Date posted: October 26, 2007

Questions?
Contact the staff of NEH's Division of Public Programs at 202-606-8269 and publicpgms@neh.gov. Hearing-impaired applicants can contact NEH via TDD at 1-866-372-2930.

As part of the NEH's We the People program, Interpreting America’s Historic Places grants support public humanities projects that exploit the evocative power of historic places to address themes and issues central to American history and culture, including those that advance knowledge of how the founding principles of the United States have shaped American history and culture for more than two hundred years. Interpreting America's Historic Places projects may interprete a single historic site or house, a series of sites, an entire neighborhood, a town or community, or a larger geographical region. The place taken as a whole must be significant to American history, and the project must convey its historic importance to visitors. The audience for Interpreting America's Historic Places projects is the general public. (For other public humanities projects that may not focus so closely on historic places, refer to the implementation grant guidelines for America's Historical and Cultural Organizations.)

The goals of Interpreting America's Historic Places are to:

• enhance lifelong learning in American history by connecting nationally significant events, people, ideas, stories, and traditions with specific places;
• foster the development of interpretive programs for the public that address central events, themes, and issues in American history; and
• encourage consultation with humanities scholars and history organizations in the development of heritage tourism destinations.

• interpret a place that played a significant role in American history;
• enrich the visitor experience at one or more historic places by interpreting these places in light of broader themes in American history;
• make use of the specific features of one or more historic places—the site, its location, buildings, or other natural or built features—as integral parts of the proposed interpretation;
• build on sound humanities scholarship;
• involve humanities scholars in all phases of development and implementation;
• approach the subject thematically, analytically, and interpretively through an appropriate variety of perspectives;
• interest broad audiences; and
• employ appealing and accessible program formats that will actively engage the public in learning.

Applicants inside and outside of the traditional history community—such as historic preservation organizations, heritage tourism and economic development agencies, community and other nonprofit organizations, and agencies of local, state, or tribal governments—are encouraged to apply. However, such applicants are also encouraged to work in close partnership with at least one partner organization that has experience in developing and implementing humanities programs.

Project formats for Interpreting America's Historic Places implementation grants might include visitor orientation exhibits, interpretive displays and labeling, revised scripts and content-based education training materials for docents, publications such as brochures or guidebooks, interpretive driving or walking trails or tours, annotated itineraries, trail signage, video or audio displays, on-site interactive media, and digital products.

Applications that make innovative use of emerging technologies are encouraged. Projects should do more than simply provide a digital archive of material. They should offer new ways of contextualizing and interpreting information so as to engage public audiences interactively in exploring humanities ideas and questions. Applications may, for example, include plans to create Web sites, PDA tours and resources, podcasts, virtual environments, wiki formats or others that utilize user-generated content, virtual imaging, GIS mapping, online scholar-led discussions, video on demand, streaming video, games, or other formats. Digital components must rest on sound humanities scholarship and enhance the project's humanities content in ways that take unique advantage of the proposed formats.

Support is also available for projects that build new programs around previously-funded NEH projects, creating complementary formats that will add new dimensions to the original project. A film project, for example, might be enhanced by a project that interprets one or more historic places. A visitor's experience of a place might be deepened and extended to virtual visitors through a content-rich companion Web site. A well-interpreted historic place might expand its visitor experience through stronger interpretive connections with other historic places. Projects that would develop film, radio (including related podcasts), or television programs as the primary grant product should follow separate guidelines for America’s Media Makers.

NEH especially encourages Chairman’s Special Award projects that promise to reach exceptionally large audiences. Such projects might:

• combine diverse and wide-ranging interpretive formats that attract new audiences or expand and deepen in new ways the same audience's engagement with American history and culture;
• tie a variety of historic places together coherently within a broad, multi-thematic interpretive framework; or
• build on collaboration among statewide or regional agencies or organizations (e.g. parks and recreation systems, heritage areas, state humanities councils, etc).

We the People Grant Program

In addition to Interpreting America’s Historic Places grants, NEH also invites We the People applications for Family and Youth Programs in American History, Successful applicants will conduct public programs that encourage intergenerational learning about and reflection on significant topics in U.S. history and culture. Grants support the development of programming tailored to youth or family audiences at museums, libraries, historical societies and sites, parks, and other places in the community.

