Digital Projects for the Public 2023 NOFO.pdf

Notice of Funding Opportunity

Digital Projects for the Public

Funding Opportunity Number: 20230614-MD-MN-MT

Funding Opportunity Type: New

Federal Assistance Listing Number: 45.164

Application Deadline: June 14, 2023

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

It may take up to one month to register with SAM.gov and Grants.gov.

NEH will not grant deadline extensions for lack of registration.

Division of Public Programs Email: publicpgms@neh.gov Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1

OMB control number 3136-0134, expiration date October 31, 2024 mailto:@neh.gov?subject=publicpgms@neh,gov

20230614-MD-MN-MT i

Executive Summary The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Division of Public Programs is accepting applications for the Digital Projects for the Public program. This program supports projects that interpret and analyze humanities content in primarily digital platforms and formats, such as websites, mobile applications and tours, interactive touch screens and kiosks, games, and virtual environments.

Funding Opportunity Title Digital Projects for the Public Funding Opportunity Number 20230614-MD-MN-MT Federal Assistance Listing Number 45.164 Optional Draft Deadline May 3, 2023, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time Application Deadline June 14, 2023, 2023 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time Anticipated Award Announcement December 2023 Anticipated FY 2024 Funding Approximately $1,500,000 Estimated Number and Type of Awards Approximately 11-16 grants Award Amounts Discovery: up to $30,000

Prototyping: up to $100,000 Production: up to $400,000

Cost Sharing/Match Required No Period of Performance Discovery and Prototyping: up to two years

Production: up to three years

Projects must start between February 1, 2024, and September 1, 2024.

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/grants/public/digital-projects-the-public

Pre-Application Webinar There will be a pre-recorded webinar posted on the program resource page by April 26, 2023.

Published March 15, 2023 https://www.neh.gov/grants/public/digital-projects-the-public

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Table of Contents

Executive Summary ................................................................................................ i

Table of Contents ................................................................................................... ii

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 The Digital Projects for the Public program supports projects that interpret and analyze humanities content in primarily digital platforms and formats, such as websites, mobile applications and tours, interactive touch screens and kiosks, games, and virtual environments.

All Digital Projects for the Public projects must:

• provide public audiences with structured analysis that deepens public understanding of significant humanities ideas

• incorporate sound humanities scholarship

• involve humanities scholars in all phases of development and production

• include appropriate digital media professionals

• reach a broad audience through a realistic plan for development, marketing, and distribution

• demonstrate the capacity for sustainability

NEH seeks proposals that explore a range of interpretive possibilities. The most competitive proposals include collaboration with multiple scholars offering diverse perspectives. Projects that depend on input from a single scholar are not competitive.

NEH also welcomes applications for non-promotional digital components of larger projects. For these projects, you should explain how the digital platform will enrich the users’ learning experience and engagement. For example, if your request is for a mobile experience that would operate within a museum or would work in conjunction with a film, explain how this element will enhance the audience’s humanities learning experience.

You may also choose to identify particular communities and groups, including students, to whom a project may have particular appeal. Projects intended for K-12 students should include community partners to extend the project’s impact beyond the classroom. Projects intended as a classroom exercise, e.g., constructed by students over the course of a semester or academic year for course credit, are not competitive.

NEH encourages audience evaluation throughout all stages of a project. Evaluation could include testing of the project’s concept, approach, and key components.

See D6. Funding Restrictions for unallowable activities.

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

Funding categories The Digital Projects for the Public program includes three funding categories:

• Discovery, to conduct preliminary research

• Prototyping, to design or create prototypes

• Production, to produce the final version of the project

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You do not need to obtain a Discovery grant before applying for a Prototyping grant or obtain a Prototyping grant before applying for a Production grant. If you have received an award in one funding category you may not receive a second award for the same project in that funding category (i.e., you may receive a Prototyping award and a Production award but may not receive two Production awards for the same project). See C3. Other Eligibility Information.

Contact the Division of Public Programs at publicpgms@neh.gov for advice on choosing the appropriate funding category.

