PKG00257739-instructions.pdf

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

Division of Research Programs

Funding Opportunity Title: Fellowships

Funding Opportunity Number: 20200408-FEL

Funding Opportunity Type: New

Federal Assistance Listing Number: 45.160

Application Due Date:

April 8, 2020 April 14, 2021

Ensure your Grants.gov registration and password are current.

NEH will not grant deadline extensions for lack of registration.

Division of Research Programs Telephone: 202-606-8200 Email: fellowships@neh.gov

TTY: 800-877-8399

OMB control number 3136-0134, expiration date June 30, 2021.

mailto:fellowships@neh.gov

20200408-FEL i

Executive Summary The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Division of Research Programs is accepting applications for the Fellowships program. The purpose of this program is to support individual scholars pursuing projects that embody exceptional research, rigorous analysis, and clear writing. Fellowships provide recipients time to conduct research or to produce books, monographs, peer-reviewed articles, e-books, digital materials, translations with annotations or a critical apparatus, or critical editions resulting from previous research.

Funding Opportunity Title: Fellowships Funding Opportunity Number:

20200408-FEL

Federal Assistance Listing Number (CFDA):

45.160

Application Due Dates: April 8, 2020, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time April 14, 2021, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time

Anticipated Announcements: December 2020 (for applications submitted on or before April 8, 2020) December 2021 (for application submitted on or before April 14, 2021)

Anticipated Total Annual Funding:

$4,800,000

Estimated Number and Type of Awards:

Up to 80 grants per deadline (approximately 8% of applicants received)

Funding Range: Up to $60,000 Cost Sharing Required: No Period of Performance: 6-12 months, starting as early as January 1, 2021 (for applications submitted on or before April 8, 2020), and starting as early as January 1, 2022 (for applications submitted on or before April 14, 2021)

Eligible Applicants: Individuals

See Section C. Eligibility Information.

Program Resource Page: https://www.neh.gov/grants/research/fellowships Pre-Application Webinar: January 28, 2020

2:00 pm ET https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/906441088434181901 https://www.neh.gov/grants/research/fellowships https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/906441088434181901

20200408-FEL ii

Table of Contents

A. Program Description

1. Purpose

2. Background

B. Federal Award Information

1. Type of Application and Award

2. Summary of Funding

C. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

2. Cost Sharing/Matching

3. Other Eligibility Information

D. Application and Submission Information

1. Application Package

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

3. Grants.gov Registration Process

4. Submission Dates and Times

5. Intergovernmental Review

6. Funding Restrictions

7. Other Submission Requirements

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

20200408-FEL 1

A. Program Description

1. Purpose NEH Fellowships are competitive awards granted to individual scholars pursuing projects that embody exceptional research, rigorous analysis, and clear writing. Applications must clearly articulate a project’s value to humanities scholars, general audiences, or both.

Fellowships provide recipients time to conduct research or to produce books, monographs, peer-reviewed articles, e-books, digital materials, translations with annotations or a critical apparatus, or critical editions resulting from previous research. Projects may be at any stage of development.

NEH invites research applications from scholars in all disciplines, and it encourages submissions from independent scholars and junior scholars.

Examples of previously funded Fellowships may be viewed here. Examples of previously funded projects may be found by using the NEH's Funded Projects Query Form.

Unallowable activities are described in section D6. Funding Restrictions.

Applicants interested in research projects that are either born digital or require mainly digital expression and digital publication are encouraged to apply instead for NEH-Mellon Fellowships for Digital Publication.

Dissertation revisions Applicants may seek funding for projects based on completed dissertations. You must state in your application narrative that the proposal is to revise a dissertation, and you must explain how the new project moves beyond the original dissertation.

Concurrent grants from other organizations Recipients of NEH Fellowships may simultaneously hold fellowships or grants from institutions other than NEH—including sabbaticals and grants from their own institutions—in support of the same project during their period of performance.

Collaborative projects The NEH Fellowships program is designed primarily for individual researchers. An award may not be divided among multiple collaborators. If you are seeking funding for more than one participant in a collaborative project, each person seeking funding must submit a separate application specifying his or her individual contribution. Peer reviewers will be asked to evaluate each application on its own merits. Each application should clearly explain how the work will be divided and the extent to which each collaborator’s contribution depends on that of the other(s). Applicants who are seeking funding only for themselves but who are working as part of a collaborative team are also eligible. Collaborating scholars affiliated with or sponsored by an eligible institution may wish to apply to the Collaborative Research program.

2. Background This program is authorized by 20 U.S.C. §956 et seq. Awards are subject to the NEH Fellowships and Awards for Faculty Terms and Conditions.

