PHP 2025 NOFO.pdf

Notice of Funding Opportunity

Public Humanities Projects

Funding Opportunity Number: 20250813-BP-BR-GE-GG-GI

Funding Opportunity Type: New

Federal Assistance Listing Number: 45.164

Application Deadline: September 10, 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 Public Programs Email: publicpgms@neh.gov

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

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Executive Summary The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Division of Public Programs is accepting applications for the Public Humanities Projects program. This program supports projects that bring the ideas and insights of the humanities to life through in-person exhibitions and historic site interpretations. Projects must focus on one of the following areas: American Military History and Valor, The American Dream and Economic Freedom, American Exceptionalism in World Affairs, or the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The program supports projects in two categories—exhibitions and interpretive programs at historic sites—and offers two funding levels (planning and implementation).

Funding Opportunity Title Public Humanities Projects Funding Opportunity Number 20250813-BP-BR-GE-GG-GI Federal Assistance Listing Number 45.164 Application Deadline September 10, 2025, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time Anticipated Award Announcements April 2026 Anticipated FY 2026 Funding Approximately $6,000,000 Estimated Number and Type of Awards Approximately 30 grants Award Amounts Planning: up to $75,000

Implementation: up to $750,000

See B. Federal Award Information.

Cost Sharing/Match Required No Period of Performance Planning: up to 24 months

Implementation: 12 to 48 months

Projects must start between May 1, 2026, and November 1, 2026.

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 Public Humanities Projects Published July 16, 2025 https://www.neh.gov/grants/public/public-humanities-projects

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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 This notice solicits applications for the Public Humanities Projects program.

This program supports projects that bring the ideas and insights of the humanities to general audiences through in-person exhibitions and historic site interpretations.

Projects must engage humanities scholarship to analyze significant themes in disciplines such as history, literature, ethics, and art history. The program supports projects in two categories:

exhibitions 6T, and interpretive programs at Historic Places, at two funding levels (Planning and Implementation).

Public Humanities Projects target broad and diverse public audiences outside of classroom settings in the United States. NEH encourages projects with multiple formats and complementary components. For example, a museum exhibition might be accompanied by a website or mobile app.

NEH also encourages applications from small and mid-sized organizations. NEH likewise welcomes humanities projects tailored to specific groups, such as families, youth (including K- 12 students in informal educational settings), and veterans. Locally focused projects should draw connections to broad themes or historical questions relevant to regional or national audiences.

To be eligible for funding, your project must focus on one of the following topic areas:

American Military History and Valor NEH invites projects that document and honor the contributions of American military personnel from the Revolutionary War to the present day. Proposals should highlight stories of heroism, sacrifice, and the defense of American freedom. Projects might include platforms that celebrate military achievements and the personal stories of service members, emphasizing their role in defending the country and the American way of life.

The American Dream and Economic Freedom NEH invites projects that explore the concept of the American Dream through the lens of economic freedom, entrepreneurship, and innovation. Projects should illustrate how American business practices, free market principles, and individual initiative have contributed to the country’s prosperity, economic growth, and global leadership. This could include historical analyses of American industrialists and inventors, case studies of modern entrepreneurs or inventors, or educational initiatives on free enterprise.

America’s Role on a Global Scale The NEH is interested in proposals that explore the role of the United States as a leader in global affairs, emphasizing themes of American exceptionalism, moral leadership, and America’s national interest. Proposals should focus on singular American statesmen—such as Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S.

Truman, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, or others—as well as the principles that have guided them in their approach to world affairs.

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The Semiquincentennial On July 4, 2026, the country will mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the nation’s principles of equality, liberty, and government by consent of the governed. This historic milestone is an opportunity for Americans to reflect on the nation’s past, honor the contributions of all Americans, and celebrate the nation’s rich cultural heritage. NEH invites projects that renew public engagement with America’s history through an investigation of the people and events leading up to 1776 and beyond, with particular focus on the meaning of the Declaration of Independence. Projects may also explore other time periods, for example, by interpreting the historical legacy of the Declaration or the nation’s founding ideals. Similarly, your project may consider how the revolutionary period shaped the history of a state or locality even if it was not a part of the United States at the time.