Discovery The Discovery category (up to $30,000) supports the exploratory stages of a digital project that brings together humanities scholars, content experts, and digital media experts to determine which approaches a project might take. The Discovery phase should emphasize collaboration between these groups to identify the combination of content and platform that can most effectively communicate the humanities ideas to public audiences. To be successful at this level, the project team should have a solid grasp of the content and collections with which they will work and be looking for a platform, or the team should have chosen a subject and a platform and be looking to assess and interpret the humanities content. In either case, the project team must include humanities content experts and media experts. Projects intended for classroom use must also include an education consultant.

Activities may include:

• content research and narrative development

• consultation with humanities scholars

• consultation with digital media experts

• consultation with educational or curriculum consultants

• platform research and selection

• identification or digitization of production assets

• preliminary design

• audience evaluation

• user experience mockups

• storyboarding

Discovery awards culminate in the creation of a written design document that details fundamental aspects of the project such as the content, format, technical specifications, budget, work plan, intended audience, and learning objectives. The design document should serve as a roadmap for further work on the project.

Prototyping The Prototyping category (up to $100,000) supports the creation of a proof-of-concept prototype. If you apply in this category, you must submit a design document that describes the platform, user interface, design, and the ways in which you will convey the project’s central humanities ideas.

• refinement of humanities content mailto:publicpgms@neh.gov

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• consultation with humanities scholars, content experts, educational consultants, and digital media experts

• finalization of the platform

• scripting

• creation or digitization of audiovisual assets that will engage public audiences

• user interface and backend development

• testing (including early launches) and de-bugging

• final design

• user testing and audience evaluation

• other activities that will advance the project towards the production stage

Prototyping awards result in the testing and creation of a digital prototype that explains the key digital features and humanities content of the project and demonstrate the project’s technical feasibility and design through screenshots, videos, mockups, or other illustrations.

Production The Production category (up to $400,000) supports the production and distribution of humanities projects that have a primarily digital format. If you apply to this category, you must submit a design document and a prototype that demonstrate a solid command of the humanities content and scholarship related to the subject. The prototype must also show how the narrative, audiovisual, and interactive elements bolster an audience’s understanding of the project’s humanities ideas.

• ongoing consultation with scholars

• additional research and writing

• fine-tuning the hardware, software, and platform

• the final design, production, and distribution of digital media projects

• finalization of the script and audiovisual assets

• securing rights and licensing fees for audiovisual assets

• production of complementary components such as museum displays

• publication of complementary materials, such as catalogs or curriculum guides

• publicity, outreach activities, and public programs

• user testing and project evaluation

NEH expects that by the conclusion of the period of performance, you will have fully produced the project and distributed it for widespread public use. We strongly encourage partnerships with organizations and entities who can assist you in distributing your project to the public.

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 (for grants and cooperative agreements issued January 1, 2022 or later).

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;

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-awards-organizations-grants-and-cooperative-agreements-issued-january-2022 https://www.neh.gov/general-terms-and-conditions-awards-organizations-grants-and-cooperative-agreements-issued-january-2022 https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-1998-title20/pdf/USCODE-1998-title20-chap26-subchapI-sec952.pdf

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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.

American Tapestry: Weaving Together Past, Present, and Future American Tapestry: Weaving Together Past, Present, and Future is a wide-ranging special initiative at NEH that leverages the humanities to tackle some of the most pressing challenges of our time: strengthening our democracy, advancing equity for all, and addressing our changing climate. The initiative encourages humanities projects that elevate the role of civics in schools and public programs, advance knowledge of the country’s history and political institutions, and examine threats to its democratic principles. The initiative also encourages projects that explore the untold stories of historically underrepresented groups and build capacity at cultural and educational institutions to benefit underserved communities. Finally, the initiative welcomes projects that promote research into the historical roots and cultural effects of climate change and support the cultural and educational sectors in building climate resilience. By supporting humanities projects that align with these three themes—strengthening our democracy, advancing equity for all, and addressing our changing climate—the American Tapestry initiative seeks to tell our country’s history in all its complexity and diversity.

NEH also encourages projects that include Native American organizations and communities as applicants and project partners. NEH will give all applications equal consideration in accordance with the program’s review criteria.

