PKG00294411.pdf

Notice of Funding Opportunity

Public Humanities Projects

Funding Opportunity Number: 20261209-GE-GI-BP-BR-GGX

Funding Opportunity Type: New

Federal Assistance Listing Number: 45.041

Application Deadline: December 16, 2026

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 Lifelong Learning Email: learning@neh.gov

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

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Executive Summary The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Division of Lifelong Learning is accepting applications for the Public Humanities Projects program. The purpose of this program is to support projects that bring the ideas and insights of the humanities to life in three areas: (1) exhibitions, (2) historic site interpretations, and (3) public lectures and discussions. For 2027, NEH welcomes applications that promote deeper public understanding of the following topics:

Western civilization and America’s place in it; great works of literature, history, philosophy, and theology and their relevance to contemporary questions; the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution; civic education; civil discourse; cultural literacy, and the practice of close reading.

Public Lectures and Discussion Forums must address one of these interest areas.

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) provides application information unique to Public Humanities Projects, including program-specific requirements, allowable activities, review criteria, and formatting instructions. Refer to NEH’s General Application Guide for Awards to Organizations for standard instructions that apply to all NEH funding programs for organizations.

Together, this NOFO and the general guidelines provide all the information you need to complete and submit your application to NEH.

Funding Opportunity Title Public Humanities Projects Funding Opportunity Number 20261209-GE-GI-BP-BR-GGX Federal Assistance Listing Number 45.041 Application Deadline December 16, 2026, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time Anticipated Award Announcement July 2027 Anticipated Funding Approximately $6,000,000 Estimated Number and Type of Awards Approximately 20 grants Award Amounts Planning: up to $75,000.

Implementation: up to $500,000 (up to $2,000,000 for Chairman’s Special Awards)

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

Implementation: 12 to 48 months

Projects must start between November 1, 2027, and March 1, 2028.

https://www.neh.gov/sites/default/files/NEH%20General%20Application%20Guide%2002-24-2026.pdf

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

• accredited institutions of higher education (public or nonprofit)

• state and local governments and their agencies

• federally recognized Native American Tribal governments

See C. Eligibility Information for additional information.

Program Resource Page https://www.neh.gov/grants/public/public-humanities-projects

Pre-Application Webinar and Q&A You will find a pre-recorded webinar on the NEH program resource page by October 20, 2026.

There will be a live Q&A on applying for a Public Humanities Projects award on November 10, 2026.

Published October 16, 2026 https://www.neh.gov/grants/public/public-humanities-projects

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Table of Contents A. Program Description

1. Purpose

2. Funding Restrictions

3. Background

B. Federal Award Information

1. Type of Application and Award

2. Summary of Funding

C. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

2. Other Eligibility Information

D. Application Contents

1. Application Component Table

2. Application Elements

E. Application Review Information

1. Review Criteria

2. Review Process

3. Intergovernmental Review

F. Submission Information

1. Application Package

2. Submission Instructions

G. Award Notices

1. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

2. Federal Award Documents

3. Administrative and National Policy Requirements Specific to this Program

H. Annual and Final Reporting

I. Agency 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, insights, and great works of the humanities to life in three categories: (1) Exhibitions, (2) interpretive programs at Historic Places, (3) and Public Lectures and Discussion Forums. Projects must engage humanities scholarship to analyze significant themes. Awards for Exhibitions and Historic Site Interpretations are available at Planning and Implementation levels, and awards for Public Lectures and Discussion Forums are available only at the Implementation level.

Areas of interest NEH welcomes applications that promote deeper public understanding of the following topics:

Western civilization and America’s place in it; great works of literature, history, philosophy, and theology and their relevance to contemporary questions; the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution; civic education; civil discourse; cultural literacy, and the practice of close reading.

Projects may take a variety of approaches to the topic(s), drawing on fields such as philosophy, history, languages and literature, political science, archaeology, theology, and the classics.

Applications for Public Lectures and Discussion Forums must address one of the interest areas.

Public Humanities Projects must:

• be grounded in sound humanities scholarship

• take an analytical approach that deepens public understanding of underlying themes and ideas

• involve humanities scholars from outside the applicant organization in all phases of the project. You must identify scholars in your application, and they must submit letters of commitment.

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

• encourage dialogue and the exchange of ideas

Project categories This program supports projects in three categories: Exhibitions (permanent, temporary, or traveling), interpretive programs at Historic Places, and Public Lectures and Discussion Forums.