According to the 1965 National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act, “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;

https://securegrants.neh.gov/publicquery/main.aspx?q=1&a=0&n=0&o=0&k=0&f=0&s=0&p=1&pv=1&d=0&y=1&yf=2017&yt=2019&prd=0&cov=0&prz=0&wp=0&pg=0&ob=year&or=DESC https://securegrants.neh.gov/publicquery/main.aspx https://www.neh.gov/grants/research/neh-mellon-fellowships-digital-publication https://www.neh.gov/grants/research/neh-mellon-fellowships-digital-publication https://www.neh.gov/grants/research/collaborative-research-grants https://www.neh.gov/grants/manage/neh-fellowships-terms-and-conditions

20200408-FEL 2

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.”

To learn more about the National Endowment for the Humanities, visit https://www.neh.gov/about.

NEH Areas of Interest NEH is especially interested in supporting projects that advance humanities-related work in the following areas.

“A More Perfect Union”: NEH Special Initiative Advancing Civic Education and Commemorating the Nation’s 250th Anniversary As our nation approaches its 250th anniversary in 2026, NEH encourages projects that promote a deeper understanding of American history and culture and that advance civic education and knowledge of our core principles of government. The agency-wide “A More Perfect Union” initiative will help Americans better understand the world’s oldest constitutional democracy and how our founding ideals are met in a modern, pluralistic society.

NEH welcomes consideration of diverse topics in American history, from Native American culture to rural life to the rise of the industrial city, from the Civil War to the Cold War to the Civil Rights movement, etc. We also seek projects that examine foundational documents in U.S.

history, as well as projects that examine historical objects, places, traditions, events, and individuals who collectively shaped our states and nation. Applications about the contributions of under-represented communities are highly encouraged.

B. Federal Award Information

1. Type of Application and Award Type of applications sought: new (as opposed to supplements or renewals). Previously rejected applications may be revised and resubmitted.

NEH will provide funding in the form of grants.

2. Summary of Funding Approximately $4,800,000 is expected to be available to fund 80 recipients per deadline.

The actual amount available will not be determined until enactment of the final FY 2021 and 2022 federal budgets. This program notice is subject to the appropriation of funds, and is a contingency action taken to ensure that, should funds become available for this purpose, applications can be processed and funds awarded in a timely manner.

The period of performance for these fellowships is six to twelve months at a stipend of $5,000 per month. The maximum stipend is $60,000 for a twelve-month period of performance.

The period of performance must be full-time and continuous. Teaching and administrative assignments or other major activities may not be undertaken during the period of performance.

https://www.neh.gov/about https://www.neh.gov/250

20200408-FEL 3

You should request a period of performance that suits your schedule and the needs of your project. Requesting a period shorter than twelve months will not improve your chance of receiving an award.

Recipients who apply on or before the April 8, 2020 deadline may begin their periods of performance as early as January 1, 2021, and as late as September 1, 2022.

Recipients who apply on or before the April 14, 2021 deadline may begin their periods of performance as early as January 1, 2022, and as late as September 1, 2023.

C. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants The Fellowships program accepts applications from individuals who meet the following requirements.

Citizenship U.S. citizens, whether they reside inside or outside the United States, are eligible to apply.

Foreign nationals who have been living in the United States or its jurisdictions for at least the three years prior to the application deadline are also eligible. Foreign nationals who take up permanent residence outside the United States any time between the application deadline and the end of the period of performance will forfeit their eligibility to hold an award. (Leaving the U.S. on a temporary basis is permitted.)

Currently enrolled students While applicants need not have advanced degrees, individuals currently enrolled in a degree-granting program are ineligible to apply. Applicants who have satisfied all the requirements for a degree and are awaiting its conferral are eligible for NEH Fellowships; but such applicants must include a letter from the dean of the conferring school or their department chair attesting to the applicant’s status as of the application deadline in Attachment 6: Degree Conferral.

2. Cost Sharing/Matching Cost sharing is not required in this program.

Cost sharing or matching is the portion of the project costs not paid by NEH funds.

