AI centers NOFO 2025.pdf

Notice of Funding Opportunity

Humanities Research Centers on Artificial Intelligence

Funding Opportunity Number: 20251210-RAI

Funding Opportunity Type: New

Federal Assistance Listing Number: 45.161

Application Deadline: October 1, 2025

Ensure your SAM.gov and Grants.gov registrations and passwords are current.

It may take several weeks to register with SAM.gov and Grants.gov.

NEH will not grant deadline extensions for lack of registration.

Division of Research Programs Email: AICenters@neh.gov Telephone: 202-606-8200 Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1

OMB control number 3136-0134, expiration date October 31, 2027 mailto:@neh.gov

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Executive Summary The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Division of Research is accepting applications for the Humanities Research Centers on Artificial Intelligence program. The purpose of this program is to support the establishment of new collaborative humanities research centers focused on gaining a clearer understanding of AI and its implications for the United States. A center is a sustained collaboration among multiple scholars focused on exploring the humanities implications of AI through two or more related scholarly activities.

Funding Opportunity Title Humanities Research Centers on Artificial

Intelligence Funding Opportunity Number 20251210-RAI Federal Assistance Listing Number 45.161 Application Deadline October 1, 2025, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time Anticipated Award Announcement April 2026 Anticipated FY 2025 Funding Approximately $2,500,000 Estimated Number and Type of Awards Approximately 5 grants Award Amounts Up to $500,000 for 36 months, with a maximum of

$200,000 per year.

You may also request an additional $250,000 in federal matching funds.

Cost Sharing/Match Required No, unless you request federal matching funds.

Period of Performance Up to 3 years.

Projects must start between May 1, 2026 and April 1, 2027.

Eligible Applicants • nonprofit organizations recognized as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code

• accredited institutions of higher education (public or nonprofit)

• state and local governments and their agencies

• federally recognized Native American Tribal governments

See C. Eligibility Information for additional information.

Program Resource Page https://www.neh.gov/program/humanities-research-centers-artificial-intelligence

Published July 8, 2025 https://www.neh.gov/program/humanities-research-centers-artificial-intelligence

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Table of Contents

A. Program Description

1. Purpose

2. Background

B. Federal Award Information

1. Type of Application and Award

2. Summary of Funding

C. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

2. Cost Sharing

3. Other Eligibility Information

D. Application and Submission Information

1. Application Package

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management

4. Submission Dates and Times

5. Intergovernmental Review

6. Funding Restrictions

E. Application Review Information

1. Review Criteria

2. Review and Selection Process

3. Assessment of Risk and Other Pre-Award Activities

4. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

F. Federal Award Administration Information

1. Federal Award Notices

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

3. Reporting

G. Agency Contacts H. Other Information

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A. Program Description

1. Purpose This notice solicits applications for the Humanities Research Centers on Artificial Intelligence (AI) program offered by the Division of Research Programs. AI is one of the most powerful technologies of our time and will have profound consequences for civil rights and civil liberties, safety and security, and human flourishing. Questions about the impact of AI on American society and culture are fundamentally rooted in the humanities, which includes but is not limited to ethics, law, history, philosophy, language and linguistics, comparative religion, and the humanistic social sciences.

The Humanities Research Centers on Artificial Intelligence program will create new centers of scholarly discourse and learning, each one a nexus for collaborative efforts that reach across disciplinary lines to gain a more holistic understanding of AI in the modern world and especially its implications for the United States. In your application to this program, you must propose to create a center with a specific research focus related to the social and cultural aspects of AI and how such knowledge can improve and advance our nation’s leadership position in AI. A center is a sustained collaboration among multiple scholars focused on exploring the humanities implications of AI through two or more related scholarly activities. Competitive centers typically identify a specific topical, methodological, or disciplinary lens through which though which to study AI and its societal implications. NEH is particularly interested in projects that explore the ramifications of AI for the nation, including its economic competitiveness and national security as well as civil rights, civil liberties, privacy, and human flourishing. Centers should aim to advance humanities research on their chosen topic beyond the grant period.

In addition to establishing the center, your project should engage in at least two activities that support research into the social and cultural aspects of AI. Appropriate activities may include, but are not limited to, collaborative research and writing efforts; education and training;

convenings, such as conferences, symposia, and workshops; lecture series; and the creation of digital tools to increase or advance scholarly discourse about AI. You must present a plan to disseminate the results of each activity. Allowable costs include, but are not limited to, salary replacement; compensation of collaborators, post-doctoral students, consultants, and research assistants; fringe benefits; the purchase of computing equipment or software; and travel, lodging, and per diem costs for lecturers or convening participants.