Exhibitions Exhibitions projects 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).

Historic Places Historic Places projects 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

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years. Such projects might include living history presentations, guided tours, exhibitions, and public programs.

Public Lectures and Discussion Forums Public Lectures and Discussion Forums projects strengthen knowledge and appreciation of significant topics in one of the designated interest areas. Formats may include lectures, symposia, panels, conversations, reading and discussion programs, and other methods of audience engagement.

Successful projects will use approaches from the humanities to examine central ideas by engaging audiences with documents, artifacts, literary or philosophical texts, and other humanities resources. Skilled discussion facilitators and a range of humanities experts, including historians, curators, librarians, and scholars, will guide programs to interpret thematic content and spark conversation and critical analysis.

Public Lectures and Discussion Forums must be:

• centered on specific humanities resources (historical documents and artifacts, works of art, literary and philosophical texts, etc.)

• firmly grounded in rigorous scholarship and thoughtful analysis

• guided by a range of project-related humanities scholars and interpretive experts, such as educators, curators, community historians, tribal leaders, or librarians

• led by experienced discussion facilitators or panel moderators

• respectful of divergent views

• free of ad hominem remarks

• free of preferential or prejudicial treatment toward any individual or group

If you are applying for a project centered on a documentary film or documentary series, the film(s) must be complete at the time of submission. To be eligible, your application must include a link to the completed film(s).

Funding levels

Funding Level Period of Performance Award Amount Planning: Exhibitions Up to 24 months Up to $75,000 Planning: Historic Places Up to 24 months Up to $75,000 Implementation: Single-Site Temporary Exhibitions

12-48 months Up to $100,000

Implementation: Exhibitions 12-48 months Up to $500,000 Implementation: Historic Places 12-48 months Up to $500,000 Implementation: Public Lectures and Discussion Forums

12-48 months Up to $500,000

Implementation: Chairman’s Special Award

12-48 months Up to $2,000,000

This program supports projects at two funding levels: Planning (Exhibitions and Historic Places) and Implementation (Exhibitions, Historic Places, Public Lectures and Discussion Forums). A Planning award is not required before applying for an Implementation award. For information on

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choosing the appropriate funding level, see Public Humanities Projects grants: Which level of funding is right for your project?

Planning Planning awards are intended to help you explore and develop the analytical perspectives, project themes, or interpretive methods that you identify in your proposal. Awards are for 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

• 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 elements to apply for an Implementation award.

Implementation Implementation awards support projects that are in the final stages of preparation to “go live” before the public. The period of performance must include the required minimum exhibition time.

Implementation awards range from up to $100,000 to $500,000, or up to $2,000,000 for a Chairman’s Special Award, with a period of performance from 12 to 48 months.

Project activities may include:

• final scholarly research and consultation

• exhibition design, fabrication, crating, and shipping

• development and implementation of public discussion events

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

• planning and presentation of public programs and related publicity

• project evaluation

• 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

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

• development and construction of interactive components

• publicity and outreach

Chairman’s Special Award Applicants proposing ambitious projects of exceptional significance and impact may apply for a Chairman’s Special Award of up to $2,000,000. These projects must demonstrate the potential to address significant humanities ideas in NEH’s interest areas. Special consideration will be given to projects that develop and expand new ways to enrich public understanding and appreciation of the humanities.

https://www.neh.gov/blog/neh-public-humanities-projects-grants-which-level-funding-right-your-project https://www.neh.gov/blog/neh-public-humanities-projects-grants-which-level-funding-right-your-project

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Program outputs and outcomes Program outputs are the tangible products that result from the award.

The outputs of a successful Exhibitions 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 and enrichment of general audiences with ideas drawn from great texts and sound humanities scholarship.

You must describe your outputs and how they would support the project outcomes in the application Attachment 1: Narrative. If you receive an award, NEH will assess your performance by comparing the outputs proposed in the application against those reported in your performance reports. See H. Annual and Final Reporting.