3. Other Eligibility Information You may apply to only one of the following programs in a given federal fiscal year:

• Fellowships

• Awards for Faculty at Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and

Universities, and Tribal Colleges and Universities

• NEH-Mellon Fellowships for Digital Publication

• Fellowships for Advanced Social Science Research on Japan

However, you may compete concurrently in the following programs for individuals in a given year:

• Public Scholars

• Summer Stipends https://www.neh.gov/grants/research/awards-faculty-hispanic-serving-institutions https://www.neh.gov/grants/research/awards-faculty-hispanic-serving-institutions https://www.neh.gov/grants/research/awards-faculty-hispanic-serving-institutions https://www.neh.gov/grants/research/awards-faculty-historically-black-colleges-and-universities https://www.neh.gov/grants/research/awards-faculty-historically-black-colleges-and-universities https://www.neh.gov/grants/research/awards-faculty-tribal-colleges-and-universities https://www.neh.gov/grants/research/neh-mellon-fellowships-digital-publication https://www.neh.gov/grants/research/fellowships-advanced-social-science-research-japan http://www.neh.gov/grants/research/public-scholar-program http://www.neh.gov/grants/research/summer-stipends

20200408-FEL 4

• NEH and National Science Foundation Fellowship Program for Documenting Endangered Languages (DEL)

• NEH-funded Fellowships at Independent Research Institutions

Each competition has distinct application requirements. Follow the instructions in the relevant notice of funding opportunity.

Projects previously supported by NEH You may not apply for funding for a project previously supported by any of the following programs:

• NEH-Mellon Fellowships for Digital Publication

• Public Scholars

• Awards for Faculty at Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and

Universities, and Tribal Colleges and Universities

• NEH and National Science Foundation Fellowship for Documenting Endangered

Languages (DEL)

• Fellowships for Advanced Social Science Research on Japan

However, you may apply for funding for a project previously supported by a two-month NEH Summer Stipend. In such a case, NEH will review the accomplishments from the previous award to determine whether the project warrants additional funding. If the current application includes work proposed in the previously-funded Summer Stipend, this overlap in the work plans must be addressed.

Other restrictions:

• Applicants may not submit multiple applications under this announcement.

• Applicants may not hold two or more NEH individual awards with overlapping periods of performance (for example, a Fellowship and a Public Scholars award, or a Fellowship and a Summer Stipend).

• Applicants may not accept or hold two NEH individual awards in the same fiscal year (for example, if you apply to the Summer Stipends program and subsequently accept a Fellowship award, your application to the Summer Stipends program will be automatically withdrawn).

• Applicants may not work on a project supported by an NEH institutional award as either a project director or participant during the period of performance of an NEH individual award that is held full time.

• If an application is submitted more than once prior to the application due date (including submitting to the wrong funding opportunity number or making corrections/updates), NEH will accept your last validated online submission, under the correct funding opportunity number, prior to the Grants.gov application due date as the final and only acceptable application.

NEH does not make awards to other federal entities or to applicants whose projects are so closely intertwined with a federal entity that the project takes on characteristics of the federal entity’s own authorized activities. This does not preclude applicants from using funds from, or sites and materials controlled by, other federal entities in their projects.

All application materials must be received by the application deadline. Applications that are late, incomplete, or that violate the format requirements (including page limits) will not be considered for funding under this notice. See the Application Components Table.

http://www.neh.gov/grants/preservation/documenting-endangered-languages http://www.neh.gov/grants/preservation/documenting-endangered-languages https://www.neh.gov/grants/research/fellowship-programs-independent-research-institutions https://www.neh.gov/grants/research/neh-mellon-fellowships-digital-publication https://www.neh.gov/grants/research/public-scholar-program https://www.neh.gov/grants/research/awards-faculty-hispanic-serving-institutions https://www.neh.gov/grants/research/awards-faculty-historically-black-colleges-and-universities https://www.neh.gov/grants/research/awards-faculty-historically-black-colleges-and-universities https://www.neh.gov/grants/research/awards-faculty-tribal-colleges-and-universities https://www.neh.gov/grants/preservation/documenting-endangered-languages https://www.neh.gov/grants/preservation/documenting-endangered-languages https://www.neh.gov/grants/research/fellowships-advanced-social-science-research-japan

20200408-FEL 5

D. Application and Submission Information

1. Application Package You are required to apply online through Grants.gov Workspace using the Standard Form 424 – Individual (SF-424 - Individual) application package associated with the funding opportunity and following the instructions provided by Grants.gov unless otherwise noted below.

A link to the Fellowships funding opportunity on Grants.gov, including the application package, can be found on the program resource page.

To request a paper copy of this announcement, contact fellowships@neh.gov.

Applicants who are deaf or hard of hearing (TTY users) can contact NEH via Federal Relay at 800-877-8399.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission Your application will consist of a narrative and other required forms and components described below. All applications are evaluated based on the review criteria described in section E1.. A budget is not required in this program.

ii. Application Components The Application Components Table below will help you prepare a complete application. In addition to the standard forms included in the Grants.gov application package, your application also consists of a narrative, and other required attachments. You will upload these components into the Attachments Form.

Applications missing any required documents or conditionally required documents from this list will be considered incomplete and will be rejected from further consideration.