Centers should leverage the visionary nature of their research to promote a more informed public discourse about AI through education and outreach efforts and to build the next generation of scholars. Centers are encouraged to include educational and public programming to increase AI literacy at the K-12 as well as college and university levels. Centers are also encouraged to enhance public awareness of humanities perspectives on AI.

A center may or may not have a physical location, but as part of your project you must establish a leadership structure, develop a mission statement, and create a strategy to sustain the center beyond the period of performance. Existing AI research centers are not eligible in this competition. Applicants may propose a new center that is part of a broader existing humanities or ethics center. NEH welcomes international collaboration, but scholars at U.S. institutions must oversee and set the agenda for the center. (See C3. Other Eligibility Information.)

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See D6. Funding Restrictions for unallowable activities. Applications unrelated to the purpose of this program or that include unallowable costs or activities may be judged nonresponsive and returned without review.

See E1. Review Criteria for the standards NEH will use to evaluate applications under this notice.

Program Outputs and Outcomes Outputs are the tangible products that result from the award. They are typically produced during the period of performance or draw directly on work completed during that time.

Outcomes describe the impact that a project and its outputs will have on individuals, institutions, and the field(s) in which the project aims to intervene. Outcomes may occur after the conclusion of the period of performance.

You must propose outputs (deliverables) that contribute to the creation and long-term development and sustainability of your Humanities Research Center, as well as its research profile. All project outcomes and outputs must address the center’s chosen thematic focus and convey interpretive humanities work.

Your project must result in a leadership structure, a mission statement, and an institutional plan for long-term sustainability by the end of the first year of the period of performance. Activities related to this institutional planning should appear in your work plan. In addition to establishing your center, you must produce at least two deliverables during the grant period. Additional deliverables may include, but are not limited to:

• a lecture series, workshops, colloquia, summer institutes, or similar convenings

• digital infrastructure for enabling multi-disciplinary or multi-institutional research about the humanistic implications of AI

• curriculum development or training courses for AI literacy in the humanities

• multi-authored books, peer-reviewed articles in academic journals, educational materials, or articles for the general public

Possible outcomes of a successful Humanities Research Centers on Artificial Intelligence award may include, but are not limited to:

• enhanced research capacity of the host institution

• new research collaborations

• increased understanding of AI as a result of training and educational efforts

• new partnerships with industry, government, and international institutions

• publications, reports, and presentations generating new knowledge or informing decision making.

In Attachment 2: Narrative and Attachment 3: Work plan, describe your center’s proposed deliverables and how these deliverables further the center’s mission. You must set performance goals and indicators of success that you will use to demonstrate the project’s success. If you receive an award, NEH will assess your performance based on the performance goals and deliverables you identify in the proposal. See F3. Reporting.

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2. Background NEH offers this funding opportunity under the authority of 20 U.S.C. § 956. Awards are subject to 2 CFR Part 200 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, and the General Terms and Conditions for Awards to Organizations.

Under Section 3(a) of the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965, as amended, “The term ‘humanities’ includes, but is not limited to, the study of the following:

language, both modern and classical; linguistics; literature; history; jurisprudence; philosophy;

archaeology; comparative religion; ethics; the history, criticism and theory of the arts; those aspects of the social sciences which have humanistic content and employ humanistic methods;

and the study and application of the humanities to the human environment with particular attention to reflecting our diverse heritage, traditions, and history and to the relevance of the humanities to the current conditions of national life.”

Use the Funded Projects Query Form to find examples of NEH-supported projects.

Learn more about NEH.

B. Federal Award Information

1. Type of Application and Award NEH seeks new applications in response to this notice.

NEH will provide funding in the form of grants.

2. Summary of Funding Award amounts Each applicant may request up to $500,000, (with a maximum of $200,000 per year) plus an additional $250,000 in federal matching funds. This includes the sum of direct and indirect costs.

NEH anticipates awarding approximately $2,500,000 among an estimated 5 recipients.

NEH will not determine the exact amount available for funding until Congress makes official appropriations for FY 2026. NEH will issue awards subject to the availability of appropriated funds and is publishing this notice as a contingency to ensure that NEH can process applications and issue awards in a timely manner, should sufficient funds become available.

Funding beyond the first year is dependent on the availability of appropriated funds for Humanities Research Centers on Artificial Intelligence in subsequent fiscal years, satisfactory performance, and a decision that continued funding is in the best interest of the Federal Government.

https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?hl=false&edition=prelim&req=granuleid%3AUSC-prelim-title20-section956 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=236bb02f01d2e050f7a5b60c88a67066&mc=true&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=236bb02f01d2e050f7a5b60c88a67066&mc=true&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5 https://www.neh.gov/general-terms-and-conditions-grants-after-oct-2024 https://www.neh.gov/general-terms-and-conditions-grants-after-oct-2024 https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-1998-title20/pdf/USCODE-1998-title20-chap26-subchapI-sec952.pdf https://securegrants.neh.gov/publicquery/main.aspx https://www.neh.gov/about

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Period of performance You may request a period of performance up to 36 months with a start date between May 1, 2026, and April 1, 2027.