Public Humanities Projects must:

• focus on the subject areas of American Military History and Valor, The American Dream and Economic Freedom, America’s Role on a Global Scale, or the Semiquincentennial

• be grounded in sound humanities scholarship

• analyze the underlying themes and ideas to deepen public understanding

• involve humanities scholars from outside the applicant organization in all phases of the project

• attract a broad public audience or a clearly defined subgroup (such as a state or locality)

• approach engaging content through an appropriate variety of perspectives

• encourage dialogue and the exchange of ideas

Awards may support activities such as:

• meetings with humanities scholars and other content advisers, program partners, audience representatives, and consultants (e.g., education and public program specialists; historic site, interpretive, or cultural tourism experts; writers; media producers; or digital designers)

• research, including travel to archives, collections, sites, or other resources

• development and production of program or discussion guides, exhibition labels, brochures, digital assets, publications, or other interpretive material

• design of the interpretive formats

• planning and presentation of public programs and related publicity

• evaluation of the project’s impact

• planning and conducting project-specific training for docents, discussion coordinators, or other interpretive leaders

• development, production, and publication of curriculum guides, catalogs, and other materials for teachers and students

• exhibition design, fabrication, crating, and shipping

• conservation treatments of objects, not to exceed 15% of the award

• development and construction of interactive components

• publicity and outreach expenses

See D6. Funding Restrictions for unallowable activities. Applications unrelated to the purpose of this program or the subject areas on which the program is focused, or that include unallowable costs or activities may be judged nonresponsive and -not reviewed.

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

Program Categories This program supports projects in two categories: Exhibitions6T (permanent, temporary, or traveling) and interpretive programs at Historic Places.

Exhibitions Projects in this category may create permanent exhibitions (on view for at least three years), single-site temporary exhibitions (open to the public for a minimum of two months) or traveling exhibitions that will be available to public audiences in at least two venues in the United States (including the originating location).

You must provide at least twenty hours of free admission to the general public each month that NEH-supported exhibitions and programs are offered during the period of performance.

Historic Places Projects in this category develop long-term interpretive programs for historic sites, houses, neighborhoods, and regions that are intended to be presented to the public for at least three years. Such projects might include living history presentations, guided tours, exhibitions, and public programs.

Funding Levels This program supports projects at two funding levels: Planning and Implementation.

A Planning award is not required before applying for an Implementation award.

Planning Planning awards are intended to help you further explore and develop the analytical themes or interpretive methods that you identify in your proposal.

Awards are up to $75,000, with a period of performance of up to 24 months.

Project activities may include:

• refining the project’s content, format, and interpretive approach

• meetings and consultation with scholars, interpretive experts, designers, stakeholders, and key partners

• developing the project’s preliminary design

• testing project components

• conducting an evaluation of the project’s likely impact

• travel related to curatorial research and exhibition loans

By the time you are done with the planning process, you should have most of the needed elements to apply for an implementation award.

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Implementation Implementation awards support projects that are in the final stages of preparation to “go live” before the public. Activities may include final scholarly research and consultation, design, production, and installation of a project for presentation to the public. The period of performance must include the required minimum exhibition time.

Implementation awards range from up to $100,000 to $750,000, with a period of performance from 12 to 48 months.

The amount of funding that your organization can apply for is dependent on the type of project and your average annual operating costs for the three most recent fiscal years. If required to file, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations should refer to their 2023 Form 990 (Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax), part one, line 18.

• Level I: Organizations with an annual operating budget of less than $1,000,000 may request up to $250,000.

• Level II: Organizations with an annual operating budget of between $1,000,000 and $10,000,000 may request up to $500,000.