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 You may request up to $30,000 in the Discovery category; $100,000 in the Prototyping category, or $400,000 in the Production category. This includes the sum of direct and indirect costs.

NEH will award successful applicants outright funds, which are not contingent on additional funding from other sources.

NEH anticipates awarding approximately $1,500,000 among an estimated 11-16 recipients.

https://securegrants.neh.gov/publicquery/main.aspx https://www.neh.gov/about

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NEH will not determine the amount available until Congress makes appropriations for FY 2024.

NEH will issue awards subject to the availability of appropriated funds. NEH is publishing this notice as a contingency action to ensure that NEH can process applications and issue awards in a timely manner, should sufficient funds become available.

Period of performance You may request a period of performance of up to two years for Discovery and Prototyping awards. You may request a period of performance of up to three years for Production awards.

Your period of performance must start between February 1, 2024, and September 1, 2024.

The period of performance is the span of 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 a 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 organization types:

• 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

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.

To be eligible, you must not function solely as a fiscal agent for another entity; you must make substantive contributions to the success of the project.

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

2. Cost Sharing NEH does not require cost sharing in this program.

Cost sharing or matching is the portion of the project costs you pay for with non-NEH funds.

Peer reviewers will not consider cost sharing in their evaluation of applications.

You may contribute voluntary cost share to your project if the total 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 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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• 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

While you may describe voluntary cost share in your budget justification, you should not include it on your Research and Related Budget.

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 You may submit multiple applications for separate and distinct projects under this notice. An individual may serve as project director for multiple proposed projects under this notice. If an individual will serve as project director on multiple applications, you should explain in the narratives how the project director would allocate their time between the awards.

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

If NEH has previously made an award in support of your project, you may submit an application for a new or subsequent stage of the project, which NEH will assess using the same criteria as other applications in the current competition.

Per 2 CFR § 200.403(f), you must not include the same project costs in more than one application for federal funding and/or approved federal award budget. However, you may submit multiple proposals for complementary aspects of the same overall project. NEH may disallow costs or reject applications that include overlapping project costs. An individual’s level of effort cannot exceed 100% across multiple active federally funded awards.

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.

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 publicpgms@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.

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 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 https://www.neh.gov/grants/policy-on-late-submissions

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

Substantial programmatic involvement for pass-through entities Recipients must maintain substantial involvement in conducting programmatic activities that are necessary and integral to the completion of the project. Subrecipient monitoring activities alone, as defined in 2 CFR § 200.332, do not constitute substantial involvement. An eligible organization acting as a conduit for passing funds to an ineligible organization is not permitted.

Examples of substantial programmatic involvement necessary and integral to the success of the project may include:

• monitoring the progress of a digital project

• contributing to the work plan, research plan, budget, outreach plan, fundraising plan, and/or distribution plan

• contributing to choices of personnel who work on a project, including project scholars and production staff

• contributing to the research, analysis, and interpretation of content

• consulting with other project personnel regarding humanities themes, formats, scripts, and/or intellectual approaches to the content

• providing direction, advice, and/or mentorship to the production team

• providing input on grant product(s) prior to completion (e.g., reviewing a prototype)

• participating in engagement, direction, and/or supervision of independent digital media

• professionals

• contributing to the development of ancillary resources to support the project

• contributing to outreach and public engagement

Most recipients will not engage in all of these activities. An applicant that makes at least some substantive contributions to the success of the project, however, is not subject to the prohibition on fiscal agents or fiscal sponsors.

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 number 20230614-MD-MN-MT. There is also a link on the program resource page.

This funding opportunity includes three application packages, which you can find under the “Package” tab. Select the appropriate one based upon your project type. Each package includes a series of required and conditionally required forms. You will upload additional application components into the Attachments Form.

If you are applying for a Discovery award, use MD2023.

If you are applying for a Prototyping award, use MT2023.

If you are applying for a Production award, use MN2023.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFR031321e29ac5bbd/section-200.332

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You must complete a multistep registration process to submit your application. See D3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management.

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

If you are deaf or hard of hearing, you can contact NEH using telecommunications relay at 7-1-1.