The period of performance is the time during which you may incur expenses to carry out the work under the award. It must start on the first day of the month and end on the last day of the month.

C. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants To be eligible to apply, your organization must be established in the United States or its jurisdictions as one of the following:

• a nonprofit organization recognized as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code

• an accredited institution of higher education (public or nonprofit)

• a state or local government or one of their agencies

• a federally recognized Native American Tribal government

Individuals and other organizations, including foreign and for-profit entities, are ineligible.

If your organization is eligible, you may apply on behalf of a consortium of collaborating organizations. If NEH selects your proposal for funding, you will be programmatically, legally, and fiscally responsible for the award.

Established AI centers are not eligible.

The recipient may not function solely as a fiscal agent but should make substantive contributions to the success of the project.

2. Cost Sharing NEH does not require cost sharing in this program unless you request federal matching funds.

Cost sharing refers to project costs that are covered with non-NEH funds. NEH distinguishes between two types of cost sharing: voluntary cost sharing and federal matching funds.

Voluntary cost sharing You may contribute voluntary cost share if the total project costs exceed the amount awarded by NEH. Voluntary cost share includes:

• cash contributions made to the project by you or a third party

• your unrecovered indirect costs

• in-kind contributions (non-cash contributions, such as property or services, that benefit the project and are contributed without charge) by you or a third party https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/search-for-tax-exempt-organizations https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/search-for-tax-exempt-organizations https://ope.ed.gov/dapip/#/home https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/01/28/2022-01789/indian-entities-recognized-by-and-eligible-to-receive-services-from-the-united-states-bureau-of

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While you may describe voluntary cost share in your budget justification, you should not include it on your Research and Related Budget. The Research and Related Budget should include only funds you are requesting from NEH.

Peer reviewers will not consider any voluntary cost share in their evaluation of applications.

Federal matching funds You may request up to $250,000 in federal matching funds to leverage third party funding.

Funds to satisfy a matching requirement must be from sources outside of the applicant institution (a third party) consistent with the NEH Federal Matching Funds Guidelines. If you request federal matching funds, you must raise third-party non-federal gifts dollar-for-dollar.

Include third-party non-federal gifts on your Research and Related Budget and identify what project activities they will support in the budget justification.

Successful applicants will receive an offer of federal matching funds, subject to specific regulatory and other conditions. NEH will certify the allowability of these gifts and will issue the award only when you have met the conditions of the offer. The full amount of federal matching funds may not be available for release in the first year of a multi-year period of performance.

Typically, NEH distributes federal matching funds on an annual basis over the period of performance.

If NEH selects your project for funding, you must raise and certify all eligible gifts and realize pledges by six months before the end of the period of performance. NEH advises applicants who are requesting matching funds to consider a period of performance that allows adequate time to raise and certify funds. If you fail to certify required gifts by the deadline and do not request an extension by the end of the offer period, the remaining matching funds offer may be withdrawn. See NEH Federal Matching Funds Guidelines.

NEH will not release federal matching funds until you raise and certify eligible gifts. In-kind gifts and funds derived from the recipient organization are not eligible sources of certified gifts in this program.

You must maintain auditable records of the source and use of cost share. See 2 CFR § 200.306.

Learn about types of funds NEH offers.

3. Other Eligibility Information Each institution may submit only one application under this notice. For the purposes of this limitation, branch campuses are considered separate institutions. Current recipients of this program are not eligible to apply.

An individual can be a director or co-director of only one center at any given time.

If you submit multiple applications (including submitting to the wrong funding opportunity or making corrections/updates), NEH will accept only your last validated submission prior to the deadline under the correct Grants.gov funding opportunity.

https://www.neh.gov/grants/manage/federal-matching-funds-guidelines https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=3aeab4e3a836f5b6807999701e518c94&mc=true&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5#se2.1.200_1306 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=3aeab4e3a836f5b6807999701e518c94&mc=true&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5#se2.1.200_1306 https://www.neh.gov/grants/manage/types-funding

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You may revise and resubmit previously rejected applications. Submissions are subject to the application requirements and review criteria of the current competition.