2. Funding Restrictions You may not use funds made under this notice for the following purposes:

Restricted activities:

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

• promotion of gender ideology

• promotion of discriminatory equity ideology

• support for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) or diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) initiatives or activities

• environmental justice initiatives or activities

• advocacy of a particular program of social or political action

• support of specific public policies or legislation

• lobbying

Programmatic exclusions:

• expenses for hosting a traveling exhibition that is not being developed as part of the project submitted to this program

• expenses for venues in foreign countries

• projects where the primary format is a film, podcast or audio program

• purchase or commission of art or artifacts, or artmaking activities such as the creation of a mural or memorial

• projects for preservation, cataloging, or archiving that do not include significant interpretive components

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• print or digital publications that are not an integral part of the larger project for which funding is requested

• purchase, renovation (including installation of permanent walls or lighting), restoration, rehabilitation, or construction of real property

• building-wide improvements, such as overall window or carpet replacement due to wear, that do not relate to the design and fabrication of the exhibition in its gallery space

• strategic planning or feasibility studies

• projects that satisfy requirements for educational degrees or formal professional training

• conservation treatments of objects in excess of 15% of the NEH award

• projects devoted primarily to research rather than interpretation for the public

• dramatic adaptations of literary works

• costs for attending regularly occurring professional meetings or other professional development activities

• projects that fall outside of the humanities

• the creation or performance of art

• creative writing, autobiographies, memoirs, and creative nonfiction

• policy studies

• social science research that does not address humanistic questions and/or utilize humanistic methods

Unallowable costs:

• costs for activities performed by federal entities or personnel

• fiscal agent and fiscal sponsor fees

• fiscal agent activities alone without substantive involvement (e.g. proposal submissions, reporting, financial oversight, maintaining IRS status)

See 2 CFR 200 Subpart E - Cost Principles for other unallowable costs.

If your application includes unallowable costs or activities, NEH may deem it to be nonresponsive and reject it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Learn more about NEH.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#subpart-E https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?hl=false&edition=prelim&req=granuleid%3AUSC-prelim-title20-section956 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=236bb02f01d2e050f7a5b60c88a67066&mc=true&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=236bb02f01d2e050f7a5b60c88a67066&mc=true&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5 https://www.neh.gov/general-terms-and-conditions-grants-after-oct-2024 https://www.neh.gov/general-terms-and-conditions-grants-after-oct-2024 https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-1998-title20/pdf/USCODE-1998-title20-chap26-subchapI-sec952.pdf https://securegrants.neh.gov/publicquery/main.aspx https://www.neh.gov/about

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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, up to $500,000 for Implementation, or up to $2,000,000 for a Chairman’s Special Award, inclusive of both direct and indirect costs. Refer to NEH’s General Application Guide for Awards to Organizations for information about indirect costs.

NEH anticipates awarding approximately $6,000,000 in total funding to an estimated 20 recipients.

NEH will not determine the funding available each fiscal year until Congress enacts the agency’s final budget. Accordingly, NEH issues this NOFO subject to the availability of appropriated funds and it does not obligate NEH to make any awards.

Period of Performance 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.

You may request a period of performance of up to 24 months for Planning projects, and 12 to 48 months for Implementation projects, with a start date between November 1, 2027, and March 1, 2028.

Cost Sharing NEH supports projects with outright funds, federal matching funds, or a combination of the two.

Learn about the types of funds NEH offers. Cost sharing refers to project costs that are covered with non-NEH funds. Additional information on cost sharing is available in NEH’s General Application Guide for Awards to Organizations.

NEH will award successful applicants outright funds, which do not require cost sharing. Peer reviewers will not consider any voluntary cost share in their evaluation of applications.

You must maintain auditable records documenting the source and use of cost share, consistent with 2 CFR § 200.306.

https://www.neh.gov/sites/default/files/NEH%20General%20Application%20Guide%2002-24-2026.pdf https://www.neh.gov/grants/manage/types-funding https://www.neh.gov/sites/default/files/NEH%20General%20Application%20Guide%2002-24-2026.pdf https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.306

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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.

NEH does not provide financial assistance to foreign institutions or organizations.

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.

The recipient may not function solely as a fiscal agent but should make substantive contributions to the success of the project. Fiscal sponsors applying on behalf of an ineligible organization are not eligible to apply.

2. Other Eligibility Information You may submit multiple applications for separate and distinct projects under this notice. An individual may serve as project director for multiple proposed projects under this notice.

You may revise and resubmit an application not selected for funding. Resubmissions must meet the application requirements and review criteria of the current competition.

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.

If you submit multiple applications, NEH will accept only your last validated submission prior to the deadline under the applicable Grants.gov funding opportunity.