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.

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.

• Optional: You may submit this component, but it is not required.

You must submit all required components and conditionally required components relevant to your proposal. NEH will not review applications missing any required documents or relevant conditionally required documents.

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.

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

Your application components must 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 components consistent with the following:

• single-spacing

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

• any standard citation style (citations are included in page counts)

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Application Component Table Application Component

File Name Designation Page limit Completed

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

Required

Attachments Form Required Certification Regarding Lobbying

Conditionally required

Standard Form-LLL “Disclosure of Lobbying Activities”

Conditionally

Attachments 1: Narrative narrative.pdf Required 15 pages

(mandatory)

2: Bibliography bibliography.pdf Required 2 (mandatory) 3: Résumés and letters of commitment resumes.pdf Required 2 pages each (suggested)

4: Work plan workplan.pdf Required 5: Description of your work sample sample.pdf Required

6: Design document design.pdf Required for Prototyping and Production

15 (mandatory)

7: Prototype prototype.pdf Required for Production

8: Images and links to other assets images.pdf Optional

9: Subrecipient budget(s) subrecipient.pdf Conditionally

10: Federally negotiated indirect cost rate agreement agreement.pdf Conditionally

11: Explanation of delinquent federal debt delinquentdebt.pdf Conditionally

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The table above lists all the components that are required or conditionally required for this application. Use the column on the right to record your completion of each one.

Narrative 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.

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

Organize your narrative using the following section headings. Each section aligns with corresponding review criteria.

A. Nature of request (aligns with all review criteria)

• In one to two paragraphs, summarize the project, its goals and intended outcomes, its format, and the funding level you are requesting.

B. Humanities content (aligns with review criterion 1)

• Discuss the significance of the subject and its relevance to the public.

• Describe the interpretative framework that guides the project. Use thematic statements to explain the major humanities ideas and questions engaged by the project and the scholarship informing them.

• If applicable, differentiate your project from other projects that explore similar subject matter.

C. Project format (aligns with review criteria 1, 2, and 5)

• Briefly describe the format(s) and design(s) that you plan to implement and how this approach will convey the central humanities ideas.

• Explain how the final project will convey the central humanities ideas and engage users.

• Identify the most important resources on which the project will draw, including audio and visual materials, documents, and other artifacts.

• For Discovery proposals, explain how users will navigate and experience the completed project. (Prototyping and Production applications should include this in the Design Document.)

• If there are successful models for this type of approach, briefly describe them.

• If applicable, explain how the proposed digital project relates to a larger project, such as a museum exhibit; describe any nondigital components, such as discussion programs.

D. User-generated content (aligns with review criterion 1)

• If the project includes user-generated content, describe how it will add to the humanities content and explain the criteria and process you will use to select and monitor the content that will be made available to the public.

• Describe your policies and process to prevent the dissemination of obscene, libelous, or defamatory content (including hate speech, personal attacks, or material constituting harassment).

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E. Audience and distribution (aligns with review criterion 5)

• For Discovery proposals, discuss potential audiences and how you would reach them.

Estimate the number of people who will use the completed project and explain the basis for this assessment.

• For Prototyping and Production proposals, provide distribution and marketing plans and identify partners and targeted audience. Estimate the number of people who will use the completed project and explain the basis for this assessment.

• If applicable, explain how the project expands the audience and humanities content offered by your organization.

F. Rights, permissions, and licensing (aligns with review criteria 2 and 4)

• Explain how you will determine who controls the rights to the materials and technologies being used.

• For Production proposals, describe licensing costs and development fees, if applicable.

G. Humanities advisers (aligns with review criteria 1 and 3)

• List the names of the project’s humanities advisers (scholars).

• In one or two sentences, describe their qualifications and the contributions that each will make to shape the project’s content.

H. Project and digital media teams (aligns with review criteria 2 and 3)

• List the key staff from the applicant organization and the principal members of the digital media team.

• In one or two sentences, describe each person’s qualifications and their expected contributions to the project.

I. State of the project (aligns with review criterion 4)

• Discuss the project’s history and the work accomplished to date.

• If the project received previous NEH funding, describe how it met the goals of the previous award(s).