• Level III: Organizations with an annual operating budget greater than $10,000,000 may request up to $750,000

Funding levels summary

Funding (up to)

Types of projects Annual operating budgets

$75,000 Planning for exhibitions and interpretive programs at historic sites

All organizations

$100,000 Implementation for a temporary exhibition

All organizations

$250,000 Implementation for permanent and traveling exhibitions

Organizations with annual operating budget under $1,000,000

$250,000 Implementation of interpretive programs at historic sites

Organizations with annual operating budgets under $1,000,000

$500,000 Implementation for permanent and traveling exhibitions

Organizations with annual operating budgets between $1,000,000 and $10,000,000

$500,000 Implementation of interpretive programs at historic sites

Organizations with annual operating budgets between $1,000,000 and $10,000,000

$750,000 Implementation for permanent and traveling exhibitions

Organizations with annual operating budget greater than $10,000,000

$750,000 Implementation of interpretive programs at historic sites

Organizations with annual operating budget greater than $10,000,000

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Identifying the appropriate funding level for your project You are ready to apply for a Planning level award if you:

• have conducted preliminary research, including introductory discussions with scholars, and are able to articulate major analytical ideas about your subject that you seek to explore more deeply;

• have a group of scholars from outside your organization who are committed to collaborating with you on development of the project; and

• can articulate a vision of possible interpretive techniques and potential project elements that you would like to investigate or test with audiences (for example, ideas about the use or display of certain objects, specific concepts for an interactive activity, or ideas about the utilization of a particular space).

You are ready to apply for an Implementation level award if you:

• have conducted significant research and collaboration with scholars outside your organization that resulted in highly developed, thoughtful and articulated analysis of your subject;

• have designed and planned the interpretive elements of your project, such as interactive activities, tours, or living history presentations, and can fully describe how audiences would engage with them;

• have design drafts for various project elements, such as exhibition elevation designs, floor plans, docent or facilitator training, label text, site signage, or tour scripts; and

• are ready to begin putting these plans into action to “go live” before a public audience.

For further information on choosing the appropriate funding level for your project consult the NEH website, “Public Humanities Projects grants: Which level of funding is right for your project?”

Program Outputs and Outcomes The outputs of a successful Exhibitions 6T award may include, but are not limited to:

• Planning documents that will allow for an in-person exhibition (permanent or temporary single site and/or traveling) to move forward

• Implementation of in-person exhibitions (permanent or temporary single site and/or traveling), which may be accompanied by ancillary formats such as a website, mobile application, catalog, or student curriculum

The outputs of a successful Historic Places award may include, but are not limited to:

• Planning documents that will allow for the creation of interpretive programming

• Long-term (three years or longer) interpretive programs for historic sites, houses, neighborhoods, and regions such as living history presentations, guided tours, exhibitions, and public programs

The outcome of a successful Public Humanities Project will be the engagement of general audiences with ideas from humanities scholarship through in-person exhibitions and historic site interpretations.

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You will describe your project outcomes and outputs, and how they would support the overall purpose of the Public Humanities Projects program, in Attachment 1: Narrative. If you receive an award, NEH will assess your performance based on the outputs you identify in the proposal.

See F.3 Reporting.

2. Background NEH offers this funding opportunity under the authority of 20 U.S.C. § 956 and Executive Order 14189, Celebrating America’s 250th Birthday. 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 You may request up to $75,000 for Planning or up to $750,000 for Implementation. This includes the sum of direct and indirect costs. See A1. Funding levels for specific information and project-specific limitations.

NEH will not determine the funding available each fiscal year until Congress enacts the final budget. This notice is subject to the availability of appropriated funds and is a contingency action taken to ensure that, should funds become available for this purpose, NEH can process applications and issue awards in a timely manner.

Period of performance You may request a period of performance up to 24 months for Planning projects and 12 to 48 months for Implementation projects.

Your period of performance must start between May 1, 2026, and November 1, 2026.

https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?hl=false&edition=prelim&req=granuleid%3AUSC-prelim-title20-section956 https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/02/03/2025-02231/celebrating-americas-250th-birthday 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.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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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.

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.

Cost sharing refers to project costs that are covered with non-NEH 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

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.