Applications that exceed page limits or violate format instructions will be considered nonresponsive and will be rejected from further consideration.

In addition to submitting these application components through Grants.gov, you should also arrange for two letters of reference. Instructions for the letters of reference appear below under D7. Other Submission Requirements.

Application component Naming convention

Page limits

Notes

Application for Federal Assistance SF 424 - Individual

Not applicable (Grants.gov form)

Required

NEH Supplemental Information for Individuals

Not applicable (Grants.gov form)

Required

Project/Performance Site Location Form

Not applicable (Grants.gov form)

Required

Attachments Form Not applicable (Grants.gov form)

Required

Attachment 1: Narrative narrative.pdf 3 Required Attachment 2: Bibliography bibliography.pdf 1 Required Attachment 3: Résumé resume.pdf 2 Required Attachment 4: Writing sample writingsample.pdf 5 Required https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html https://www.neh.gov/grants/research/fellowships

20200408-FEL 6

Attachment 5: Appendices appendices.pdf 1 page per item

Conditionally required

Attachment 6: Degree conferral degreeconferral.pdf Conditionally required Attachment 7: Explanation of federal debt delinquentdebt.pdf Conditionally required

Application for Federal Assistance – SF-424 - Individual This Grants.gov form is used to capture basic information about the applicant and the proposed project. Fields 1, 2, and 4 will be filled in automatically; field 3 will be left blank.

5a-d. Applicant Information Provide your name, telephone number, e-mail address, and mailing address. You must include an e-mail address in the “Email” field, even though it is not highlighted as a required field. NEH will use this e-mail address to notify you of the outcome of your application.

Provide your mailing address. Note: Your ZIP code must include the four-digit extension, preceded by a hyphen. If you do not know your four-digit extension, use “-0000” (four zeros). Indicate your citizenship status with an “X.”

Enter the number (just the number, not the state) of your Congressional district. To find the number of your Congressional district, type your ZIP code into the “Find Your Representative” tool on the U.S. House of Representatives website. If you do not have a Congressional district (that is, you are in a state or U.S. territory that does not have districts or you reside in a foreign country), enter a “0” (zero). If you live in one district but your institution is in another, provide the number for the district in which you live.

6. Project Information

a. “Project Title.” Enter this, even though the field is not highlighted. The title may not exceed 125 characters (including spaces and punctuation). It should be descriptive, informative to a general audience, and free of specialized language. Avoid using a main title that requires clarification by the subtitle. When possible, include places and dates indicating a project’s scope. Your NEH project title does not necessarily have to be the same as the title of your proposed book. Note that NEH reserves the right to change the titles of projects that receive awards.

b. “Project Description.” Describe your project for a nonspecialist audience, stating the importance of the proposed work to the humanities. This description will appear on your application cover sheet and will serve as a project abstract during the review process. Do not exceed one thousand characters, including spaces. If you exceed one thousand characters, including spaces, Grants.gov may reject your application or cut off your project description at the thousand-character limit.

c. “Proposed Project.” Enter the starting and ending dates for your proposed period of performance. You must start your period of performance on the first day of the month and end it on the last day of the month. Your period of performance must be at least six months long and no more than twelve months long, and it must be full-time and continuous.

Because award amounts depend on the number of months of work that you specify, the dates that you enter here will determine the maximum amount of your award. For more information on allowable award terms and how awards are calculated, see Section B. Federal Award Information.

https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

20200408-FEL 7

7. Signature By clicking on the “I Agree” box, you certify the following:

1) You are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in covered transactions by any federal department or agency, and have not—within the three years preceding the submission of this application— been convicted of or had a civil judgment rendered against you for commission of fraud or a criminal offense in connection with a public (federal, state, or local) transaction or a contract under a public transaction; for violation of federal or state antitrust statutes; for commission of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, making false statements, or receiving stolen property; had any public transactions terminated for cause or default; and are not presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity with any of the preceding offenses. (See 2 CFR parts 180 and 3369.)

2) You are not delinquent in the repayment of any federal debt or you are providing explanatory information about any delinquency. Examples of relevant debt include student loans, delinquent taxes, delinquent child support payments, and delinquent payroll taxes for household or other employees See OMB Circular A-129.

3) You will comply with the NEH Fellowships and Awards for Faculty Terms and Conditions.

Click on the “Save” button at the top of the form to save your work and return to the main menu.

NEH Supplemental Information for Individuals Form This NEH form provides additional professional information about you, your institution (if affiliated), and your reference-letter writers.

Field of Project Using the drop-down menu, indicate the field(s) of your project. You may select one, two, or three fields. If you select more than one, list the primary field first. Program staff will take this information into account when assigning your application to a review panel.

