Understand the NEH
Promoting excellence in the humanities and making the lessons offered through humanities disciplines accessible to the American people are major goals of NEH. To further these goals, NEH supports research, public programming, access and educational outreach projects - all designed to insure the humanities are relevant to Americans and our dialogue on democracy.
Like every funding agency, NEH is unique in some aspects. For example, NEH program officers want to work with you from a very early stage in your project development process to help insure your project meets their agency's needs. Also, NEH houses samples of previously funded proposals on their website so you can review what works and how best to approach a particular program. Yet another unique offering - some NEH programs encourage you to submit draft proposals to gain program officer feedback. So give yourself and your project every advantage by getting to know NEH well. For additional details about the agency, see the ORDE NEH Know Your Agency Brief and the conversation with NEH Program Officer Judith Adkins from the Division of Research Programs.
NEH Divisions that provide funding to universities are highlighted in the tabs below and include details on specific funding programs.
Looking to experiment with digital technologies that can contribute to humanities scholarship?
The NEH Office of Digital Technologies offers programs to develop new methodologies and pass along such knowledge to other humanities professionals.
Programs currently offered are:
DIGITAL HUMANITIES ADVANCEMENT GRANTS:
Supporting innovative, experimental, and/or computationally challenging projects at different stages –
from early start-up to implementation and sustainability – is the goal of this grants program.
- Application Available: January 17, 2023
- Optional Draft Due: April 17, 2023
- Deadline: June 16, 2023
- Expected Notification Date: December 31, 2023
- Project Start Date: January 1, 2024 - March 1, 2024
- Funding Level I: $75,000
- Funding Level II: $150,000
- Funding Level III: $350,000 with additional $50,000 in matching funds
INSTITUTES FOR ADVANCED TOPICS IN THE DIGITAL HUMANITIES:
This program funds national or regional training programs for scholars, humanities professionals,
and advanced graduate students to increase their knowledge concerning use of digital
technology in their humanities research efforts.
- Application Available: November 21, 2023
- Optional Draft Due: December 15, 2023
- Deadline: February 15, 2024
- Expected Notification Date: August 31, 2024
- Project Start Date: September 1, 2024 - September 1, 2025
- Funding Level: $250,000
Also see -
NEH-Mellon Fellowships for Digital Publication under the Research Programs tab
Humanities Collections and Reference Resources Program under the Preservation and Access tab
Digital Projects for the Public under the Public Programs tab
Are you interested in developing innovative humanities curricula or helping teachers at all levels understand the humanities more fully?
The NEH Division of Education Programs offers programs in humanities curriculum development and/or professional development opportunities for
K-12 and higher education teachers. Current funding opportunities available are:
DIALOGUES ON THE EXPERIENCE OF WAR:
This program supports discussion groups focused on various humanities sources about war; the intended
audience is military veterans but programs may also serve current military personnel and their families as
well as the general public.
- Application Available: June 7, 2023
- Deadline: September 7, 2023
- Expected Notification Date: April 30, 2024
- Project Start Date: May 1, 2024 - September 1, 2024
- Funding Level: $100,000
HUMANITIES CONNECTIONS PLANNING GRANTS:
NEH seeks to expand the role of the humanities in undergraduate education by fostering partnerships among
humanities faculty and their colleagues in the social and natural sciences and in pre-service or professional
programs (e.g., business, engineering, health sciences, law, computer science). Planning Grants allow
involved faculty to draw together a planning committee, organize the planning process and begin the
curriculum development process.
- Application Available: June 7, 2023
- Deadline: September 7, 2023
- Expected Notification Date: April 30, 2024
- Project Start Date: June 1, 2024 - September 1, 2024
- Funding Level: Up to $35,000 for Planning, Up to $150,000 for Implementation
HUMANITIES CONNECTIONS IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS:
Proposed projects must show evidence of a prior planning process, either as a previously funded Humanities
Connections Planning Grant or other collaborative efforts and allows recipients to build on their partnership,
refine and then implement the new curricula.
- Application Available: June 7, 2023
- Deadline: September 7, 2023
- Expected Notification Date: April 30, 2024
- Project Start Date: June 1, 2024 - September 1, 2024
- Funding Level: Up to $35,000 for Planning, Up to $150,000 for Implementation
HUMANITIES INITIATIVES AT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES:
The goal of this program is to allow faculty to develop new humanities programs, resources and courses as
well as enhance existing ones.