Per 2 CFR § 200.403(f), NEH does not permit overlapping costs on two or more awards for federal funding and/or approved federal award budgets. If you are submitting proposals to other NEH programs or government agencies, specify when and to whom in the Supplementary Cover Sheet for NEH Grant Programs. NEH may disallow overlapping project costs. An individual’s level of effort cannot exceed 100% across multiple active federally funded awards.

If the project has received or is currently receiving support from federal or nonfederal sources, including the NEH, or if you plan to apply for such support, then you must include Attachment 9:

Statement of funding received and requested.

NEH does not issue awards to other federal entities. If your project is so closely intertwined with a federal entity that the project takes on characteristics of the federal entity’s own authorized activities, it is ineligible. You may use funds from, or sites and materials controlled by, other federal entities in your project, but you may not use them as gifts to release federal matching funds.

NEH does not provide financial assistance to foreign institutions or organizations. If you are an eligible domestic entity, you may apply for collaborative projects involving foreign organizations provided you do not use NEH funds for the purpose of issuing subawards to any foreign organization, as defined in 2 CFR §§ 200.1 and .331(a). You may obtain the services of foreign individuals and consultants to carry out programmatic activities on a fee-for-service basis, as specified in 2 CFR § 200.459. You may obtain goods and services from foreign vendors, such as in-country transportation services, in accordance with 2 CFR § 200.331(b). If you plan to submit an application involving international collaboration, contact program staff at AICenters@neh.gov.

Except for the rare cases covered by its late submission policy, NEH will not consider applications submitted after the deadline.

NEH will not consider incomplete, nonresponsive, or ineligible applications for funding.

NEH will not consider applications that exceed mandatory page limits or deviate from formatting instructions. See the Application Components Table.

Learn more about managing subawards.

D. Application and Submission Information

1. Application Package You must apply using Grants.gov Workspace or a Grants.gov system-to-system solution. You can find this funding opportunity in Grants.gov under number20251210-RAI. There is also a link on the program resource page.

Once you have located the funding opportunity in Grants.gov, you will find the application package under the “Package” tab. It includes a series of required and conditionally required forms. You will upload additional application components using the Attachments Form.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFRea20080eff2ea53/section-200.403 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=35fcd29238edd42c8b1f8b1628e39d47&mc=true&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5#se2.1.200_11 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=b76712a585433486e57dafcd521c952e&mc=true&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5#se2.1.200_1331 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=35fcd29238edd42c8b1f8b1628e39d47&mc=true&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5#se2.1.200_1459 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=b76712a585433486e57dafcd521c952e&mc=true&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5#se2.1.200_1331 mailto:AICenters@neh.gov https://www.neh.gov/grants/policy-on-late-submissions https://www.neh.gov/general-guidance-pass-through-entities-managing-subawards

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You must complete a multistep registration process prior to submitting your application. See D3.

Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management.

Contact AICenters@neh.gov to request a paper copy of this notice.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission Your application will include a narrative, budget, and other forms and attachments. You will complete the forms within Grants.gov Workspace and upload other components into the Attachments Form. See the Application Component Table.

Application formatting Your application attachments must be PDFs and conform to the following formatting requirements, unless otherwise indicated:

• pages no larger than standard letter (8 ½" x 11”)

• at least one-inch margins on all sides for all pages

• a font no smaller than 11 points

In addition, NEH encourages you to format your attachments consistent with the following:

• single-spacing

• a readable font such as Arial, Georgia, Helvetica, or Times New Roman

• any standard citation style (include citations in page counts)

Application Component Table NEH has assigned each application component one of the following designations:

• Required: You must submit this component.

• Conditionally required: You must submit this component if your proposal meets the specified conditions.

• Conditionally required for recipients: You are encouraged but not required to submit this component when you apply. You must submit it if you receive an award if your proposal meets the specified conditions.

NEH will not review applications missing any required documents or relevant conditionally required documents.

Do not include attachments other than those listed in the table in this notice. If you do, NEH will reject your application.

In addition, NEH has established page limits for some application components:

• Mandatory: You must not exceed the page limit.

• Suggested: NEH encourages, but does not require, you to abide by the page limit.