Project Director Field of Study Using the drop-down menu, choose the field of study that best describes your area of expertise.

Address Information Indicate whether the address that you have given on the Application for Federal Assistance SF 424 - Individual form is your home or work address.

Institutional Affiliation If you are not affiliated with an institution of higher education, click “No” and continue to the Status section. If you are affiliated with an institution of higher education, complete the information for that institution. Applicants with an institutional affiliation must include their institution’s D-U-N-S® number, omitting hyphens. This number is generally provided by the institution’s sponsored research office and it ensures that NEH identities your institution correctly in the materials we provide to external reviewers.

Status Indicate if you are a junior scholar or a senior scholar. Junior scholars are defined as those who are seven years or fewer beyond their terminal degree; senior scholars are defined as those who are more than seven years beyond their terminal degree.

https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=c1289d8b76747052d92bcc65069016c1&mc=true&node=pt2.1.180&rgn=div5 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=c1289d8b76747052d92bcc65069016c1&mc=true&node=pt2.1.3369&rgn=div5 https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/whitehouse.gov/files/omb/circulars/A129/a-129.pdf

20200408-FEL 8

Reference Letters Provide the names, e-mail addresses, and affiliations for your two letter writers. Enter only one e-mail address for each letter writer. Applicants are responsible for providing accurate e-mail addresses. The NEH grants management system will use the addresses exactly as they have been entered on this form. If you provide two e-mail addresses for a letter writer, NEH will be unable to contact him or her.

To ensure full consideration, letters must be submitted online not later than May 1, 2020 (for applications submitted on or before April 8, 2020), or May 5, 2021 for applications submitted on or before April 14, 2021.

See Section D7 Other Submission Requirements for additional instructions on the submission of reference letters and confirmation of their receipt by NEH.

Nominating Official Leave this section blank.

Project/Performance Site Location(s) Form Provide the primary location and any other locations where the project activity will occur during the period of performance. This form allows for the collection of multiple performance sites. If you need to add more project/performance site locations than the form allows, enter the information in a separate file and add it to the "Additional Locations" section.

Instructions for each requested data element may be viewed by positioning your cursor over the blank field.

Attachments Form Attach your narrative and the other application components to this form. Consult the Application Components Table to learn about the required application components, how to name each attachment, and the order in which to attach them. You must name and attach your files in the proper order so that NEH can identify them.

When you open the Attachments Form, you will find fifteen attachment buttons, labeled “Attachment 1” through “Attachment 15.” By clicking on a button, you will be able to choose the file from your computer that you wish to attach.

Your attachments must be in Portable Document Format (.pdf). Make sure that all files in formats other than PDF (images, Word or Excel files, etc.) have been properly saved as PDF files. Do not simply rename your non-PDF files with PDF extensions. If an attachment contains multiple documents, you must merge those documents into a single PDF. Do not attach a zip file containing multiple PDFs.

Visit Grants.gov’s Adobe Software Compatibility page to verify the compatibility of your current software or to download the appropriate version. Even if you choose to complete the online webforms in Workspace, you will need to convert the files that you will attach (to the Attachments Form) into PDFs. If you have a problem installing Adobe Reader, it may be because you do not have permission to install a new program on your computer. Many organizations have rules about installing new programs. If you encounter a problem, contact your system administrator.

Note the following Grants.gov file naming conventions: limit file names to 50 or fewer characters. Do not attach any documents with the same name. All attachments should have a unique name. Use only the following UTF-8 characters when naming your attachments: A-Z, a-z, 0-9, underscore, hyphen, space, period, parenthesis, curly braces, square brackets, https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html

20200408-FEL 9

ampersand, tilde, exclamation point, comma, semi colon, apostrophe, at sign, number sign, dollar sign, percent sign, plus sign, and equal sign. Attachments that do not follow this rule may cause the entire application to be rejected or cause issues during processing.

Grants.gov may accept and validate your submission even if required components are missing.

This may result in NEH rejecting your application as incomplete. It is your responsibility to ensure that all required components are properly attached and submitted.

Attachment 1: Narrative (required) Your narrative provides a comprehensive framework and description of all aspects of the proposed project. It 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 three single-spaced pages with one-inch margins and a font size no smaller than eleven points. Images, charts, diagrams, footnotes, and endnotes are allowed, if they fit within the three-page limit.

NEH has aligned each section with a primary corresponding review criterion, but note that the criteria can be relevant in more than one section and that, taken together, the parts of the narrative should form a coherent whole. Refer to Section E1. Review Criteria for full descriptions.

Successful applications will use the following section headings for the narrative and contain the information below. Name the file narrative.pdf.