NEH's new Picturing America program introduces young people to some of America's great art treasures. As part of the We the People program, Picturing America is designed to promote the teaching, study and understanding of American history and culture. NEH encourages proposals for Interpreting America’s Historic Places projects that illuminate through a particular historic place one or more of the art works or artists in the Picturing America collection; their social and intellectual content and influence, or other ways in which American art sheds light on the people, history, and culture of the United States.

Rediscovering Afghanistan

Digital Humanities Initiative

If you have questions about whether your proposal for a digital project would fit more easily within this category as opposed to Interpreting America's Historic Places, you should call a program officer for advice about where to apply.

Awards are usually made for a period of 18-36 months. Awards typically do not exceed $400,000. However, awards of up to $1,000,000 are available for Chairman’s Special Award projects that would have exceptional significance and exceptionally wide reach to audiences through any of the following:

• collaboration with multiple institutional partners;
• a wide-ranging combination of diverse formats (i.e., exhibitions, reading and discussion programs, digital formats, lecture series, symposia, neighborhood tours, curriculum guides, publications, and broadcast media; or
• programming at a large number of venues.

Please note that NEH support for a project in an early stage does not imply commitment for ongoing support. Proposals for successive phases of a project must be submitted separately and are evaluated independently.

Cost Sharing

Cost sharing is not required. NEH, however, is rarely able to support the full costs of projects approved for funding. In most cases, NEH grants cover no more than 50-60% of project costs.

(Learn more about different types of grant funding.)

NEH generally does not award grants 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 grant funds from, or sites and materials controlled by, other federal entities in their projects.

If an application for a project is already under review, another application for the same project cannot be accepted.

Ineligible applications will not be reviewed.

Application advice and proposal drafts: Prior to submitting a proposal, you are encouraged to contact program officers who can offer advice about preparing the proposal, supply samples of funded applications, and review preliminary proposal drafts. NEH recommends that drafts be submitted at least six weeks before the deadline so that staff will have adequate time to respond. Staff comments are not part of the formal review process and have no bearing on the final outcome of the proposal, but previous applicants have found them helpful in strengthening their application. Drafts should not be submitted via Grants.gov

Your application should consist of the following parts:

1. Table of contents List all parts of the application with corresponding page numbers.
2. Budget Using the instructions, complete the budget form (14-page PDF). If you wish, you may attach separate pages with notes to explain any of the budget items in more detail. Applicants are advised to retain a copy of the PDF containing their budget form.
3. Narrative

   The narrative should not exceed 10 single-spaced pages, with one-inch margins, and be at least 11-point type. Narratives for Chairman’s Special Award projects should not exceed 15 pages. The narrative should contain the following information, in this order:

   • The nature of the request Briefly summarize your project in one or two paragraphs. Describe the subject, the interpretive format(s), the main themes, the amount of money requested from NEH, and the total project budget. Identify any related public programs that are part of the project. Explain the appropriateness of the project for your organization.

     Applications that build on previously-funded NEH projects by adding new program formats must describe the previous project’s components, explain what the new formats would be, indicate how they would effectively enhance the previous project, and explain how new audiences would be reached and what new interpretive possibilities would be added.

   • Project introduction Identify the place to be interpreted and explain what makes it nationally significant. What happened there and why is it important? What central themes or issues in American history will the project address? Identify the historical subject matter of the project, its interpretive approach, and its use of significant humanities themes. Discuss the relationship of the themes to relevant humanities scholarship.

     Explain why the project will appeal to the public and what you expect people to learn. How will the specific attributes of the place—the site, its location, buildings, landscape, or other natural or built features—be made an integral part of the visitor's learning experience?

     Indicate whether the project has received a “Preserve America,” “Save America's Treasures,” or “America's Heritage Rivers” designation, and note briefly how national historic significance or interpretation was part of that designation.

     Note other significant awards or designations (e.g., National Historic Landmark, National Heritage area, state-designated historic landmark or heritage area).

     Give a brief history of the project to date (e.g., any previous funding from any other sources, development activities, research already completed, consultation with scholars or other advisers, contacts with partner organizations, and other related activities). If appropriate, describe the relationship of the project to others on the topic, and explain what its unique contribution would be. How does this proposed interpretation differ from what was previously available at this historic place?

   • Description

     Describe the assets of the site(s) (e.g., buildings, natural features, landscape, collections of objects, images, documents) and how they will be used effectively to convey the project's themes.

     If necessary, discuss how permission or rights will be obtained for key materials and the likely costs of obtaining those rights.

