NEH Grant Programs
Interpreting America's Historic Places: Implementation Grants Receipt Deadline: August 26, 2009(for projects beginning April 2010)
The deadline for this program has passed. New guidelines will be available in advance of the next deadline. In the interim, the guidelines below can be used for reference, but should NOT be used to prepare an application.
Date posted: October 14, 2009
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 45.164
Questions?
Contact the staff of NEH’s Division of Public Programs at 202-606-8269 or publicpgms@neh.gov. Hearing-impaired applicants can contact NEH via TDD at 1-866-372-2930.
Grant Program Description
Interpreting America’s Historic Places grants support public humanities projects that exploit the evocative power of historic places to explore stories, ideas, and beliefs that deepen our understanding of our lives and our world. The Division of Public Programs supports the development of humanities content and interactivity that excite, inform, and stir thoughtful reflection upon culture, identity, and history in creative and new ways. Interpreting America’s Historic Places projects may interpret a single historic site or house, a series of sites, an entire neighborhood, a town or community, or a larger geographical region. Grants for Interpreting America’s Historic Places should encourage dialogue, discussion, and civic engagement, and they should foster learning among people of all ages. To that end, the Division of Public Programs urges applicants to consider more than one format for presenting humanities ideas to the public.
NEH offers two categories of grants for Interpreting America’s Historic Places: Planning and Implementation Grants.
Planning grants are available for those projects that may need further development before applying for implementation. This planning can include the identification and refinement of the project’s main humanities ideas and questions, consultation with scholars in order to strengthen the humanities content, preliminary audience evaluation, preliminary design of the proposed interpretive formats, beta testing of digital formats, development of complementary programming, research at archives or sites whose resources might be used, or the drafting of interpretive materials. See application guidelines for Planning Grants.
Implementation grants support the final preparation
of a project for presentation to the public. Applicants
must submit a full walkthrough for an exhibition, or
a prototype or storyboard for a digital project, that demonstrates a solid command of the humanities ideas
and scholarship that relate to the subject. Applicants for implementation grants should have already done most of the planning for their projects, including the identification of the key humanities themes, relevant scholarship, and program formats. For exhibitions, implementation grants can support the final stages of design development, but these grants are primarily intended for installation. Applicants are not required to obtain a planning grant before applying for an implementation grant. Applicants may not, however, submit multiple applications for the same project at the same deadline. If an application for a project is already under review, another application for the same project cannot be accepted.
The goals of Interpreting America’s Historic Places are to
Interpreting America’s Historic Places projects should
To ensure that the humanities ideas are well conceived, projects must use a team of scholars who represent major fields relevant to the subject matter and offer diverse perspectives and approaches. Projects may also include other participants with experience and knowledge appropriate to the project’s formats or technical requirements.
Prospective applicants with experience in developing and implementing humanities programs are encouraged to apply. But prospective applicants without such experience—examples might include economic development agencies and agencies of local, state, or tribal governments—are also encouraged to apply. Such applicants are, however, encouraged to work in close partnership with at least one partner organization that does have experience in developing and implementing humanities programs.
Applications that make innovative use of emerging technologies are encouraged. Projects must do more than simply provide a digital archive. They should offer new ways of contextualizing and interpreting information that engage public audiences interactively. Applications may, for example, include plans to create Web sites, PDA tours and resources, podcasts, virtual environments, wiki formats, other formats that utilize user-generated content, virtual imaging, GIS mapping, online scholar-led discussions, online video, games, or other digital formats. When it is relevant, applications must explain how user-generated postings to public cyberspace will be vetted by qualified scholars or project staff for accuracy and public educational value. 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 the experience of its visitors through stronger interpretive connections with other historic places.
Project formats for Interpreting America’s Historic Places implementation grants might include visitor orientation exhibits, interpretive displays and labeling, revised scripts and 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.
Support is available for all typical activities connected with the implementation of a project, including
Implementation grants may not be used for the following types of programs or activities:
NEH especially encourages Chairman’s Special Award projects that promise to reach exceptionally large audiences. Such projects might
The following are examples of projects of this kind:
The historic home of a U.S. president reconceptualized its site interpretation in a new visitors center and Web site that situated the house within a broader context. In addition, a small traveling exhibition concerning the house and the president’s legacy was created, to reach venues throughout the country. The Web site was enhanced to include virtual tours and significant historical background.
A state historical agency coordinated efforts to link state historic sites together in order to explore common themes and ideas on the occasion of the sesquicentennial of the Civil War. During the sesquicentennial year, sites will be linked statewide via a Web site that offers information on the individual programs, suggestions for driving tours, and additional content that helps contextualize the sites as they relate to larger historical events.
Providing Access to Grant Products
As a taxpayer-supported federal agency, NEH endeavors to make the products of its awards available to the broadest possible audience. Our goal is for scholars, educators, students, and the American public to have ready and easy access to the wide range of NEH award products. Such products may include traveling exhibitions, reading and discussion programs, long-term museum installations, historic site interpretation, community programs in the humanities, digital tools, Web sites, and the like. For projects that lead to the development of Web sites, all other considerations being equal, NEH gives preference to those that provide free access to the public.