• For Production proposals, provide examples of earlier work that best illustrate the project’s evolution and integration of user feedback and testing, if applicable. You may include URLs, such as earlier iterations of the project, accompanying education materials, or resources used.

• For Production proposals, describe how the production phase will fulfill your goals for the project, including reaching the intended audience.

J. Organization profile (aligns with review criterion 4)

• Briefly describe the applicant organization’s current mission, principal activities, and resources. Explain how these elements will enable it to carry out the project successfully.

Explain how the project relates to the organization’s mission. If different, describe the production organization(s) as well.

• Describe the applicant’s anticipated substantive involvement in the project.

K. Fundraising plan (aligns with review criterion 4)

• Specify the source and amount of all funds raised to date for all phases of the project, including NEH awards.

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• Detail your plans to raise funds to cover costs that exceed NEH support.

L. Project evaluation (aligns with review criteria 1, 2, and 5)

• For Discovery proposals, explain how you identified the audience for your project and how you will evaluate the potential appeal and efficacy of the content and platform to them. Discuss how you will incorporate feedback into your development process.

• For Prototyping and Production proposals, discuss how you will evaluate the user experience, particularly how effectively the prototype conveys the humanities content.

• For Prototyping and Production proposals, explain how you plan to test, troubleshoot, and de-bug the project.

• For Production proposals, explain any testing and evaluation to date and explain how you plan to test and evaluate the project moving forward.

• For Production proposals, describe how you will collect and appraise data from audience evaluations.

Narrative Guidance

Each section of the narrative aligns with corresponding review criteria. Use the crosswalk to ensure you address all criteria.

Narrative Section Review Criteria A. Nature of request All review criteria B. Humanities content 1: Humanities content C. Project format 1: Humanities content

2: Creative approach and technical design 5: Audience reach

D. User-generated content 1: Humanities content E. Audience and distribution 5: Audience reach F. Rights, permissions and licensing 2: Creative approach and technical design

4: Project feasibility G. Humanities advisors 1: Humanities content

3: Project personnel H. Project and digital media team 2: Creative approach and technical design

3: Project personnel I. State of the project 4: Project feasibility J. Organization profile 4: Project feasibility K. Fundraising plan 4: Project feasibility L. Project evaluation 1: Humanities content

2: Creative approach and technical design 5: Audience reach

Research and Related Budget 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.

Complete a single detailed budget for the entire period of performance. The form will generate a cumulative budget.

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The form indicates required fields in yellow. Round all costs to the nearest whole dollar. The inclusion of a cost category on the Research and Related Budget does not necessarily mean that an expense is allowable. See D6. Funding Restrictions to ensure that proposed costs are allowable.

If you only request outright funds, your budget should include only the funding you are requesting from NEH. If you request federal matching funds, your budget must equal the total funding requested from NEH (outright and federal matching funds) and the one-to-one required third party cost share for the federal matching funds. Refer to the NEH Federal Matching Funds Guidelines regarding the eligibility of gifts for matching purposes.

If you will provide voluntary cost share, do not include it on the Research and Related Budget form. You may describe it in your budget justification.

All costs must be reasonable, necessary to accomplish project objectives, allowable in terms of 2 CFR 200 Subpart E - Cost Principles, auditable, and incurred during the period of performance.

All costs are subject to audit, record retention, and other requirements set forth in 2 CFR 200 Subpart F - Audit Requirements.

You should only include your own employees under A. Senior/Key Person and B. Other Personnel. Include team members in leadership roles in the project under A. Senior/Key Person.

Include other team members under B. Other Personnel. Include costs for non-employees under F3. Consultant Services or F5. Subawards/Consortium/Contractual Costs, as appropriate.

If you charge indirect costs to the project, you must not charge those same costs to the project as direct costs. See H. Indirect Costs.

Introductory Fields If not pre-populated, indicate your organization’s Unique Entity Identifier, name, and the period of performance. This should be the same as the information you provide on your SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance - Short Organizational. You may need to complete the SF-424 prior to completing your Research and Related Budget. Your period of performance must start on the first day of the month and end on the last day of the month. For budget type, check “project.”