- Application Available: January 17, 2023
- Optional draft due: March 21, 2023
- Deadline: March 9, 2023
- Expected Notification Date: December 31, 2023
- Project Start Date: February 1, 2024 - September 1, 2024
- Funding Level: $150,000
HUMANITIES INITIATIVES AT HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTIONS:
The program purpose is to strengthen humanities teaching and study at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
by developing new humanities-related programming, resources or courses or by enhancing existing versions.
Proposals compete against those submitted by other HSIs.
- Application Available: January 17, 2023
- Optional draft due: March 21, 2023
- Deadline: May 9, 2023
- Expected Notification Date: December 31, 2023
- Project Start Date: February 1, 2024 - September 1, 2024
- Funding Level: Up to $150,000
INSTITUTES FOR HIGHER EDUCATION FACULTY:
Faculty across the US are provided with professional development opportunities to explore recent
developments in scholarship, teaching and/or curriculum through study of a variety of humanities
topics. Institutes accommodate 25-36 participants. Note NEH is not offering seminars in 2022.
- Application available: November 7, 2023
- Deadline (Anticipated): February 7, 2024
- Expected Notification Date: August 31, 2024
- Project Start Date: October 1, 2024
- Funding Range: $220,000
Is your interest in preserving cultural heritage materials and making them more accessible to scholars and the public?
The NEH Division of Preservation and Access works with grantees - most often libraries, archives and museums - to insure preservation of
source materials such as book collections, sound recordings, still and moving images, art works and digital collections; and to make such
collections available to users in helpful formats. Current funding opportunities are:
HUMANITIES COLLECTIONS AND REFERENCE RESOURCES:
Projects are designed to extend the life of important collections and makes them widely accessible,
often through digital technologies
- Application Available: March 21, 2023
- Deadline: July 18, 2023
- Expected Notification Date: April 30, 2024
- Project Start Date: June 1, 2024 - September 1, 2024
- Funding Level: Foundations Project - $50,000 (NEH offers an additional $10,000 to support inter-institutional planning and pilot activities), Up to $350,000 for Implementation
Because both NEH and the National Science Foundation (NSF) have linguistics as part of their
agency responsibilities, the two agencies have teamed up to address the fact that about one-half of
the 7000 languages currently in use in the world are in imminent danger of loss. Supported research
will involve language description, infrastructure and computational methods through research
grants, fellowships and conference grants.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT:
Projects that address major challenges associated with preserving or providing access to humanities collections
and resources are welcome here. Preserving fragile artifacts, manuscripts, analog recordings and digital assets that
are subject to technological obsolescence are all within scope of this program along with developing better ways
to organize, search, discover and use such materials. Projects at any stage of development are eligible for support
from the early planning process to advanced implementation.
- Application Available: January 25, 2023
- Optional Draft Due; April 17, 2023
- Deadline: May 16, 2023
- Expected Notification Date: December 31, 2023
- Project Start Date: March 1, 2024 - September 1, 2024
- Funding Level: Tier I - $100,000, Tier II - $350,000
Helping cultural institutions (e.g., libraries, archives, museums, historical organizations) preserve humanities
collections that facilitate research, strengthen teaching, and provide opportunities for lifelong learning is
the goal of this program.
- Application Available: October 12, 2023
- Deadline: January 12, 2024
- Expected Notification Date: August 31, 2024
- Project Start Date: October 1, 2024 - January 1, 2025
- Funding Level: Planning - $50,000, Implementation I - $100,000, Implementation II - $350,000
Are you interested in bringing the humanities to public audiences?
The NEH Division of Public Programs supports programs with a variety of outcomes that bring humanities programming to the general public -
through historic site interpretation, TV and radio productions, museum exhibits, short videos, digital games, museum exhibits, websites, mobile
apps and other innovative outreach efforts. Current funding opportunities are:
DIGITAL PROJECTS FOR THE PUBLIC:
With the ultimate goal of creating and making available project outcomes such as games, simulations, mobile apps,
virtual/augmented reality and websites, this program supports projects that bring the humanities to life for a general
audience. Outcomes may live on the internet or be featured in venues such as museums, libraries or other cultural
institutions.
- Application Available: March 15, 2023
- Optional Draft Due: May 3, 2023
- Deadline: June 14, 2023
- Expected Notification Date: December 31, 2023
- Project Start Date: February 1, 2024 - September 1, 2024
- Funding Level: Discovery Grant - $30,000, Prototyping Grants - $100,000, Production Grants - $400,000
MEDIA PROJECTS - DEVELOPMENT GRANTS:
NEH would like to encourage media producers and scholars to develop humanities content and prepare documentary film,
television, radio and podcast productions that engage public audiences with humanities ideas. Development Grants should
result in a script for documentary or TV projects or a detailed treatment for radio programs and podcasts. Additional products
may include a plan for outreach and public engagement.