D. Application Contents 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 20261209-GE-GI-BP-BR-GGX.

There is also a link on the program resource page.

See the Application Component Table below to learn what a complete application entails, and the sections following it for information about the content of those components.

See NEH’s General Application Guide for Awards to Organizations for application component designations, page limits, formatting requirements, and submission rules, as well as instructions 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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for the Grants.gov forms in your application package (SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance, Supplementary Cover Sheet for NEH Programs, Project/Performance Site Location(s) Form, Attachments form, lobbying forms, and the Research and Related Budget form and accompanying budget justification).

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

If you include application elements other than those listed in the table, NEH will reject your application.

If your application exceeds mandatory page limits or deviates from formatting instructions, NEH will reject it.

1. Application Component Table Application Component File Name Designation Page Limit Attachments 1: Narrative narrative.pdf Required 15 pages

(mandatory) 2: Work plan workplan.pdf Required 1 page

(suggested) 3: Résumés resumes.pdf Required 2 pages per résumé (suggested)

4. Letters of commitment letters.pdf Required 5: Bibliography bibliography.pdf Required 2 pages

(suggested)

6. Walkthrough walkthrough.pdf Required for

Implementation projects

10 pages (mandatory)

7. Additional supporting documentation supportingdocs.pdf Conditionally required

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

Exhibitions projects

9: Subrecipient budget(s) subrecipient.pdf Conditionally

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

11: Explanation of delinquent federal debt delinquentdebt.pdf Conditionally

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2. Application Elements 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. Per the Policy on the Use of Artificial Intelligence for NEH Grant Proposals, you must acknowledge (by use of footnotes or other marginal notations) when you have inserted AI-generated text into your proposal.

You must limit the narrative to 15 single-spaced pages. Do not include an executive summary, cover page, or table of contents. You may include images, charts, diagrams, footnotes, or endnotes if they fit within the page limit. Name the file narrative.pdf.

Implementation applicants will have additional space to describe their projects in Attachment 6:

Walkthrough.

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

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, Historic Places, or Public Lectures and Discussion Forums project. For Exhibitions, specify whether the exhibition 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.

Application Component 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 https://www.neh.gov/sites/default/files/2024-10/NEH.AI_.Policy-10.23.24.pdf https://www.neh.gov/sites/default/files/2024-10/NEH.AI_.Policy-10.23.24.pdf

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Chairman’s Special Award (if applicable, aligns with review criterion 6)

• Explain how the project would address NEH’s areas of special interest: Western civilization and America’s place in it; great works of literature, history, philosophy, and theology; the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution; civic education; promoting humanities literacy and deep reading.

• Describe the significance of the project’s topic and how the program’s format, reach, and potential influence make it a compelling candidate for funding at this level.

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 and analytical perspectives. State the analytical ideas that the project will explore. Provide an argument that supports each of these ideas using examples from planned project content and resources, as well as your consultation with project scholars, their published works, and the scholarship of other humanists. 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 historical significance of the site; the extent to which the interpretation will make use of the site’s attributes (the location, the buildings, the landscape, or other natural or built features) in telling its story; and the extent to which the interpretation addresses central historical themes.

Project formats (aligns with review criteria 2 and 5)

• Briefly describe the methodology or interpretive philosophy that guides the project.

• For Planning applications: Describe how you envision the final exhibition or site interpretation. Explain how you will effectively communicate your core analytical ideas.

Give examples of interpretive techniques and activities that you will investigate during your planning process. Do not use this space to explain the process to plan your project.

You will do that in the work plan.

• For Implementation applications: explain how you will organize the final exhibition, site interpretation, or public discussion series, 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.

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• 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.

• 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 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.

Project evaluation (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 that will take place 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 collaborative projects, discuss each partner institution’s responsibilities. As appropriate, identify meaningful support and collaboration with key stakeholders in planning, designing, and implementing activities. Name the file workplan.pdf.

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Attachment 3: Résumés for key personnel (required) Begin this attachment with a list of project team members, humanities scholars, and consultants. Include full names, titles, and institutional affiliations (e.g., Joan Smith, Professor of American Studies, University of Maryland; John Smith, designer, ABC Designs).

Include résumés for key personnel, consultants, and humanities scholars, not to exceed two pages in length per person. Name the file resumes.pdf.

Attachment 4: Letters of commitment (required) Provide signed and dated letters of commitment from partner organizations, humanities scholars, and other consultants, outlining their intended contributions. Letters from consultants other than scholars should include their estimated fees and deliverables.