3. Other Eligibility Information You may submit multiple applications for separate and distinct projects under this notice, but you may not submit multiple applications for the same project at the same deadline. If you 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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have already applied for a project under a prior deadline, NEH will not accept a second application for the same project while the first is still under review. An individual may serve as project director for multiple proposed projects under this notice.

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

NEH does not require you to obtain a Planning grant before applying for an Implementation grant. If NEH has previously made an award in support of your project, you may apply for a new or subsequent stage of the project, which NEH will assess using the 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.

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).

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.

NEH will not consider applications that include attachments not listed in the table in this notice.

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 number 20250813-BP-BR-GE-GG-GI.

There is also a link on the program resource page.

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 https://www.neh.gov/general-guidance-pass-through-entities-managing-subawards https://www.neh.gov/grants/public/public-humanities-projects

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This funding opportunity includes four 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 using the Attachments Form.

Funding Level Application Package ID Exhibitions: Planning GE2025 Exhibitions: Implementation GI2025 Historic Places: Planning BP2025 Historic Places: Implementation BR2025

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

Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management.

Contact publicpgms@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.

• Optional: You may submit this component, but NEH does not require it.

• 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.

bookmark://_Attachments_Form_1/ mailto:publicpgms@neh.gov

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

NEH will not review applications that include attachments not listed in the table in this notice.

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.

Application Component File Name Designation Page limit Attachments 1: Narrative narrative.pdf Required 10 pages

(mandatory) 2: Work plan workplan.pdf Required 1 (suggested) 3: Résumés and letters of commitment resumes.pdf Required 2 pages per résumé (suggested)

4: Bibliography bibliography.pdf Required 2 (suggested) 5: Walkthrough walkthrough.pdf Required for

Implementation.

Do not submit for Planning.

5 (suggested)

6: Additional supporting documentation supportingdocs.pdf Conditionally required

7: Object list and illustrations objects.pdf Required for Implementation:

Exhibitions; optional for Implementation:

Historic Places

8: Subrecipient budget(s) subrecipient.pdf Conditionally

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

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

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Application Component File Name Designation 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: 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.

Implementation applicants will have additional space to describe their projects in Attachment 5:

Walkthrough.

Do not include an executive summary, cover page, 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 headings. Each section aligns with one or more review criteria NEH will use to evaluate your proposal.

The narrative must not exceed 10 single-spaced pages. Name the file narrative.pdf.

Nature of the request (aligns with all review criteria) In one paragraph, summarize the project and its interpretive goals.

• State whether your request is for an Exhibitions or Historic Places project. If Exhibitions, specify whether the exhibition(s) will be permanent, traveling, or temporary.

• Identify the funding level (Planning or Implementation) and the amount you are requesting.

• Identify your project’s formats, the subject, and the main themes.

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Humanities content (aligns with review criteria 1 and 4)

• Describe the significance of the subject and its relevance to the public. Provide examples of project resources.

• Provide humanities themes articulating the analytical ideas the project will convey.

Thematic statements reach beyond a list of topics to demonstrate the larger critical ideas you want audiences to understand. Follow your thematic statement with a supporting argument that uses project content, examples drawn from project resources, and the humanities scholarship (from your consultation with project scholars, their published works, and the scholarship of other humanists) that has shaped your analysis.

• If you are reinterpreting or updating an existing project, describe the current content and format and explain the new humanities ideas you will incorporate.

• For Historic Places projects, discuss the significance of the place to American history;

the extent to which the interpretation will make use of the place’s attributes (the site, its location, the buildings, the landscape, or other natural or built features) in telling its story;

and the extent to which the interpretation addresses central themes and issues in American history.

Project formats (aligns with review criteria 2 and 5)

• Briefly describe the interpretive philosophy that guides the project.

• For Planning applications: explain how you plan to organize the final exhibition or site interpretation. Describe how you will effectively communicate your core analytical ideas.

Give examples of interpretive techniques and activities that you plan to investigate during your planning process. Do not use this space to explain the process you will follow to plan the project. You will have the opportunity to do that in the work plan.