- Application Available: May 9, 2023
- Deadline: August 9, 2023
- Expected Notification Date: April 30, 2024
- Project Start Date: May 1, 2024 - November 1, 2024
- Funding Level: Development - $75,000, Production - $700,000, Chairman's Special Awards - $1,000,000
MEDIA PROJECTS - PRODUCTION GRANTS:
Again with the idea of engaging general audiences with humanities ideas, this program supports production and distribution
costs associated with radio, podcast, television and documentary film projects. Productions may be for single programs
or a series, and will address significant figures, events or ideas.
- Application Available: May 9, 2023
- Deadline: August 9, 2023
- Expected Notification Date: April 30, 2023
- Project Start Date: May 1, 2024 - November 1, 2024
- Funding Level: Development - $75,000, Production - $700,000, Chairman's Special Awards - $1,000,000
PUBLIC HUMANITIES PROJECTS:
Bringing ideas and insights from humanities disciplines to life for the general public is the overall goal of this program.
Three categories of projects are supported: 1) Exhibitions (permanent, temporary or traveling); 2) Interpretive Programs
(at historic sites); and 3) Humanities Discussions (discussions must be related to the "A More Perfect Union" NEH special
initiative. Both Planning and Implementation Grants are available.
- Application Available: May 9, 2023
- Deadline: August 9, 2023
- Expected Notification Date: April 30, 2023
- Project Start Date: May 1, 2024 - November 1, 2024
- Funding Level: Planning - $75,000, Implementation - $400,000, Additional $100,000 for Positions in the Public Humanities
SHORT DOCUMENTARIES:
Through this program, NEH supports production and distribution of documentary films up to 30 minutes. These films must be
grounded in humanities scholarship in disciplines such as history, art history, literature, religious studies, philosophy and
anthropology. Projects may be for a single film or a series of short films that address significant figures, events or ideas
related to the NEH Special Initiative "A More Perfect Union" that celebrates the upcoming 250th anniversary of the US.
Are you interested in conducting humanities research either as an individual scholar or as a member of a research team?
The NEH Division of Research Programs supports scholarly research and houses the most grant programs of any NEH division. Starting with
their Fellowships Program, begun over 50 years ago, NEH continues to offer individual projects as well as projects that involve multidisciplinary
research teams - all focused on advancing knowledge and understanding of the humanities. Current funding opportunities are:
ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ETHNOGRAPHIC FIELD RESEARCH:
This program funds investigators to conduct archaeological and ethnographic research by supporting the necessary fieldwork,
travel costs, equipment and salary support. Both individuals and research teams are eligible to apply. While NEH expects results
to be disseminated broadly, PIs who obtain these fieldwork grants are then encouraged to seek support from one of NEH's
Fellowship or Collaborative Research Grants programs to write and publish their results.
- Application Available: June 9, 2022
- Optional Draft Due: June 16, 2023
- Deadline: September 28, 2023
- Expected Notification Date: April 30, 2024
- Project Start Date: June 1, 2024 - May 1, 2024
- Funding Level: $150,000
AWARDS FOR FACULTY AT HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTIONS:
These awards support individuals pursuing scholarly research and is meant to strengthen the humanities at Hispanic-Serving
Institutions (HSIs). Eligible activities include 1) humanities research in primary and secondary materials that will lead to
publications, digital materials, etc.; 2) humanities research related to institutional or community goals or interests; and
3) humanities research leading to improvement of an existing undergraduate course. This program is open to all faculty and
staff members at HSIs including full-time, part-time, adjunct and retired faculty members.
- Application Available: January 11, 2023
- Optional Draft Due: February 8, 2023
- Deadline: April 12, 2023
- Expected Notification Date: December 31, 2023
- Project Start Date: January 1, 2024 - September 1, 2025
- Funding Level: $5,000 per month
COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH:
This program supports sustained collaboration by two or more scholars on projects that advance humanities knowledge through
interpretive humanities research no possible by researchers working on their own. Proposed fields of study may represent one
discipline or may be interdisciplinary. Collaborators may come from one institution or several with up to one-half the project team
consisting of collaborators outside of the US. Expected research outcomes include books, born-digital publications, themed
issues of peer-reviewed journals, peer-reviewed articles and open-access digital resources (Publication Grants). NEH also offers
Convening Grants.