A. Senior/Key Person Include personnel who are employed by the applicant institution in leadership roles on the project. Do not include collaborators at other institutions or consultants, as you will include them in F. Other Direct Costs.

Enter the base salary (annual compensation) for each senior/key person and identify the number of months they will devote to the project. If you do not include base salaries, your award may be delayed.

Many non-academic institutions organize their budgets using calendar months. If your organization does not differentiate between academic and summer months, use only the calendar months column.

If your organization follows an academic calendar, you may differentiate levels of effort by using the academic and summer months columns. You may also use both columns if your institutional policy requires accounting for academic and summer months separately. If your institution does https://www.neh.gov/grants/manage/federal-matching-funds-guidelines https://www.neh.gov/grants/manage/federal-matching-funds-guidelines https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=236bb02f01d2e050f7a5b60c88a67066&mc=true&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5#sp2.1.200.e https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#subpart-F https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#subpart-F

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not use a nine-month academic year and a three-month summer period, include your institution's definition of these terms in your budget justification.

Enter the requested salary and fringe benefits for each senior/key person. Per 2 CFR § 200.431, fringe benefits are allowances and services you provide in addition to salaries and wages. Fringe benefits include, but are not limited to, the costs of leave (vacation, family-related, sick, or military), employee insurance, pensions, and unemployment benefit plans.

Requested salaries and wages must comply with 2 CFR §§ 200.430 and .466 and fringe benefits must comply with 2 CFR § 200.431.

The form will calculate the requested salary and fringe benefits for each key person.

The form has space for up to eight people. If you request funds for additional key personnel, list them in a separate document using the same format as the Research and Related Budget. Save the document as a PDF named additionalpersonnel.pdf and attach it under “Additional/Senior Key Persons.” If applicable, enter the total funds you are requesting for additional senior/key persons in the "Total Funds requested for all Senior/Key Persons in the attached file" field.

B. Other Personnel Include personnel employed by the applicant institution who will play a supporting role on the project. For each project role, identify the number of personnel proposed, the total number of months, total salary, and total fringe benefits requested as described in A. Senior/Key Person.

The form will calculate the requested salary and fringe benefits for each group.

Post-doctoral associates, graduate students, and undergraduate students If applicable, include charges for tuition remission and other forms of compensation paid to students as, or in lieu of, salaries and wages. You must report such costs in accordance with 2 CFR § 200.466(b), and must treat them as direct or indirect costs in accordance with the actual work performed. You may charge tuition remission on an average rate basis.

Administrative/Secretarial/Clerical In most circumstances, you should include the salaries of administrative, secretarial, or clerical staff as indirect costs (see H. Indirect Costs). Per 2 CFR § 200.413(c), you may charge salaries for administrative or clerical staff as direct costs only if the following conditions are met:

• The administrative or clerical services are integral to a project or activity.

• The individuals involved can be specifically identified with the project or activity.

• You explicitly include these costs in your budget or have prior written approval from

NEH.

• You do not recover the costs as indirect costs.

If you include administrative or clerical salaries in your budget as direct costs, document how direct charging meets all four conditions in your budget justification. NEH may request additional information to assess if proposed costs are allowable.

Additional Other Personnel List additional project roles, if applicable. The form has space for six named roles. If you have more, combine project roles on the form and explain in your budget justification.

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Requested salaries and wages must comply with 2 CFR §§ 200.430 and .466 and fringe benefits must comply with 2 CFR § 200.431.

Do not list collaborators at other institutions or consultants here, as you will include them in F.

Other Direct Costs.

C. Equipment Description Equipment is defined as nonexpendable personal property costing $5,000 or more per item and having a service life of more than one year (unless your organization has established a lower level). See 2 CFR §§ 200.313 and .439.

You may purchase equipment if analysis demonstrates that it is more economical and practical than leasing (equipment rental/user fees should be included in F. Other Direct Costs). You may charge depreciation in compliance with 2 CFR § 200.436.

Per 2 CFR § 200.322, you should preference goods, products, and materials produced in the United States purchased or acquired under a federal award. If your application is selected for funding, you must include the requirements of this section in all subawards, contracts, and purchase orders for work or products.