• For Implementation applications: explain how you will organize the final exhibition, or site interpretation and discuss the interpretive methods it will employ to engage the public. Provide specific examples of interpretive techniques you have designed for use in the project. Exhibition applications should include square footage and number of objects.

For traveling exhibitions, provide information about the other venue(s).

• If applicable, describe secondary formats and discuss how each will enhance public understanding of the humanities content.

Project resources (aligns with review criteria 2 and 5)

• Describe the resources available at your institution or elsewhere that will support your project (e.g., archives, special libraries, collections of art or artifacts, images, documents, film, audio, or digital materials).

• Discuss the significance and quality of the relevant resources and how they contribute to the project.

• If applicable, explain how you will secure permissions or rights for key materials.

Project history (aligns with review criteria 2 and 5)

• Summarize the history of the project to date.

• Describe the relationship of the project to others on the topic and explain its particular contribution.

Audience, marketing, and promotion (aligns with review criterion 3)

• Describe and estimate the size of the expected audience and explain the basis for this number.

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• Explain how you will reach the intended audience. If applicable, discuss partnerships that would help promote the project.

• If you are targeting a specific audience or proposing special outreach to a specific community, describe the relationships you have built with those audiences or communities and the need your project addresses. Explain how you will engage new audiences in thinking about and discussing humanities ideas.

Evaluation of the project’s impact (aligns with review criteria 1, 2, and 3)

• Describe how you will evaluate the project’s impact, the results of any evaluation already conducted, and how the evaluation results might inform the project moving forward.

Organizational profile (aligns with review criteria 2, 3, 4, and 5)

• Describe the applicant organization and other major partner organizations. Include information relevant to the project, such as institutional mission, origin, and size; annual operating budget; and annual number of visitors. One paragraph per organization is recommended.

• Explain the responsibilities of collaborating organizations. Describe past collaborations or previous relationships (if any) amongst the partners.

Project team (aligns with review criteria 4 and 5)

• Identify the key individuals from the applicant organization and major partners who will be involved in the project.

• Briefly describe each person’s qualifications and expected contribution.

Humanities scholars and consultants (aligns with review criteria 1,4, and 5)

• Identify the humanities scholars from outside your organization who will be serving as advisers. Also identify consultants such as education and public program specialists;

historic site, interpretive, or cultural tourism experts; tribal or community elders; and writers, media producers, or digital designers.

• Briefly describe each scholar or consultant’s qualifications and expected contribution.

Attachment 2: 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.

Describe the activities you will undertake during the period of performance to achieve each of the proposed objectives. Use a timeline that includes each activity and identifies responsible staff. Explain how outcomes from one activity will carry over into the next. For each activity, specify the project team members and/or scholars and consultants involved.

The workplan should not exceed one page. Name the file workplan.pdf.

Attachment 3: Résumés and letters of commitment (required) Begin this attachment with a list of project team members, humanities scholars, and consultants. Include their full name, title, and institutional affiliation (e.g., Joan Smith (American Studies, University of Maryland); John Smith (designer, ABC Designs).

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Include résumés (suggested length: two pages or less) for each key member of the project team. For humanities scholars and consultants, also provide a letter of commitment stating their intention to work on the project and intended contribution. Letters from consultants other than scholars should include their estimated fees and deliverables.

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

Attachment 4: Bibliography (required) Include a short bibliography (suggested length: two pages) of the most significant humanities scholarship that informs the project. You may use any standard format. The bibliography should not exceed three pages. Name the file bibliography.pdf.

Attachment 5: Walkthrough (required for Implementation projects) Describe how visitors will experience the project and demonstrate how you will communicate the analytical takeaway messages to the public. Follow the instructions below, for the category to which you are applying.

The walkthrough has a suggested length of five single-spaced pages, not including renderings, signage, or other additions described below. The walkthrough should not exceed five pages.

Name the file walkthrough.pdf.