Note page limits and formatting instructions in this notice. NEH will not review applications that exceed mandatory page limits or deviate from formatting instructions.

mailto:AICenters@neh.gov

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Application Component File Name Designation Page Limit Attachments 1: Project Team team.pdf Required 2 pages

(mandatory) 2: Narrative narrative.pdf Required 10 pages

(mandatory) 3: Work plan workplan.pdf Required 2 pages

(mandatory) 4: Résumés for core project team members resumes.pdf Required 2 pages per person (suggested)

5: Selection criteria selection.pdf Required 3 pages per activity (suggested)

6: Bibliography bibliography.pdf Required 3 pages (mandatory)

7: Letters of commitment and support letters.pdf Required

8: Appendices appendices.pdf Conditionally required

10 pages (suggested)

9: Statement of funding received funding.pdf Conditionally required

2 pages (suggested)

10: Subrecipient budget(s) subrecipient.pdf Conditionally required

11: Federally negotiated indirect cost rate agreement agreement.pdf Conditionally required

12: Explanation of delinquent federal debt delinquentdebt.pdf Conditionally required for recipients

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Application Component File Name Designation Page Limit Grants.gov forms SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance - Short Organizational

Required

Supplementary Cover Sheet for NEH Grant Programs

Required

Project/Performance Site(s) Location Form

Required

Research and Related Budget and Budget Justification

Required

Attachments Form Required Certification Regarding Lobbying Conditionally

Standard Form-LLL “Disclosure of Lobbying Activities”

Conditionally

Application Components: Attachments Each attachment must be a single PDF file. See the Attachments Form instructions for further guidance about file requirements. Read those instructions carefully, as Grants.gov will not accept files that do not meet the requirements.

Attachment 1: Project team (required) List the members of the core project team, surname first. Designate the project director and any co-directors, then group other team members by institutional affiliation. Explain how each team member will contribute to the creation and/or operation of the center. For those not affiliated with a nonprofit educational institution, provide occupation and employer; if none, list city and state of residence. If you plan to ask for administrative support as a direct budget item, list a program coordinator here even if that role is not yet filled. Responsibilities of a program coordinator may include, but are not limited to, activities such as budgeting, evaluation, and personnel management.

The names on this list must match the names mentioned in the Institutional context and collaboration section of the narrative, as well as personnel listed in the budget. After you list the project team, list any advisors. Note that contributors who are not working towards the creation or administrative operation of the Center, such as speakers, colloquia leaders, or workshop instructors, should be included in Attachment 5: Selection criteria, not here, unless they are also core project team or advisors.

The project team list must not exceed two pages. Name the file team.pdf.

Attachment 2: Narrative (required) Compose a comprehensive description of your proposed project. Your narrative should be succinct, well organized, and free of technical terms and jargon so that peer reviewers can understand the proposed project.

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You must limit the narrative to ten single-spaced pages. Do not include an executive summary, cover page, or table of contents. You may include images, charts, diagrams, footnotes, or endnotes if they fit within the page limit. Name the file narrative.pdf.

Organize your narrative using the following headings. Each section aligns with one or more review criteria NEH will use to evaluate your proposal.

Project overview Provide a concise statement about your center written for a non-specialist audience. Describe the proposed activities and outcomes of the center, and who will lead and take part in these activities. Include a long-term vision and potential impact for the center (this may extend beyond the end date of the period of performance).

Thematic research focus and significance (about three pages; aligns with review criterion 1. Significance and review criterion 5. Dissemination plans and long-term vision) Provide a short explanation of the thematic research focus of your center, noting how it relates to the goals of the Humanities Research Centers on Artificial Intelligence program (see Purpose section). Competitive applications articulate why a center is needed and why the chosen research focus fits your institutional context. Explain how the center’s focus will serve to connect researchers and provide space to explore topics of interest to the community of the applying institution(s). State the overall vision and long-range research goals of the center. Situate your project in the context of existing research on AI and connect it to larger topics in the humanities beyond your specific thematic focus. Describe the anticipated impact of your center on the research topic and on future scholarship. Discuss the relationship of the center’s research focus to ongoing work in the field by identifying related projects and relevant literature. You will provide a more extensive list of relevant primary and secondary sources in Attachment 6:

Bibliography.

Proposed activities (about two pages; aligns with review criterion 2. Activities and execution and review criterion 3. Participants) Explain your plans for organizing and launching the center and sustaining it long-term. Describe your center’s two or more planned activities during the period of performance and who will be responsible for their successful completion. Discuss your rationale for choosing particular activities, your experience conducting similar activities, and how those activities will contribute to the creation and the larger research goals of the center.

For research activities, such as collaborative research projects or work by individual scholars (e.g., postdocs), describe the types of projects they will work on and how the projects relate to the proposed theme of the center. If you have not identified all activities and collaborators, such as resident scholars or research groups, you may make a categorical request for subawards and/or consultants. Classify costs for external organizations as subawards and costs for individuals outside your organization as consultants. NEH will restrict the funds until we approve your selected collaborators. Mention how the results will be disseminated.

Describe any education or outreach activities designed to build the next generation of scholars and promote a more informed public and scholarly discourse about AI. For convening activities, mention your goals for attracting participants. A full explanation of your selection criteria should appear in Attachment 5: Selection Criteria. Attendance at convenings must be free of charge.