GUIDANCE FOR NARRATIVE, BIBLIOGRAPHY, RESUME, WRITING

SAMPLE and APPENDICES

To ensure that you fully address the review criteria, this table provides a crosswalk between the application components and the review criteria.

Narrative Section Review Criteria

Significance and contribution 1

Concepts and methods 2

Work plan 3

Competencies, skills, and access 4

Final product and dissemination 5

Application Component Review Criteria

Bibliography 2

Résumé 4

Writing sample 2

Appendices (only for editions, translations, database projects and visual materials)

20200408-FEL 10

Significance and contribution (corresponds primarily to Review Criterion 1) Describe the intellectual significance of the proposed project, including its value to humanities scholars, general audiences, or both. Provide an overview of the project, explaining the basic ideas, problems, or questions examined by the study. Describe your research and state the project’s thesis or claim(s). Explain how the project will complement, challenge, or expand relevant studies in the field. Explain how your scholarship will be presented to benefit the intended audiences.

If you are applying to translate a work into English, and other English translations already exist, provide a rationale for a new translation. Applicants must also provide a rationale for projects resulting in works that will be written in a language other than English.

Organization, concepts, and methods (corresponds primarily to Review Criterion 2) Explain how your proposed research will help you resolve the problems or questions you are examining. Describe the theoretical framework of your argument and explain how your proposed research will advance it. Explain your concepts and your terminology. Describe and discuss your method(s) and sources.

For book projects, explain how the final project will be organized. If possible, provide a brief chapter outline. Brief explanations of each chapter’s contents are particularly important when a chapter title does not clearly indicate the contents of the chapter.

For digital projects, describe the technologies that will be used and developed, and explain how the scholarship will be presented to benefit audiences in the humanities.

For editions and translations, describe the project’s scholarly apparatus (e.g., introduction, annotations, and paratextual material).

For dissertation revisions, state that your project is to revise a dissertation. Explain how your project moves beyond the original dissertation, and how the project will benefit from the additional research, materials, or chapter(s).

Work plan (corresponds primarily to Review Criterion 3) Indicate the current state of the project and the part or stage of it that will be supported by the fellowship. Provide a work plan describing what will be accomplished during the period of performance, where you will be, and how you will spend your time. Explain how your proposed research during the period of performance will advance the project. Your work plan must be based on a full-time commitment to the project; part-time work is not allowed.

If you do not anticipate finishing the entire project during the fellowship period, discuss your plan for doing so.

Your work plan for the period of performance should not depend heavily on factors beyond your control, such as the receipt of outside readers’ reports from a publisher. If you plan to submit your manuscript before the end of the period of performance, explain what additional work the project will require after you submit the manuscript and why it merits support.

If you are requesting funding for the development, acquisition, preservation, or enhancement of geospatial data, products, or services, you must conduct a due diligence search at the Data.gov list of datasets to discover whether the needed geospatial-related data, products, or services already exist. If not, you must produce the proposed geospatial data, products, or services in compliance with applicable proposed guidance posted at www.fgdc.gov.

https://catalog.data.gov/dataset http://www.fgdc.gov/

20200408-FEL 11

Competencies, skills, and access (corresponds primarily to Review Criterion 4) Explain your competence or background in the area of your project. If the area of inquiry is new to you, explain your reasons for working in it and your qualifications to do so. Specify the level of competence in any language or digital technology needed for the study. Describe where the study will be conducted and what research materials will be used. If relevant, specify the arrangements for access to archives, collections, or institutions that contain the necessary resources.

Final product and dissemination (corresponds primarily to Review Criterion 5) Describe the intended results of the project. Explain how the results will be disseminated and why these means are appropriate to the subject matter and audience. If the project has a website, provide the URL. If the final product will appear in a language other than English, explain how access and dissemination will be affected.

NEH expects that any materials produced in digital form as a result of its awards will be maintained so as to ensure their long-term availability. To that end, describe how the project’s digital results, if any, will be sustained and supported beyond the period of performance.

Attachment 2: Bibliography (required) The bibliography must not exceed a single page. Leave one-inch margins and use a font size no smaller than eleven point. Any standard bibliographic format is acceptable. Items referenced in the narrative need not appear in the bibliography, if the citation in the narrative enables readers to identify the work.

The bibliography should consist of primary and secondary sources that relate directly to the project. Include works that pertain to both the project’s substance and its theoretical or methodological approaches to give a well-rounded representation of your project. Evaluators will use the bibliography to assess your knowledge of the subject area. Your bibliography will be considered primarily under review criterion 2.

Name the file bibliography.pdf.

Attachment 3: Résumé (required) Your résumé must not exceed two pages. Do not submit a narrative biographical statement instead of a résumé. Include the information listed below.