     If your application is for the higher Chairman’s Special Award level of funding, explain why the institutional collaborations, number of program formats, or broad reach to audiences make the project a good candidate for additional implementation funds. Explain why it would be unusually significant and appealing and why it would have exceptionally broad reach throughout the country.

   • Audience Discuss how the project will broaden public understanding of American history and culture. Describe, to the extent possible, the expected audiences for each project component or site, including any targeted or hard-to-reach groups. Explain your plans for publicizing the project. Outline audience evaluation strategies, including any formative or summative evaluation, whether proposed or completed.
   • Organization History Provide a short profile of your organization and other major partner organizations. These descriptions should include the:
     • institutional mission, origin, and size;
     • annual operating budget;
     • annual visitation;
     • special characteristics and current activities; and
     • humanities resources (such as collections or staff).
     Limit this profile to one page for major partners and a half page for each of the other collaborating organizations. If the institutions involved have any prior experience in cooperating with one another, describe that experience and the nature of those partnerships.
   • Project team Describe the key members of the project team, including staff members, scholars, technical advisors, and other program experts (curators, educators, heritage tourism professionals, etc.). Use two or three lines each to describe the qualifications and contributions of each project team member. Organize this information into two sections: one for staff from your institution and one for outside consultants.

     Include specific details on the responsibilities of each collaborating organization when appropriate.

     Résumés (two pages or less) for each person listed and letters of commitment from consultants should be included in the appendix.

   • Plan of work Provide a detailed month-by-month schedule of the specific tasks and the individuals responsible for them. It is often helpful to present this section in a grid format. Clearly indicate when the planning team will meet and the expected results of each meeting.
   • Fund-raising plans If the applicant institution intends to share some of the costs, explain how it will meet its share of the costs and outline the fund-raising plan. Note that NEH is rarely able to support full costs of projects approved for funding.
4. Special requirements

   In this section of the proposal you are asked to demonstrate how the humanities content of your project will be communicated to the public. You may use up to 15 single-spaced pages to provide this information. Graphics and interpretive text samples are not included in this fifteen-page limit.