Employees of the applicant organization do not need to provide letters of commitment.

Elected government officials, NEH staff, and current members of the National Council on the Humanities may not serve as letter writers. Name the file letters.pdf.

Attachment 5: Bibliography (required) Include a short bibliography (suggested length: two pages) of the significant humanities scholarship that informs the project. You may use any standard format. This bibliography should include any collections or libraries where you have identified archival material for the project.

Name the file bibliography.pdf.

Attachment 6: Walkthrough (required for Implementation projects) Describe how visitors will experience the project and demonstrate how you will communicate the analytical perspectives and takeaway ideas to the public. Follow the instructions below for the category to which you are applying. Do not submit this component for Planning projects.

You must limit your walkthrough to ten single-spaced pages, not including renderings, signage, or other additions listed below. 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 https://www.neh.gov/about/national-council-on-the-humanities https://www.neh.gov/about/national-council-on-the-humanities

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• 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.

If you are planning living history programs or first-person dramatic presentations, include treatments demonstrating the narrative arc of the presentations or the framework for the first-person interpretation, with some examples of intended audience interactions.

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, which do not count toward the page limit:

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

• scripts of reenactments

• 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

Public Lectures and Discussion Forums Describe how the audience will experience the series, and how the programs will deliver the humanities content.

If applicable, list the supplementary readings and audiovisual materials that you will make available for audiences (e.g., texts, films, plays, pieces of music). Include titles and brief annotations. Explain how the works relate to the project’s main themes. If you will use collections of historical artifacts or artworks, identify the pieces from the collection(s) that you will feature and indicate their significance.

If the discussion series will accompany a performance (play, movie, concert), include details about how this public program enhances the audience’s experience of the performance. The discussion should be a robust public program itself and not just ancillary to the performance.

Describe how audience members not attending the performance will have access to the discussion programs. NEH will not provide financial support for the performances.

If applicable, describe training workshops and other activities to prepare discussion facilitators, scholars, presenters, docents, and other project staff.

Describe the printed and/or online resources that you will make available to extend the life of the project.

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Attachment 7: Additional supporting documentation (conditionally required) If applicable, Implementation applicants 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 being declared ineligible; provide only the material listed below. Planning applications should not include this attachment. 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 traveling version 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 project’s humanities content. 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.

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.

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 Program Income Policy.

Attachment 8: Object list and illustrations (conditionally required) Required for Implementation: Exhibitions. Optional for Implementation: Historic Places and Implementation: Public Lectures and Humanities Forums. Planning applications should not include this attachment.

Include a complete object list and five to ten object illustrations. Name the file objects.pdf.

Attachment 9: Subrecipient Budget(s) (conditionally required) If your project includes subawards, you must provide a separate Research and Related Budget form and budget justification for each subrecipient. Name the file subrecipient.pdf.

https://www.neh.gov/grants/manage/neh-program-income-policy

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Attachment 10: Federally negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (conditionally required) If your organization is claiming indirect costs and has a current federally negotiated indirect cost rate agreement, provide a copy of the agreement. If applicable, provide the indirect cost rate agreements for subrecipients claiming indirect costs. If you and your subrecipients are requesting the de minimis rate of 15%, you do not need to submit this attachment. Name the file agreement.pdf.

Attachment 11: 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.

E. Application Review Information

1. Review Criteria Peer reviewers will use the following criteria to review applications under this notice:

1. Intellectual content and humanities significance

• the likely contribution to the public’s understanding of humanities ideas and fields the project engages with

• the quality and relevance of the humanities scholarship informing the project

• the extent to which the project offers an analytical perspective on its underlying themes and ideas

• the extent that Public Lectures and Humanities Forums would engage one of the required interest areas

2. Format and program resources

• the appropriateness, quality, and creativity of the concept for organizing and presenting the material to effectively convey the humanities content to the intended audience

• the significance of the materials, collections, and other resources that support the project’s humanities themes and ideas

• the potential of the project’s interpretive techniques, audience experience design, and (if applicable) interpretive text or signage to clearly present the major takeaway ideas

• the extent that Public Lectures and Humanities Forums are led by experienced discussion facilitators or panel moderators

3. Audience

• the appeal of the subject and the accessibility of the ideas to the intended audience