- Application Available: August 30, 2023
- Deadline: November 29, 2023
- Expected Notification Date: August 31, 2024
- Project Start Date: October 1, 2024 - September 1, 2025
- Funding Level: $250,000
DYNAMIC LANGUAGE INFRASTRUCTURE - DOCUMENTING ENDANGERED LANGUAGES FELLOWSHIPS:
New this past year, these Fellowships are part of the joint funding program offered by NEH and the National Science Foundation.
The Fellowship Program supports individual junior or senior linguists, linguistic anthropologists and sociolinguists. Relevant
activities include scholarly analysis and publication, fieldwork and other activities relevant to digital recording, documenting
and sustainable archiving of endangered languages.
- Application Available: June 13, 2023
- Deadline: September 13, 2023
- Expected Notification Date: April 30, 2024
- Project Start Date: May 1, 2024 - September 1, 2025
- Funding Level: $60,000 ($5,000 per month)
FELLOWSHIPS:
NEH Fellowships are highly regarded individual awards to provide scholars with the time needed to pursue research, analysis
and writing in their humanities-related research specialty. Expected outcomes include books, monographs, peer-reviewed
articles, e-books, and digital materials. Projects may be at any stage of development.
- Application Available: December 20, 2021
- Deadline: April 12, 2023
- Expected Notification Date: December 15, 2023
- Project Start Date: January 1, 2024 - September 1, 2025
- Funding Level: $60,000 ($5,000 per month)
FELLOWSHIPS FOR ADVANCED SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH ON JAPAN:
This program is jointly sponsored by NEH and the Japan-US Friendship Commission, and functions to promote Japan studies
in the US, encourage US-Japan scholarly exchange and support the next generation of Japan scholars in the US. Appropriate
disciplines for this program include anthropology, economics, geography, history, international relations, linguistics, political
science, psychology and sociology. Early career scholars, defined as those who have earned their terminal degree in
the last 7 years, are especially welcome to apply.
- Application Available: January 23, 2023
- Deadline: April 26, 2023
- Expected Notification Date: December 15, 2023
- Project Start Date: January 1, 2024 - September 1, 2025
- Funding Level: $60,000 ($5,000 per month)
NEH - MELLON FELLOWSHIPS FOR DIGITAL PUBLICATION:
Individual fellowships funded through this program support interpretive research projects that require digital expression and
digital publication. Anticipated digital products include monographs, peer-reviewed articles, websites, virtual exhibitions,
translations or editions. Projects may be at any development stage.
- Application Available: December 21, 2022
- Optional Draft Due: February 28, 2023
- Deadline: April 19, 2023
- Expected Notification Date: December 15, 2023
- Project Start Date: January 1, 2024 - September 1, 2024
- Funding Level: $5,000 per month
PUBLIC SCHOLARS:
This program supports creation of well-researched books in the humanities written for the broad public. Open to both
academic and non-academic writers, this program is an individual (vs. institutional) grant.
- Application Available: Augus 8, 2022
- Deadline: November 29, 2023
- Expected Notification Date: August 31, 2024
- Project Start Date: January 1, 2024 - September 1, 2025
- Funding Level: $5,000 per month
SCHOLARLY EDITIONS AND SCHOLARLY TRANSLATIONS:
Preparation of editions and translations of pre-existing texts of value to the humanities is supported through this grant
program. Typically the texts and documents are significant literary, philosophical and historical materials, but
other types of work such as musical notation may also be the subject of an edition. These are collaborative projects
supporting two ore more scholars.
- Application Available: Augus 11, 2022
- Optional Draft Due: September 22, 2023
- Deadline: November 29, 2023
- Expected Notification Date: August 31, 2024
- Project Start Date: October 1, 2024 - September 1, 2025
- Funding Level: Outright Funds - $300,000, Matching Funds - $150,000 to $450,000
SUMMER STIPENDS:
With the overall goal of supporting new research in the humanities and seeing it published, NEH offers small awards
to support projects at any stage of development (agency preference is for early stage research and late stage writing).
Recipients are provided funding support for full-time work for two consecutive months. Funds provided can support
compensation, travel and other research-associated costs. While the program is applied for as an individual, faculty
members must be nominated by their institution. Institutions are limited to two such nominations per year. Our internal
selection process runs through the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research.
- Application Available: April 7, 2022
- Deadline: September 20, 2023
- Expected Notification Date: April 15, 2024
- Project Start Date: May 1, 2024 - September 1, 2025
- Funding Level: $6,000