   • Information on admission (required of all applicants) Institutions hosting NEH-supported projects must provide several hours of free admission each week. Provide a statement of general admission policies for your institution as well as the proposed admissions policy for all anticipated sites. If admission fees will be used to defray costs of the project, include the anticipated amount of revenue under "Project Income" in Section B of the budget.
   • Visitor walk-through (required) Provide a map or site plan of the place to be interpreted and a "descriptive tour" detailing how a typical visitor might experience it as a whole, feature by feature.
     • Provide a description of each component of the project (exhibit, trail, docent tour, brochure, podcast, etc.).
     • Explain why the proposed components are appropriate interpretive tools for this place and your anticipated audience(s). For each component, explain how it will help illuminate the interpretive themes for the visiting public. Make specific references to one or more assets of the place, for example, a house, a room, an artifact, the landscape, or the geographic location. Explain how each component will make the visitor's experience of the place different from what it is now.
     • Provide images of houses, fields, bridges, artifacts, rooms, and other features that are important to the story to be told.
     • Include samples of interpretive aids from each interpretive component, such as:
       • text for labels, signs, or brochures;
       • scripts for docent tours or living history presentations;
       • video or multimedia segments; or
       • proposed trail signage if the project involves heritage trails or walking tours.
   • Exhibition walk-through (if applicable) If one of your project components is an exhibition or house tour, explain the interpretive strategies and the design philosophy for the exhibition.
     • Provide a "descriptive tour," showing how a typical visitor would experience it section by section.
     • Explain how the takeaway messages will be conveyed.
     • Include five to ten sample illustrations of objects or images, sample text for four to five labels, and two to three panel texts as part of the walkthrough.
     • Provide a complete exhibition floor plan and elevations of at least two sections of the exhibition.
   • Public Programs (if applicable) Describe any ancillary programs that are part of your project, including conferences, lectures, and other one-time or occasional events. Specify the topics, identify participating speakers, and describe the expected audiences.
   • Publications (if applicable) Describe the content (including brief abstracts of essays), author(s), format, estimated print run, distribution plans, and sale price of any publications for which funding is requested. Explain how these publications will enhance the learning experience of the general public visiting the place. Proceeds from the sale of any publications will be subject to the NEH policy on program income, which is outlined in Article 16 of the General Terms and Conditions for Awards to Organizations.
   • Audiovisual and multimedia components (if applicable) Provide a description of each video or multimedia component of the project, including Web sites. If possible, include a script or story line and a description of the images that will be used. Explain how the multimedia components will enhance the visitor's experience of the place. If a Web site or other product involving new technologies will be a critical interpretive tool and will represent a large portion of the funds requested from NEH, applicants should provide the following information:
     • Describe the user experience. Outline the proposed pathways that would guide a "virtual visitor" through the material. Explain how the images, audio, text, and interactivity would enhance and contextualize the user's understanding of the place and the project's interpretive themes. Include screen shots.
     • Describe how the user front-end evaluation and beta-testing will take place.
     • Describe the technical plan and outline the specific material, both audio and visual, that will be used. Explain how this material will be formatted and processed.
     • Describe the hardware and software to be used and the reasons for the choices.
     • Include evidence that appropriate permissions have been or can be secured for the materials that will be included.
     • Describe the distribution or marketing plan, explaining how the product will be publicized and made available to audiences.
     • For Web sites, provide plans for regular site management, including updating the humanities content, server maintenance and security, monitoring of traffic, and collecting user feedback.
     • For Web sites, include a working prototype on a disk or via a functioning URL; for a CD-ROM or DVD, provide a working prototype on disk. The prototype should provide working links to all major sections of the proposed product and should present one representative section in detail.
     Include samples of previous related work. If members of the digital team have not worked together before, then separate samples should be submitted for each principal member. (See instructions below on "How to Submit Supplementary Materials.") Append a page to the end of the narrative describing the sample or samples of the companion digital component and indicating the roles played by each person on the digital team. In addition, please specify the platform on which the sample component is designed to operate. If the digital work is on a Web site, provide the URL and clearly indicate that this Web site is your work sample. If the sample work is on a DVD or CD, follow the instructions in the "How to Submit Supplementary Materials." section below. If you have questions about the appropriate amount of information that needs to be included in this section of the proposal, contact a program officer for specific guidance. Web sites should be designed in accordance with accepted standards for accessibility and usability by members of the general public, including those with visual and other disabilities.
   • Oral history components (if applicable) If the project uses oral histories, the applicant should provide the following:
     • a statement that the oral histories have been or will be conducted according to the guidelines of the Oral History Association,
     • an outline of proposed topics for the interviews,
     • a list of the people to be interviewed or a description of the criteria for their selection and the plans for their recruitment,
     • the qualifications of the interviewers,
     • a discussion of how the interviews will complement the project's other resources, and
     • a copy of the permission or release form.
5. Appendices The following information should appear in the application's appendices:
   • résumés (two pages or less) of all key project staff and consultants;
   • letters of commitment from consultants and collaborating organizations;
   • a bibliography of sources;
   • documentation of awards and designations; and
   • if appropriate, a description of the collections or archives upon which the project is based, if not already covered in the narrative.
6. Supplementary materials Applicants may include supplementary materials, such as slides (up to ten, with brief captions), photographs, catalogs, or sample work for presentation at the panel meeting. See the instructions below on how to submit these materials.

REGISTER OR VERIFY REGISTRATION WITH GRANTS.GOV

Applications for this program must be submitted via Grants.gov. Before using Grants.gov for the first time, each organization must register with the Web site to create an institutional profile. Once registered, your organization can then apply for any government grant on the Grants.gov Web site.

If your organization has already registered, you may skip this step. If not, please see our handy checklist to guide you through the registration process. We recommend you complete your registration at least two weeks before the application deadline, as it takes time for your registration to be processed. If you have problems registering with Grants.gov, call the Grants.gov help desk at 1-800-518-4726. DOWNLOAD THE FREE PUREEDGE VIEWER SOFTWARE In order to fill out a Grants.gov application package, you will need to download and install the PureEdge Viewer software. This software is available at no charge from the Grants.gov Web site. Please select the link below that corresponds to the type of computer you are using:

• PureEdge for PC;
• PureEdge for Mac (Intel processor); or
• PureEdge for Mac (PPC processor).

Once installed, this software will allow you to view and fill out Grants.gov application packages for any federal agency. If you have a problem installing PureEdge Viewer, 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.

Attention Microsoft Vista users: Please note that Grants.gov does not currently support the new Microsoft Vista Operating system. The PureEdge software used by Grants.gov forms is not compatible with Vista. Grants.gov will be reviewing this new product to determine if it can be supported in the future. If you have any questions regarding this matter please email the Grants.gov help desk at support@grants.gov or call 1-800-518-4726.