• Current and past positions

• Education: list degrees, dates awarded, and titles of theses or dissertations

• Awards and honors: include dates. If you have received prior support from NEH, indicate the dates of these awards and the products that resulted from them

• Publications: include full citations for publications and presentations

• Other relevant professional activities and accomplishments: include your level of competence in any relevant foreign languages

Your résumé will be considered primarily under review criterion 4.

Name the file resume.pdf.

20200408-FEL 12

Attachment 4: Writing sample (required) You must submit a writing sample that demonstrates your ability to express ideas and make a clear argument. Evaluators will use the sample to assess the clarity of your writing as well as your knowledge of the subject area. The writing sample can be either from the proposed project (preferred) or from a recent publication, but it should not be more than five years old. It must be from a single piece of work and single-authored. For junior scholars, an excerpt from the dissertation is acceptable if you are applying for your first book project.

The writing sample may not be more than the equivalent of five single-spaced pages, including any footnotes or endnotes. In preparing the sample, leave one-inch margins and use a font no smaller than eleven-point. The writing sample may not include a table of contents, an outline, or an abstract of the proposed work (information of this sort belongs in the narrative). It may, however, be preceded by a brief headnote providing context. If the writing sample is a PDF of a published work, its length must likewise not exceed the equivalent of five single-spaced pages in eleven-point typescript. If the sample has been published, you must indicate this and list the publication on your résumé.

Your writing sample will be considered primarily under review criterion 2.

Your writing sample must not exceed the equivalent of five single-spaced pages. Name the file writingsample.pdf.

Attachment 5: Appendices (conditionally required) Applicants proposing editions, translations, database projects, and projects involving visual materials must submit this attachment in addition to the writing sample. The appendices should not exceed one single-spaced page per item, as described below.

• Editions or translations: provide a sample of the original text (one page) and the edited or translated version (one page). If you plan to include annotations, your sample of the edited or translated version should include examples.

• Database projects: provide a sample entry (one page).

• Visual materials: provide a sample (one page) saved as a PDF (do not use .jpg or other common graphic formats).

Applications including any other appendices will not be reviewed.

If applicable, your appendices will be considered primarily under review criterion 2.

Name the file appendices.pdf.

Attachment 6: Degree conferral (conditionally required) Applicants who have satisfied all the requirements for a degree and are awaiting its conferral must include a letter from the dean of the conferring school or their department chair attesting that the applicant has satisfied all of the requirements for the degree by the application deadline.

Name the file degreeconferral.pdf.

Attachment 7: Explanation of delinquent federal debt (conditionally required) If you are delinquent in the repayment of any federal debt, provide explanatory information on a separate page or pages. Also provide evidence that you have entered into a repayment agreement with the Internal Revenue Service, and that you are current on all payments due.

20200408-FEL 13

Examples of relevant debt include student loans, delinquent taxes, delinquent child support payments, and delinquent payroll taxes for household or other employees. See OMB Circular A- 129.

Name the file delinquentdebt.pdf.

3. Grants.gov Registration Process All applicants to this program must submit their applications via Grants.gov Workspace.

If you are registering with Grants.gov for the first time, go to https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/register.faces.

Once you have registered at Grants.gov, you must add an “individual” profile in order to submit an application to this program or other programs for individuals. Instructions for adding a profile are available here:

https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/index.htm?callingApp=custom#t=Register%2FAddPr ofile.htm

Only applicants whose Grants.gov accounts include an individual applicant profile will be able to submit applications to this program.

When you create your “individual applicant” profile, Grants.gov will automatically fill in the box for the D-U-N-S® number with a default value. Do not change this number.

Applicants who have already registered at Grants.gov and created an “individual” profile need not re-register to submit their applications. We encourage you, however, to check your account ahead of the deadline to confirm that it is still active and that your password has not expired.

If you have problems registering with Grants.gov or adding an “individual applicant” profile, contact the Grants.gov help desk at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov.

Applicants who lose their username and password can request a reminder at https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/login.faces?userType=applicant&cleanSession=1.

Individuals do not need to register in the System for Award Management (SAM). Awards will not be processed for individuals with delinquent federal debt or for individuals who have been suspended, debarred, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from eligibility for covered transactions by any federal department or agency. To see if you have delinquent federal debt or other exclusions recorded in SAM, go to the SAM website; click on “Search Records,” and then on “Advanced Search - Exclusion.”

NEH may not make an award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time NEH is ready to make an award, NEH may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive an award and use that determination as the basis for making an award to another applicant.