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If you have previously received NEH funding for any phase of the proposed research activities, discuss how the previously funded project met, or did not meet, its goals according to its original or amended work plan.

List of proposed deliverables (about one page; aligns with review criterion 4. Work plan and completion) Summarize, rather than duplicate, the work you explain in Attachment 3: Work Plan. Identify major phases, milestones, and performance indicators and when they will occur. List what you will accomplish, such as the work to establish the center, collaborative research, curricular development, publications, workshops, symposia, lecture series, or software. Estimate the number of attendees for conferences, seminars, workshops, or other events. Provide the number of times serial offerings such as workshops or lecture series, will occur. Be as specific as possible. Mention targeted journals or presses for planned publications.

Institutional context and collaboration (about three pages; aligns with review criterion 3.

Participants) Explain why the applying institution is well-suited to establish the proposed center and how the new center will fit into its institutional environment. Describe how the center will function as a nexus for collaborative efforts, including plans to link organizations, people, ideas, problems, and humanities methods and technical approaches for maximum impact. Mention initiatives, collaborating organizations, or other institutional contexts that would contribute to the success of the center. Describe support offered by the home institution during the period of performance.

For multi-institutional centers, discuss the distribution of responsibilities.

Summarize the specific qualifications and responsibilities of the core project team members (those named in Attachment 1: Project team). Describe their contributions to the center’s proposed activities and estimate how much time they will spend on them — for example, part-time during the academic year and full-time during the summer (see Budget Justification).

Specify the center’s leadership structure (e.g., a single director, co-directors, or an advisory board). For convenings or lecture series, explain the benefits of bringing together these particular scholars. For project team members providing technological support, explain how their activities are important for achieving the project’s goals. Demonstrate how the project team represents the perspectives necessary to address the center’s research questions.

Future plans (about one page; aligns with review criterion 5. Dissemination plans and Long-term vision) Explain the long-term vision for the center after the period of performance is completed, including how the institution would continue to support the center. Summarize your plans to disseminate the results of the center’s activities to scholarly audiences, the general public, or both.

Your narrative must not exceed ten pages. Name the file narrative.pdf.

Attachment 3: Work plan (required) Your work plan should reflect the major activities you describe in your narrative, the project dates on your SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance - Short Organizational, and your Research and Related Budget.

Provide a detailed description, preferably in table form, of what will be accomplished during the period of performance, indicating major tasks and milestones. Describe each six-month period.

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For each period, identify the relevant collaborators involved and state their specific tasks, including approximate time commitments in percentages or days. Describe the performance indicators you will use to measure the project’s success at each stage.

The work plan must not exceed two pages. Name the file workplan.pdf.

Attachment 4: Résumés for core project team members (required) Include two-page résumés for each core project team member named in Attachment 1: Project team, excluding any advisory committee members. Résumés should include mailing and email addresses, the highest degree earned, the name of the institution awarding the degree, professional positions held, institutional affiliations, and major publications. You do not need to include résumés for undergraduate and graduate research assistants, speakers for lecture series, or conference attendees. Résumés must be in résumé or CV format; do not provide narrative biographies.

Résumés should not exceed two pages per person. Name the file resumes.pdf.

Attachment 5: Selection criteria (required) Describe how your center will ensure the selection of the best possible contributors to your center’s proposed activities in three categories, as appropriate: researchers, collaborators, and participants.

• For all categories:

o List the criteria for selecting contributors for each category (as needed by your proposed activities).

o Explain who will select contributors to the center for each category. Describe any selection committee, whether it differs from center leadership, and whether it includes reviewers from outside your organization. List the criteria for choosing the selection committee and state its size. Explain how you will achieve subject matter diversity, impartiality, and expertise in the selection committee.

• For Researchers: (collaborative research team members, individuals conducting research aligned with the center’s themes, and researchers crafting K-12, undergraduate, or graduate curricula or educational resources under center guidance) o Explain the process for identifying potential researchers from your institution or collaborating institutions.

o Describe how you will conduct outreach to your chosen pool of potential researchers to ensure broad participation.

o Describe any conflict-of-interest rules by which you will govern deliberations.

• For Collaborators: (speakers in lecture series or keynote speakers for symposia, and workshop, summer seminar, or institute leaders) o If you have already selected speakers, seminar leaders, or other collaborators for any activities, list them and explain why these collaborators strengthen the project. Include their names, titles, and whether they have committed to the project.

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o If you have not yet selected collaborators for an event in the first year, explain the timeline for doing so.

o Do not include letters of commitment.

• For Participants: (anyone attending a workshop, conference, institute, or other convening) o Describe the intended audience for the convening(s), and how you will attract a robust and broad pool of participants.