DOWNLOAD APPLICATION PACKAGE

To submit your application, you will need to download the application package from the Grants.gov Web site. You can download the application package at any time. (You do not have to wait for your Grants.gov registration to be complete.) Click the button at the right to download the package.

To submit your application, you will need to download the application package from the Grants.gov Web site. You can download the application package at any time. (You do not have to wait for your Grants.gov registration to be complete.) Click the button at the right to download the package. Save the application package to your computer's hard drive. To open the application package, select the file and double click. You do not have to be online to work on it.

Save the application package to your computer's hard drive. To open the application package, select the file and double click. You do not have to be online to work on it.

You can save your application package at any time by clicking the "Save" button at the top of your screen. Tip: If you choose to save your application package before you have completed it, you may receive an error message indicating that your application is not valid if all of the forms have not been completed. Click "OK" to save your work and complete the package another time. You can also use e-mail to share the application package with members of your organization or project team.

The application package contains three forms that you must complete in order to submit your application:

1. Application for Federal Domestic Assistance - Short Organizational (SF-424 Short)—this form asks for basic information about the project, the project director, and the institution.
2. Supplementary Cover Sheet for NEH Grant Programs—this form asks for additional information about the project director, the institution, and the budget.
3. NEH Attachment Form—this form allows you to attach your narrative, budget, and the other parts of your application.

HOW TO FILL OUT THE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE SF-424 SHORT FORM

Select the form from the menu and double click to open it. Please provide the following information:

1. Name of Federal Agency: This will be filled in automatically with "National Endowment for the Humanities."
2. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: This will be filled in automatically with the CFDA number and title of the NEH program to which you are applying.
3. Date Received : Please leave blank.
4. Funding Opportunity Number: This will be filled in automatically.
5. Applicant Information: In this section, please supply the name, address, employer/taxpayer identification number (EIN/TIN), DUNS number, Web site address, and congressional district of the institution. Also choose the "type" that best describes your institution (you only need to select one). If your institution is located, for example, in the 5th Congressional District of your state, put a "5." If your institution doesn't have a congressional district (e.g. it is in a state or U.S. territory that doesn't have districts or is in a foreign country), put a "0" (zero). All institutions applying to federal grant programs are required to provide a DUNS number, issued by Dun & Bradstreet, as part of their application. Project directors should contact their institution’s grant administrator or chief financial officer to obtain their institution’s DUNS number. Federal grant applicants can obtain a DUNS number free of charge by calling 1-866-705-5711. (Learn more about the requirement.)
6. Project Information: Provide the title of your project. Your title should be brief, descriptive, and substantive. It should also be informative to a non-specialist audience. Provide a brief description of your project. The description should be written for a non-specialist audience and clearly state the importance of the proposed work and its relation to larger issues in the humanities. List the starting and ending dates for your project.
7. Project Director: Provide the Social Security Number, name, title, mailing address, e-mail address, and telephone and fax numbers for the project director. Disclosure of Social Security Numbers is optional. NEH uses them for internal application processing only.
8. Primary Contact/Grants Administrator: Provide the contact information for the official responsible for the administration of the grant (e.g., negotiating the project budget and ensuring compliance with the terms and conditions of the award). This person is often a grants or research officer or a sponsored programs official. Normally, the Institutional Grants Administrator is not the same person as the Project Director. If the project director and the grant administrator are the same person, skip to item 9.
9. Authorized Representative: Provide the contact information for the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) who is submitting the application on behalf of the institution. This person, often called an "Authorizing Official," is typically the president, vice president, executive director, provost, or chancellor. In order to become an AOR, the person must be designated by the institution's E-Business Point of Contact. For more information, please consult the Grants.gov user guide, which is available at: www.Grants.gov/CustomerSupport.