NEH strongly recommends that you complete your registration at least two weeks before the application deadline. If you fail to allow sufficient time to complete registration with Grants.gov, you will not be given a deadline extension or waiver of the online submission requirement. All applicants must submit their applications for NEH funding via Grants.gov Workspace.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/whitehouse.gov/files/omb/circulars/A129/a-129.pdf https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/whitehouse.gov/files/omb/circulars/A129/a-129.pdf https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/register.faces https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/index.htm?callingApp=custom#t=Register%2FAddProfile.htm https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/index.htm?callingApp=custom#t=Register%2FAddProfile.htm mailto:support@grants.gov https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/login.faces?userType=applicant&cleanSession=1 https://www.sam.gov/SAM/pages/public/searchRecords/search.jsf https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html

20200408-FEL 14

4. Submission Dates and Times There will be two application due dates under this announcement:

April 8, 2020, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time April 14, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time

Letters of reference must be submitted online not later than May 1, 2020 (for applications submitted on or before April 8, 2020), and May 5, 2021 (for applications submitted on or before April 14, 2021). See Section D7 Other Submission Requirements for instructions.

Applications must be complete, within the specified page limits, and validated by Grants.gov under the correct funding opportunity number prior to the deadline to be considered under this notice.

Confirm that you successfully submitted your application. It is your responsibility as an applicant to confirm that Grants.gov and subsequently NEH have received your application.

NEH will assign a tracking number beginning with FEL- to your application when it has been received by the agency. The assignment of a tracking number does not guarantee that the application is free of technical problems (such as missing attachments or failure to convert attachments to PDFs). If NEH’s system detects a technical problem with your application after retrieving it from Grants.gov, NEH will send you an email notification, provided you have included an e-mail address in your application.

Once an applicant formally submits an application, NEH will not comment on its status except with respect to issues of completeness and eligibility.

5. Intergovernmental Review This funding opportunity is not subject to intergovernmental review under Executive Order 12373.

6. Funding Restrictions Funds under this notice may not be used for the following purposes:

• research by students enrolled in a degree program, including research for doctoral dissertations or theses

• the preparation or revision of textbooks

• curriculum development

• the development of teaching methods or theories

• the writing of books for children or young adults

• educational impact, language impact, or technical impact assessments

• empirical social science research, unless part of a larger humanities project

• inventories of collections

• the writing of guide books, how-to books, and self-help books

• promotion of a particular political, religious, or ideological point of view

• advocacy of a particular program of social or political action

• support of specific public policies or legislation

• lobbying

• projects that fall outside of the humanities; the creation or performance of art; creative writing, autobiographies, memoirs, and creative nonfiction; and empirically based social science research or policy studies https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/Applicants/CheckApplicationStatus/CheckApplicationStatus.htm https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/12372.html https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/12372.html

20200408-FEL 15

Awards in this program are made to individuals; indirect costs are unallowable. If an individual recipient elects to have the fellowship paid through their institution, all NEH funds must be remitted to the individual. The institution may not take an institutional allowance.

7. Other Submission Requirements Applicants are asked to solicit two letters of reference. Provide the names, e-mail addresses, and affiliations for your two reference letter writers on the NEH Supplemental Information for Individuals Form. Letters of reference are more highly regarded if they address the specific proposed activity and the candidate’s ability to undertake it. Ideally, referees should come from different institutions.

If you are proposing a translation, one of your letters must be from an expert in the language(s) of your project and should provide an assessment of the one-page sample translation that you are submitting with your application. Notify this reference that they are expected to address the quality of the translation sample in their letter.

Approximately two to three weeks after the deadline, NEH will email your letter writers, asking them to submit their letters online. Letters must be submitted online not later than May 1, 2020 (for applications submitted on or before April 8, 2020), and May 5, 2021 (for applications submitted on or before April 14, 2021).

Applicants are responsible for ensuring that their letter writers have received and responded to the NEH requests for their letters by the deadline. You will be notified by e-mail when each of your letters of reference has been received. You are also responsible for providing the letter writers with relevant materials (such as a draft of the application).

After you have received confirmation that NEH has received your application, you may check the status of your letters by logging in to the secure area of NEH’s website. Enter your NEH application number and your Grants.gov tracking number. You will be able to see the names and e-mail addresses of your letter writers and whether their letters have arrived. If necessary, you may send reminders to your letter writers (including the upload link) from this site.

Late letters will be added to your file when they arrive, but it is possible that reviewers will not take them into account. If you find that you must change one or both of your letter writers after the application deadline, you may do so by contacting program staff at fellowships@neh.gov.

Current members of NEH’S National Council on the Humanities may not serve as letter writers.

Missing reference letters will not disqualify an application from review.

E. Application Review Information

1. Review Criteria Peer reviewers will use the following criteria to…