Collaborative Research 2026 NOFO.pdf
This is a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the National Endowment for the Humanities' Collaborative Research program. The program supports groups of two or more scholars advancing humanistic knowledge through manuscript preparation for print publication, creation of scholarly digital projects, or planning of international collaborations. The 2026 competition is limited to projects on American history and culture or Western civilization. The funding opportunity number is 20260916-RZ with a Federal Assistance Listing Number of 45.035. The application deadline is September 16, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, with anticipated award announcements in July 2027. Approximately $2,500,000 will be distributed among an estimated 15 grants. Award amounts vary by category: Planning International Collaboration awards up to $50,000 with six to twelve months of performance; Manuscript Preparation and Scholarly Digital Project awards up to $250,000 each with one to three years of performance (up to $100,000 per year for years one and two, and up to $50,000 for year three). Projects must commence between November 1, 2027, and August 1, 2028. No cost-sharing is required unless federal matching funds are requested.
Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, accredited institutions of higher education (public or nonprofit), state and local governments and their agencies, and federally recognized Native American Tribal governments. Each application must designate one sole project director who is a scholar not enrolled in a degree-granting program and may include multiple codirectors. Individuals may serve as project director or codirector on only one application per competition. Applications require eleven components including a narrative (10 pages maximum), work plan (3 pages), bibliography (3 pages), project team list (2 pages), team member resumes (2 pages each), and optional supplementary materials (10 pages). The narrative must address project overview, significance and impact, substance and context, methods and execution, project history and productivity, collaboration details, performance period goals, and final product dissemination. Funding restrictions prohibit costs for equipment purchases, conference attendance, print publishing and press subventions, activities promoting political or religious viewpoints, diversity and inclusion initiatives, and various other excluded activities. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov under funding opportunity number 20260916-RZ. Program contact is the Division of Research at collaborative@neh.gov or 202-606-8200.
415KB PDF 7/7/26 NEH General Application Guide.pdf
This is the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) General Application Guide for Awards to Organizations, effective February 27, 2026, serving as comprehensive instructions for applicants to all NEH organizational grant programs. The guide covers six primary steps: reviewing the funding opportunity, preparing to apply, creating applications, preparing budgets, reviewing policy requirements, and submitting applications for review.
Applicants must register with Login.gov, SAM.gov (to obtain a Unique Entity Identifier), and Grants.gov before submitting applications. Organizations must confirm eligibility by consulting the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) specific to their program, as for-profit entities, foreign organizations, and individuals are ineligible for organizational awards. All applications require a project narrative, work plan, and supporting documents specified in the NOFO, formatted to standard letter size with one-inch margins, single spacing, and 11-point minimum font. Budgets must use the Research and Related (R&R) Budget form with a separate budget justification, and all costs must comply with 2 CFR 200 Subpart E (Cost Principles). Key budget restrictions prohibit promotion of political or religious viewpoints, diversity and inclusion initiatives, environmental justice activities, and social science research outside humanistic inquiry; unallowable costs include federal entity activities, fiscal agent fees without substantive involvement, and overlapping costs across multiple federal awards. The application deadline and award timeline vary by program, with NEH staff conducting eligibility and completeness screening before peer review by subject matter experts, followed by National Council and Chairman approval. Award announcements occur approximately 9–12 months after the application deadline. Recipients must acknowledge NEH support in all materials, provide public access to peer-reviewed articles per NEH policy, protect personally identifiable information, and comply with applicable Executive Orders, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, debarment certifications, and subrecipient monitoring requirements if subawards are issued.
715KB PDF 7/8/26 Collaborative Research 2026 NOFO 070826.pdf
This is a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Collaborative Research program, funding opportunity number 20260916-RZ. The program supports groups of two or more scholars advancing humanistic knowledge through manuscript preparation for print publication, creation of scholarly digital projects, or planning of international collaborations. Projects must address significant research questions in American history and culture or Western civilization. The application deadline is September 16, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, with anticipated award announcements in July 2027. Approximately $2,500,000 will be distributed among an estimated 15 grants across three funding categories: Planning International Collaboration (up to $50,000 for six to twelve months), Manuscript Preparation (up to $250,000 for one to three years), and Scholarly Digital Project (up to $250,000 for one to three years). Projects must commence between November 1, 2027, and August 1, 2028.
Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, accredited institutions of higher education (public or nonprofit), state and local government agencies, and federally recognized Native American Tribal governments. Each application must have a sole project director and at least one collaborator, with no individual serving as project director or codirector on more than one application per competition. The application requires 11 components including a project team list, narrative (maximum 10 pages), work plan (maximum 3 pages), bibliography (maximum 3 pages), team member resumes (2 pages per person), and supporting materials. Funding restrictions prohibit costs for diversity initiatives, political or religious advocacy, conferences, training, equipment purchases, print publishing costs, and attendance at professional meetings. Cost sharing is not required unless federal matching funds are requested. Peer reviewers will evaluate applications based on significance, methods and execution, collaboration quality, work plan clarity, and outcomes and access plans.
415KB PDF 7/8/26 NEH General Application Guide.pdf
This is the General Application Guide for Awards to Organizations for the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), published February 27, 2026, providing comprehensive instructions applicable to all NEH organizational grant programs. The guide establishes a six-step application process: reviewing the funding opportunity and NOFO, preparing to apply through registration with Login.gov, SAM.gov, and Grants.gov, creating application elements and completing required Grants.gov forms, preparing budgets using the Research and Related (R&R) Budget form, reviewing applicable policy requirements, and submitting applications through Grants.gov. All NEH awards must comply with 2 CFR Part 200, the General Terms and Conditions for Awards to Organizations, and program-specific terms outlined in the Notice of Action.
Eligible applicants include U.S. nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, public and accredited institutions of higher education, state and local governmental agencies, and federally recognized Native American Tribal governments; for-profit entities and foreign organizations are ineligible. Applications require an SF-424 form, Supplementary Cover Sheet for NEH Programs, Project/Performance Site Location form, and attachments in PDF format, including project narratives with mandatory page limits, budgets with justifications, and conditionally required documents such as indirect cost rate agreements and subrecipient budgets. Budget restrictions prohibit funding for promotion of political, religious, or ideological viewpoints; DEI/DEIA initiatives; environmental justice activities; advocacy; lobbying; creation or performance of art; and activities outside the humanities. All costs must be reasonable, necessary, allowable under 2 CFR 200 Subpart E, auditable, and incurred during the period of performance. Special policies address indirect costs using Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC), subrecipient management requiring separate budgets and UEI documentation, participant support, equipment purchases above $10,000, travel aligned with GSA per diem rates, conference and food costs subject to specific guidelines, and accessibility accommodations as eligible direct costs. Recipients must acknowledge NEH support, provide public access to peer-reviewed publications per NEH's Public Access Policy, protect personally identifiable information, and comply with Executive Orders regarding anti-Semitism, Section 504 accessibility requirements, and federal ethics standards. Peer review occurs following initial eligibility screening, with final funding decisions made by the NEH Chairman; applicants are notified approximately 9-12 months after the deadline, and awards are discretionary and non-appealable.
715KB PDF 7/7/26