HOW TO FILL OUT THE SUPPLEMENTARY COVER SHEET FOR NEH GRANT PROGRAMS

Select the form from the menu and double click to open it. Please provide the following information:

1. Project Director: Use the pull-down menu to select the major field of study for the project director.
2. Institution Information: Use the pull-down menu to select your type of institution.
3. Project Funding: Enter your project funding information. Note that applicants for Challenge Grants should use the right column only; applicants to all other programs should use the left column only.
4. Application Information: Indicate whether the proposal will be submitted to other NEH grant programs, government agencies, or private entities for funding. If so, please indicate where and when. NEH frequently cosponsors projects with other funding sources. Providing this information will not prejudice the review of your application. For Type of Application, check "new" if the application requests a new period of funding, whether for a new project or the next phase of a project previously funded by NEH. Check "supplement" if the application requests additional funding for a current NEH grant. If requesting a supplement, provide the current grant number (applicants should discuss their request with a NEH program officer before submitting such an application). For Project Field Code, use the pull-down menu to select the humanities field of the project. If the project is multidisciplinary, choose the field that corresponds to the project's predominant discipline.

You will use this form to attach the various files that make up your application.

Your attachments must be in Portable Document Format (.pdf). We cannot accept attachments in their original word processing or spreadsheet formats. If you don't already have software to convert your files into PDFs, there are many low-cost and free software packages available. To learn more, go to http://www.neh.gov/grants/grantsgov/pdf.html.

When you open the NEH Attachment Form, you will find 15 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. You must name and attach your files in the proper order so that we can identify them. Please attach the proper file to the proper button as listed below:

ATTACHMENT 1: To this button, please attach your table of contents. Please name the file "contents.pdf".

ATTACHMENT 2: To this button, please attach your budget. Please name the file "budget.pdf".

ATTACHMENT 3: To this button, please attach your narrative. Please name the file "narrative.pdf".

ATTACHMENT 4: To this button, please attach your special requirements for implementation proposals. Please name the file "special.pdf".

ATTACHMENT 5: To this button, please attach your résumés. Please name the file "resumes.pdf".

ATTACHMENT 6: To this button, please attach your letters of commitment. Please name the file "letters.pdf".

ATTACHMENT 7: To this button, please attach your bibliography. Please name the file "bibliography.pdf".

ATTACHMENT 8: To this button please attach your documentation of awards and designations. Please name the file “documentation.pdf.

ATTACHMENT 9: To this button, please attach your description of collections or archives. Please name the file "description.pdf".

You may include links via URL in these files, but do not embed any additional PDF files within any of the attachment PDF files .

Use the remaining buttons to attach any additional materials (if appropriate). Please give these attachments meaningful file names and ensure that they are PDFs.

UPLOADING YOUR APPLICATION TO GRANTS.GOV

When you have completed all three forms, use the right-facing arrow to move each of them to the "Mandatory Documents for Submission" column. Once they have been moved over, the "Submit" button will activate. You are now ready to upload your application package to Grants.gov.

During the registration process, your institution designated one or more AORs (Authorized Organization Representatives). These AORs typically work in your institution's Sponsored Research Office or Grants Office. When you have completed your application, you must ask your AOR to submit the application, using the special username and password that was assigned to him or her during the registration process.

To submit your application, your computer must have an active connection to the Internet. To begin the submission process, click the "submit" button. A page will appear asking you to sign and submit your application. At this point, your AOR will enter his or her username and password. When you click the "sign and submit application" button, your application package will be uploaded to Grants.gov. Please note that it may take some time to upload your application package depending on the size of your files and the speed of your Internet connection.

After the upload is complete, a confirmation page, which includes a tracking number, will appear indicating that you have submitted your application to Grants.gov. Please print this page for your records. The AOR will also receive a confirmation e-mail.

NEH suggests that you submit your application no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the day of the deadline. That way, should you encounter a technical problem of some kind, you will still have time to contact the Grants.gov help desk for support. The Grants.gov help desk is open Monday to Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time at 1-800-518-4726. You can also send an e-mail to support@grants.gov.

HOW TO SUBMIT SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS

In addition to any required work samples, applicants may also include supplementary materials, such as slides (up to ten, with brief captions), photographs, catalogs, CD-ROMs, etc. for presentation at the panel meeting. Please provide 7 copies of each item. If you are sending supplementary materials, please include a list of the materials to be mailed separately in your Grants.gov submission. Mail the materials to:

Interpreting America's Historic Places: Implementation Grants
Division of Public Programs
National Endowment for the Humanities
Room 426
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20506
202-606-8269

Clearly indicate the name of your institution and your Grants.gov tracking number on the envelope.

NEH continues to experience lengthy delays in the delivery of mail by the U.S. Postal Service, and in some cases materials are damaged by the irradiation process. We recommend that supplementary materials be sent by a commercial delivery service to ensure that they arrive intact by the receipt deadline.

