Narratives

Development

Shanghailanders (narrative and treatment)
Winchelldom: The World of Walter Winchell (narrative and treatment)
City Lore New York Center for Urban Culture, Jewish American Soldiers in World War II (narrative and treatment)

Production

American Masters: Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands (narrative and treatment/script)
Lost Highways Podcast (narrative and treatment)
Bob Hope: America's Entertainer (narrative and script)
Public Radio International, American Icons III: Stories about Creativity, the Arts, and the Humanities (narrative only)
Twin Cities Public Television, Slavery by Another Name (narrative only)

Step 2 Register for a SAM number and an account with Grants.gov

Confirm that your SAM registration is current and verify your access to Grants.gov. If you have not already done so, you must create a Login.gov user account to register and log in to SAM and Grants.gov. Login.gov is a secure sign in service used by the public to sign in to participating government agencies. Create and link your account now. 

Step 3 Complete your application package

Follow the instructions outlined in the Notice of Funding Opportunity and in the Grants.gov instructions.

Step 4 Submit your application 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.