• the demonstrated ability of the organization to attract a broad audience and, if applicable, to reach the specific target audiences the proposal identifies https://whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/legacy_drupal_files/omb/circulars/A129/a-129.pdf https://whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/legacy_drupal_files/omb/circulars/A129/a-129.pdf

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4. Project team and humanities advisers

• the experience and technical skills of the project team, and the quality of their previous work

• the qualifications of the advising scholars and potential for their involvement to enhance project content and analysis

• if applicable, the likelihood that the institutional partners will collaborate effectively

5. Project feasibility

• the likelihood that the applicant will achieve the project’s goals in a timely and efficient manner

• the appropriateness and reasonableness of the project’s costs

• the likely effectiveness of the proposed project evaluation

6. Justification for a Chairman’s Special Award (if applicable)

• the strength of the argument for the significance of the project topic

• the quality of the project and its potential long-term influence and reach

7. Overall evaluation

• the quality of the project, taken as a whole

2. Review Process NEH staff review all applications for eligibility, completeness, and responsiveness. The agency then conducts a peer review process for all applications that pass this initial screening.

Peer reviewers are experts in their fields with knowledge and expertise relevant to the activities that the program supports. NEH instructs peer reviewers to evaluate applications according to the review criteria in this notice. Peer reviewers must comply with federal ethics rules governing conflicts of interest.

NEH program officers supplement the peer reviewers’ comments to address matters of fact or significant points that the peer reviewers have overlooked. They then make funding recommendations to the National Council on the Humanities and to the NEH Chairman. The National Council meets at least twice each year to review applications and advise the NEH Chairman. By law, the Chairman has the sole authority to make final funding decisions.

Following NEH’s public announcement of funded projects, you may request copies of the peer reviewers’ evaluations of your proposal by contacting learning@neh.gov.

Learn more about the NEH review process.

Apply to be a peer reviewer for NEH.

3. Intergovernmental Review This funding opportunity is not subject to intergovernmental review under Executive Order 12372.

https://www.neh.gov/about/national-council-on-the-humanities mailto:learning@neh.gov https://www.neh.gov/grants/application-process https://securegrants.neh.gov/signup/ https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/12372.html https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/12372.html

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F. 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 20261209-GE-GI-BP-BR-GGX.

There is also a link on the program resource page.

This funding opportunity includes five application packages, which you can find under the “Package” tab. Select the appropriate one based upon your project type.

Funding Level Application Package ID

Exhibitions: Planning GE2026

Exhibitions: Implementation GI2026

Historic Places: Planning BP2026

Historic Places: Implementation BR2026

Public Lectures and Discussion Forums GGX2026

2. Submission Instructions The deadline for applications under this notice is December 16, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.

When NEH receives your application from Grants.gov, the agency will assign it a tracking number beginning with GE (Exhibitions: Planning), GI (Exhibitions: Implementation), BP (Historic Places: Planning), BR (Historic Places: Implementation), or GGX (Public Lectures and Humanities Forums).

Under this notice NEH will consider only applications that are complete, comply with length and formatting requirements, and have been validated by Grants.gov under the correct funding opportunity prior to the deadline. See the late submission policy for the limited situations when NEH might accept an application submitted after the deadline.

G. Award Notices

1. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates NEH will notify you of funding decisions by email in July 2027. Notification of funding does not authorize you to begin performance or incur costs.

2. Federal Award Documents If NEH selects your application for an award, the NEH Office of Grant Management will send award documents to the institutional grant administrator and project director through eGMS Reach starting in July 2027.

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

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3. Administrative and National Policy Requirements Specific to this Program Refer to NEH's General Application Guide for Awards to Organizations for administrative and national policy requirements that apply to all NEH awards. These are the requirements specific to Public Humanities Projects.

Executive Order 14332: Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking Exec. Order No. 14332 (Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking), 90 Fed. Reg. 38929 (Aug. 7, 2025), Sec. 4(b)(iii). All else being equal, NEH may give preference for discretionary awards to institutions with lower indirect cost rates.

Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990 The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990 (NAGPRA) provides protection of Native American graves and items, including human remains, funerary objects, and sacred objects. NAGPRA applies to any organization that controls or possesses Native American human remains and associated funerary objects and that receives federal funding, even for a purpose unrelated to the Act. Learn more about NAGPRA.

H. Annual and Final Reporting If you receive an award, you must complete these required reports in NEH’s online grant management system,…