If you wish to have the materials returned to you, please include a self-addressed, pre-paid mailer.

DEADLINES

Late applications will not be reviewed.

Evaluators are asked to apply the following criteria::

1. Intellectual content: How well does the project deal with significant humanities themes? Is it broadly conceived, based on sound scholarship, and appropriately analytical?
2. Fit with Interpreting America's Historic Places goals: Is the place significant to American history? Does the applicant propose to incorporate attributes of the specific place—the site, its location, buildings, landscape, or other natural or built features—as an integral part of the story? Does the proposed interpretation of the place address central themes and issues in American history?
3. Audience interest and reach: Does the applicant demonstrate that the proposed interpretation is likely to enhance a visitor's experience of one or more places? Will the topic have broad public appeal and expand the public's understanding of American History? Will the project draw in and engage audiences effectively? Could it be adapted for other places?
4. Justification for higher funding: If the application requests the higher Chairman's Special Award level of funding, how convincing is the case that the project involves a large number of institutional partners, combines several different program formats, is of unusual public appeal, or has unusually broad reach?
5. Format: Are the program formats appropriate for presenting the events, ideas, and themes that will convey the national significance of the place? If the project expands no a previously-funded NEH project, how well do the new formats compliment and expand the original humanities content, and how well do they reach different audiences?
6. Resources: Have the appropriate materials and resources been clearly identified? Are they the right ones for the project, and are they available?
7. Project team: Does it have the necessary expertise, interpretive experience, and technical skills? Has a team of humanities scholars been effectively involved?
8. Work plan: Is it realistic, clearly outlined, and efficient?
9. Budget: Are the project's costs realistic, appropriate, and reasonable?

Knowledgeable persons outside NEH will read each application and advise the agency about its merits. The Endowment’s staff comments on matters of fact or on significant issues that otherwise would be missing from these reviews, then makes recommendations to the National Council on the Humanities. The National Council meets at various times during the year to advise the NEH chairman on grants. The chairman takes into account the advice provided by the review process and, by law, makes all funding decisions.

Award notices

Applicants to the January 23, 2008, deadline will be notified by mail in September 2008 of the decision. Institutional grants administrators and project directors of successful applications will also receive at that time award documents by mail. Applicants may obtain the reasons for funding decisions on their applications by sending a letter or e-mail to NEH, Division of Public Programs, Room 426, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20506 or publicpgms@neh.gov.

Administrative requirements

Before submitting an application, applicants should review their responsibilities as an award recipient, and the lobbying certification requirement.

Award conditions

The requirements for awards are contained in the General Terms and Conditions for Awards to Organizations, any specific terms and conditions contained in the award document, and the applicable OMB circulars governing federal grants management.

Reporting requirements

A schedule of report due dates will be included with the award document.

Interim and final performance reports will be required. Further details can be found in Performance Reporting Requirements (formerly enclosure 2).

A Federal Cash Transactions Report (2-page PDF) will be due within 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter. A final Financial Status Report (2-page PDF) will be due within 90 days after the completion date of the award period. Further details can be found in Financial Reporting Requirements (formerly Enclosure 1).

If you have questions about the program, contact: Division of Public Programs National Endowment for the Humanities Room 426 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20506 202-606-8269

If you need help using Grants.gov, contact: Grants.gov: http://www.Grants.gov Grants.gov help desk: support@Grants.gov Grants.gov customer support tutorials and manuals: http://www.Grants.gov/applicants/applicant_help.jsp Grants.gov support line: 1-800-518-GRANTS (4726)

Privacy Policy

Information in these guidelines is solicited under the authority of the National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities Act of 1965, as amended, 20 U.S.C. 956. The principal purpose for which the information will be used is to process the grant application. The information may also be used for statistical research, analysis of trends, and Congressional oversight. Failure to provide the information may result in the delay or rejection of the application.

Application Completion Time

The Office of Management and Budget requires federal agencies to supply information on the time needed to complete forms and also to invite comments on the paperwork burden. NEH estimates the average time to complete this application is fifteen hours per response. This estimate includes time for reviewing instructions, researching, gathering, and maintaining the information needed, and completing and reviewing the application.

Please send any comments regarding the estimated completion time or any other aspect of this application, including suggestions for reducing the completion time, to the Office of Publications, National Endowment for the Humanities, Washington, D.C. 20506; and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (3136-0134), Washington, D.C. 20503. According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB number.