The selection criteria should not exceed three pages per activity. Name the file selection.pdf.

Attachment 6: Bibliography (required) Your bibliography should consist of primary and secondary sources that relate directly to the project. Include works that pertain to both the project’s substance and its theoretical or methodological approaches. If applicable, indicate publications that resulted from previous NEH funding.

The bibliography must not exceed three pages; any standard format is acceptable. Name the file bibliography.pdf.

Attachment 7: Letters of institutional commitment and participant support (required) You must include at least one letter from leadership (such as the president, provost, dean, or in the case of a non-profit, executive director or board member) at the applicant institution. The letter should support the formal designation of the center and explain the project’s significance within the institution’s mission. Mention any relevant approval processes and describe any specific support the institution will offer the center during the period of performance, such as course releases, space, or administrative support. If the center will feature collaboration with another institution, company, or community (such as Native American tribes) you are encouraged to include a letter of support from their leadership. Do not include letters of support from groups or individuals that will not be collaborating substantially with or contributing materially to the center.

Elected government officials and current members of the National Council on the Humanities may not serve as letter writers.

Name the file letters.pdf.

Attachment 8: Appendices (conditionally required) Use this attachment to provide essential supplementary materials. Do not include letters of recommendation or assessments of previous applications. Materials in the appendices may include, as relevant: illustrations, maps, data visualizations, and other explanatory graphics;

syllabi or schedules for a proposed workshop, course, or summer institute; permissions to publish or use materials under copyright; and data management plans for data sets.

Appendices should not exceed ten pages. All charts, graphics, maps, etc. count toward the page limit. Name the file appendices.pdf.

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Attachment 9: Statement of funding received and requested (conditionally required) If the project has received prior support from any federal or nonfederal sources, including NEH;

if it is currently receiving such support; or if you are applying for or planning to apply for such support, provide a list of the sources (including program names), dates, federal award identification numbers, and amounts of these funds. List NEH awards already received, year by year. Include fellowships and individual awards received by project participants, if relevant to the current project. If there is a long history of non-NEH support, you may group and summarize the sources and contributions.

This attachment should not exceed two pages. Name the file funding.pdf.

Attachment 10: Subrecipient budget(s) (conditionally required) If your project includes subawards, you must provide a separate Research and Related Budget and budget justification for each subrecipient.

Download a fillable PDF of the Research and Related Budget form from the NEH website for each subrecipient. You must open and complete this form in Adobe Reader 8.0 or higher rather than in your web browser.

Prepare a budget and budget justification for each subrecipient using the same instructions in this notice, with a few exceptions:

• Enter the subrecipient’s Unique Entity Identifier, organization name, and period of performance start and end date (these fields will not prepopulate).

• For “budget type,” check “Subaward/Consortium.”

If your subrecipients have a federally negotiated indirect cost rate, you must honor it. If they do not have a federally negotiated indirect cost rate, they may negotiate a rate with you consistent with 2 CFR § 200.414 or use the de minimis rate.

Rather than attaching related documents (budget justification, additional personnel, additional equipment) to the form itself, you will separately convert each document into a PDF and combine all subrecipients’ budget forms and related documents into a single document. Do not attach portfolios containing multiple PDFs.

NEH cannot accept security-enhanced PDFs (e.g., XFA files, PDFs that include password-protection, encryption, digital signatures). Remove these features (or “flatten” these files) before merging them into a single PDF and uploading it to the Attachments Form.

Name the file subrecipient.pdf.

Attachment 11: Federally negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (conditionally required) If your organization is claiming indirect costs and has a current federally negotiated indirect cost rate agreement, provide a copy of the agreement. If applicable, provide the indirect cost rate agreements for subrecipients claiming indirect costs. If you and your subrecipients are requesting the de minimis rate, you do not need to submit this attachment.

Name the file agreement.pdf.

https://www.neh.gov/sites/default/files/inline-files/RR_Budget10_3_0-V3.0.pdf https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=d22b09774a679ad264cf0098635dabb8&mc=true&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5#se2.1.200_1414

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Attachment 12: Explanation of delinquent federal debt (conditionally required for recipients) If your organization is delinquent in the repayment of any federal debt, explain why. Provide evidence that you have entered into a repayment agreement with the Internal Revenue Service, if applicable, and that you are current on all payments due. Examples of relevant debt include delinquent payroll or other taxes, audit disallowances, and benefit overpayments. See OMB Circular A-129.

Name the file delinquentdebt.pdf.

Application Components: Grants.gov Forms

SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance – Short Organizational (Grants.gov form) This form requests basic information about your institution, the proposed project, and key contacts. Items 1, 2, and 4 will be automatically filled in; leave item 3 blank.