Exhibitions Provide a tour of your project from the perspective of the visitor. Demonstrate how humanities concepts and analysis will appear though the visitor’s eyes. Describe each section of the exhibition, giving specific examples of what audiences will see, hear, and do. Using these examples, illustrate how you will use immersive environments, interactives, objects, texts, multimedia, or other techniques to communicate the project’s central ideas.

You may include thumbnail images of objects or key places.

If the project includes secondary formats (such as a website or discussion programs), briefly describe them.

Attach the following items, which do not count toward the page limit:

• renderings of the floor plans and sections that show the exhibition’s footprint in the space

• elevations of at least two sections, illustrating how objects, built environments, and/or works of art will be displayed

• four to six examples of interpretive text to be used in the project (as appropriate, include different levels of text, ranging from introductory panels to object labels)

Historic Places Provide a tour of your project from the perspective of the visitor. Describe each space through their eyes. Give specific examples of what audiences will see, hear, and do, and demonstrate how these experiences will illuminate the proposed humanities concepts and analysis. Describe how the audience will interact with a docent or with self-guided tour options (e.g., brochures, audio guides, apps) and how furnishings, historic spaces, signage, and other materials will contribute to a greater understanding of the project’s central ideas.

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You may include thumbnail images of objects or key places if they help clarify the description.

If the project includes secondary formats (such as a website or discussion programs), briefly describe them.

If applicable, attach the following items that do not count toward the page limit:

• For signage: four to six examples of interpretive text and image renderings

• For exhibitions at historic sites: four to six examples of interpretive labels, floorplans showing the exhibition’s footprint in the space, and elevations of at least two sections illustrating how objects, built environments, and/or works of art will be displayed

Attachment 6: Additional supporting documentation (conditionally required) If applicable, Implementation applications must submit the following additional information in a single attachment. The inclusion of information that is not requested in this section may result in your application not being reviewed. Therefore, Planning applications should not include this attachment and Implementation applications should not include material that is not listed below.

Name the file supportingdocs.pdf.

Traveling exhibitions Describe the traveling version of the exhibition and the suitability of the other host venues for the exhibition. If the exhibition will differ substantially in size, content, artifacts, or experience from the original, describe the anticipated changes. Provide the preliminary travel itinerary if one exists.

Conservation treatment If you have requested funding for conservation treatment, discuss the rationale for conserving the objects. Provide a list of individual items, sample condition reports, a timeline for the treatment of objects, a description of the conservation methods, and the qualifications of the conservator. Costs for conservation treatment must not exceed 15% of the NEH award.

Social media and audience-generated content If your project includes social media and/or audience-generated content, describe how it will add to the humanities content and explain the criteria and processes you will use to select and monitor the content made available to the public. Describe the policies and processes you will use to prevent the dissemination of obscene, libelous, indecent, or defamatory material (including personal attacks, or material constituting harassment).

Work samples for secondary digital media components If your project includes secondary digital media components, provide an example (through a URL) of previously completed work from the principal members of the digital team. Identify the project personnel who worked on this sample and, if relevant, include additional information on its audience or distribution. Clearly indicate that this URL is your digital work sample.

Information on public accessibility and admission As a taxpayer-funded federal agency, NEH endeavors to make the products of its awards available to the broadest possible audience. Discuss how you plan to provide at least twenty hours of free admission each month to NEH-supported exhibitions and programs.

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Publications Describe the content (including brief abstracts of essays), author(s), format, estimated print run, distribution plans, and sale price of any publications for which you have requested funding.

Explain how these publications will complement the project’s other formats. Proceeds from the sale of any publications will be subject to the NEH policy on program income.

Attachment 7: Object list and illustrations (Required for Implementation:

Exhibitions; optional for Implementation: Historic Places) Include a complete object list and five to ten object illustrations. Do not include this attachment with Planning applications. Inclusion of information that is not requested may result in NEH not reviewing your application.

Name the file objects.pdf.

Attachment 8: 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 9: 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 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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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.

Attachment 10: 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. If NEH funds your project, the agency may retitle your project for clarity in internal and external communications, including the public announcement of awards. Regardless, you may use your preferred title when carrying out the project.

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.

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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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.

If the project director is…