List each item of equipment you plan to purchase and its estimated cost, including shipping and maintenance. Include supporting information, such as a price quote, in your budget justification.

The form has space for ten items. If you request funds for additional equipment, list them in a separate document. Save the document as a PDF named additionalequipment.pdf and attach it under “Additional Equipment.” Enter the total funds you are requesting for the additional equipment in the “Total funds requested for all equipment listed in the attached file” field.

The form will calculate total equipment costs.

D. Travel Enter the total funds you are requesting for both domestic travel (local and long-distance) and foreign travel (including travel to Canada and Mexico). Provide a detailed breakdown of costs for each trip in your budget justification. If you make nonrefundable travel arrangements, it is at your own risk. You cannot charge cancelled travel to your award.

Travel costs must comply with 2 CFR § 200.475 and the General Terms and Conditions for Awards to Organizations. NEH uses the General Services Administration's published per diem rates to assess if proposed travel costs are reasonable.

You may not use NEH funds to attend regularly occurring professional meetings unless the purpose of attending is to disseminate project-related findings.

Include travel costs for participants in E3 and travel costs for consultants in F3.

The form will calculate total travel costs.

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E. Participant/Trainee Support Costs Participants are the beneficiaries, not the providers, of a service or training opportunity (such as a workshop, conference, seminar, or symposium) funded by a federal award.

2 CFR § 200.1 defines participant support costs as direct costs for expenses such as stipends, travel allowances, subsistence allowances, and registration fees paid to or on behalf of participants (but not employees) in connection with conferences or training projects. If you claim indirect costs, exclude participant support costs from the MTDC base.

2 CFR § 200.432 defines a conference as a meeting, retreat, seminar, symposium, workshop, or event, the primary purpose of which is the dissemination of technical information beyond the non-federal entity, and which is necessary and reasonable for successful performance under the federal award.

Include supporting information in your budget justification. If you or your participants make nonrefundable travel arrangements, it is at your own risk. You cannot charge cancelled travel to your award.

The form will calculate total participant support costs.

1. Tuition/Fees/Health Insurance Leave this field blank.

2. Stipends Enter the total funds you are requesting for participant stipends.

3. Travel Enter the total funds you are requesting for participant travel. In your budget justification, name the travelers (if known) and itemize their travel expenses (e.g., roundtrip airfare, mileage, public transportation fares, parking fees, etc.).

4. Subsistence Enter the total funds you are requesting for participant subsistence. Subsistence expenses include lodging and service charges; meals, including taxes and tips; and incidental expenses (e.g., fees and tips).

5. Other Describe other participant support costs (e.g., local ground transportation to venues, admission fees, bottled water, etc.) and enter the total funds you are requesting. You may provide additional information in your budget justification.

Number of Participants/Trainees Enter the total number of participants. This field cannot exceed 999.

F. Other Direct Costs The form will calculate total other direct costs.

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1. Materials and Supplies Enter the total funds you are requesting for materials and supplies that cost less than $5,000 per item, regardless of its useful life, unless your organization has established a different capitalization level. See 2 CFR §§ 200.314 and .453.

2. Publication Costs Enter the total funds you are requesting for publication costs, including the costs of documenting, preparing, publishing, or otherwise making available to others the findings and products of the work conducted under the award. Include supporting information in your budget justification.

3. Consultant Services Enter the total funds you are requesting for consultant services. If your project includes an external advisory committee, include associated costs here.

Consultant fees must comply with 2 CFR § 200.459.

4. Automated Data Processing (ADP)/Computer Services Enter the total funds you are requesting for ADP/computer services, including computer-based retrieval of scientific, technical, and education information. Include personal computers and accessories under Materials and Supplies.

If a third party will provide these services, include them in Subawards/Consortium/Contractual Costs.

5. Subawards/Consortium/Contractual Costs Enter the total funds you are requesting (both direct and indirect costs) for activities third parties will perform.

Per 2 CFR §§ 200.1 and .331(a), a subaward is an award you issue to a subrecipient to carry out part of your federal award.