5. Applicant Information a-d. Provide your organization’s legal name, address, and web address. Select the applicant type that best describes your organization from the drop-down menu.

e-f. Provide your organization’s employer/taxpayer identification number (EIN/TIN), and Unique Entity Identifier assigned by the System for Award Management. If you do not know your identifier, contact your grant administrator or chief financial officer. See D3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management.

g. Provide your congressional district with your two-character state abbreviation followed by your three-character district number. For example, if your institution is located in the 5th congressional district of Alabama, enter “AL-005.” If your institution is in a state or U.S.

jurisdiction that does not have districts, enter “000” in place of the district number. If your institution is outside the U.S., enter “00-000.”

6. Project Information

a. Provide your project’s title. It should be brief (no more than 125 characters, including spaces), descriptive of the project, and easily understood by the general public.

b. Provide a brief description of your project (no more than 1,000 characters, including spaces).

You should write the description for a nonspecialist audience, clearly stating the importance of the proposed work and its relation to larger issues in the humanities. This description will appear on the cover sheet of your application and will serve as a project abstract during the review process. If funded, this description will also appear in NEH’s database of funded projects.

c. State your project’s period of performance start and end dates. Your project must start on the first day of the month and end on the last day of the month. See B2. Summary of Funding for allowable periods of performance.

7. Project Director Provide the project director’s name, title, and contact information. The project director is responsible for the programmatic aspects and day-to-day management of the proposed project.

https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/omb/circulars_a129_rev2013 https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/omb/circulars_a129_rev2013 https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

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If the project director is not employed by the applicant organization, you must have a formal written agreement with the project director that specifies an official relationship between the parties even if the relationship does not involve a salary or other form of remuneration.

8. Primary Contact/Grant Administrator Provide the name, title, and contact information for the official responsible for the administration of the award (e.g., negotiating the budget and ensuring compliance with the terms and conditions of the award).

As a matter of NEH policy, the project director and primary contact/grant administrator must not be the same person.

The grant administrator (also called the “institutional grant administrator”) functions as the representative of the recipient organization. This individual should have authority to act on the organization’s behalf in matters related to the administration of the award. The institutional grant administrator must sign or countersign financial reports and prior approval requests such as budget revisions, extensions to the period of performance, and changes in key personnel.

NEH will address official correspondence (for example, the offer letter or Notice of Action) to the institutional grant administrator and copy the project director.

9. Authorized Representative Provide the name, title, and contact information for the authorized organization representative (AOR) who is submitting the application on behalf of the institution. This person, often called an “authorizing official,” is typically someone from the Office of Sponsored Projects, or the institution’s president, vice president, executive director, or board chair. The institution’s Grants.gov E-Business Point of Contact must designate the AOR. The AOR’s signature must match the contact’s name. See the Grants.gov Online User Guide.

Supplementary Cover Sheet for NEH Grant Programs (Grants.gov form)

1. Project Director Select the project director’s major field of study from the drop-down menu.

2. Institutional Information Select your institution type from the drop-down menu.

3. Project Funding

• Under “Outright Funds,” enter the amount of outright funds you are requesting.

• Under “Federal Match,” enter the amount of federal matching funds you are requesting.

• Under “Cost Sharing,” enter the required cost share you will provide to release the federal matching funds (dollar-for-dollar). Do not include voluntary cost share.

Learn more about the types of funding NEH offers.

4. Application Information Indicate whether you or others will submit complementary proposals to other NEH programs, government agencies, or private entities. If so, specify when and to whom. NEH will not https://apply07.grants.gov/help/html/help/index.htm?callingApp=custom#t=GetStarted%2FGetStarted.htm

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consider this information when evaluating the merits of your proposal. See C3. Other Eligibility Information for restrictions regarding overlapping costs.

For type of application, check “new.”

Select the project’s primary discipline from the drop-down menu. If applicable, select the project’s secondary and tertiary disciplines.

Project/Performance Site Location(s) Form (Grants.gov form) Provide the primary location and any other locations where you will conduct project activities during the period of performance.

Enter congressional districts using the two-letter state abbreviation followed by your three-character district number. For example, if your institution is in the 5th congressional district of Alabama, enter “AL-005.” If your institution is in a state or U.S. jurisdiction that does not have districts, enter “000” in place of the district number. If your institution is outside the U.S., enter “00-000.”

The form has space for 300 sites. If your project includes additional locations, list them in a separate document. Save the document as a PDF named additionallocations.pdf and attach it under “Additional Locations.”

Research and Related Budget (Grants.gov form) You must submit a project budget using the Research and Related Budget form included in the Grants.gov application package and attach a budget justification.