III. Award Information
Successful applicants will be awarded a grant in outright or matching funds, depending on the applicant’s preference and the availability of NEH funds.
(Learn more about different types of grant funding.)
Awards are usually made for a period of eighteen to thirty-six months and 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, as described above.
Cost Sharing
Cost sharing consists of the cash contributions made to a project by the applicant, third parties, and other federal agencies, as well as third party in-kind contributions, such as donated services and goods. Cost sharing also includes gift money raised to release federal matching funds.
Although cost sharing is not required, NEH is rarely able to support the full costs of projects approved for funding. In most cases, NEH grants cover no more than 50-60 percent of project costs.
Other Award Information
An NEH grant for one stage of a project does not commit NEH to continued support for the project. Applications for each stage of a project are evaluated independently.
Eligibility
Any U.S. nonprofit organization with IRS 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status is eligible, as are state and local governmental agencies. Individuals are not eligible to apply.
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.
Late, incomplete, and ineligible applications will not be reviewed.
Application and Submission Information
Application advice and proposal drafts:
Applicants are encouraged to contact program officers, who can answer questions about the review process, supply samples of funded applications, and review preliminary 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 applications. Drafts should not be submitted via Grants.gov, but should instead be sent as attachments to publicpgms@neh.gov.
HOW TO PREPARE YOUR APPLICATION
The following required elements must be submitted through Grants.gov.
  1. Table of contents
    List all parts of the application with corresponding page numbers.
  2. Narrative
    The narrative should not exceed ten single-spaced pages, with one-inch margins. At least eleven-point type should be used. Narratives for Chairman’s Special Award projects should not exceed fifteen 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), and the main themes. State 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.
      For exhibitions, outline the expected size (i.e., square footage and approximate number of objects), anticipated opening date, and venues.
    • Project introduction
      Identify the place to be interpreted and explain what makes it 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 place has received a “Preserve America,” “Save America’s Treasures,” or “America’s Heritage Rivers” designation, and note briefly how national historic significance or interpretation led to 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 permissions or rights will be obtained for key materials and the likely costs of obtaining those rights.
      If the application requests funding at the Chairman’s Special Award level, explain why the institutional collaborations, number of program formats, or broad reach to audiences make the project a good candidate for that funding level. Explain why the project will be unusually significant and appealing, and why it will 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.
    • Organizational profile
      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 number of visitors;
      • 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 advisers, and other program experts (curators, educators, heritage tourism professionals, etc.). Use two or three lines 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 (of two pages or less) for each person listed and letters of commitment from consultants should be included in the appendices.
    • Work plan
      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; explain the expected results of each meeting.
    • Fundraising 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 fundraising plan. Note that NEH is rarely able to support full costs of projects approved for funding.
  3. 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 fifteen 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 admission 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 walkthrough (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 walkthrough (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 the exhibition 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 or five labels, and two or 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 digital technologies will be a critical interpretive tool and will make use of a large portion of the funds requested from NEH, applicants should provide the following information.
      • Describe the user experience. 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.
      • For all digital projects, include a working prototype via a functioning URL or on a disk.
      • Include images of the digital component’s design.
      • Describe how the user front-end evaluation and beta-testing with representative users will take place.
      • 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.
      • Provide plans for regular site management, including updating the humanities content, monitoring of traffic, and collecting user feedback.
      • Provide examples of previously completed work from the principal members of the digital team. We would prefer to have this work available on a Web site, through a hyperlink included in the application. Clearly indicate that this Web site is your digital work sample. (If you need to submit a disk, please see the instructions for sending supplementary materials in the “How to Submit Supplementary Materials” section below.)
    • Oral histories (if applicable)
      Applicants planning projects with oral histories should discuss how the project will adhere to generally accepted professional guidelines for conducting oral histories and should include 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, the plans for their recruitment, a description of the qualifications of the interviewers, a discussion of how the interviews will complement existing resources, and a copy of the permission or release form.
  4. Appendices
    The following information should appear in the application’s appendices:
    • résumés (of 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.
  5. Supplementary materials
    In addition to any required work samples, applicants may choose to include one additional supplementary item, such as a CD with digital images of art works, photographs, or artifacts; an exhibition catalog; etc., for presentation to the evaluators. See the instructions below on how to submit these materials.
  6. 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.
HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION VIA GRANTS.GOV
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 and you have verified that your registration is still valid, you may skip this step. If not, please see the Grants.gov checklist to guide you through the registration process. We strongly recommend that 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 Adobe Reader software
To fill out a Grants.gov application package, you will need to download and install the current version of Adobe Reader. The latest version of Adobe Reader, which is designed to function with PCs and Macintosh computers using a variety of popular operating systems, is available at no charge from the Adobe Web site (www.adobe.com). Click on “Get Adobe Reader” and then “Download Now.”
Once installed, the current version of Adobe Reader will allow you to view and fill out Grants.gov application packages for any federal agency. If you have a problem installing Adobe Reader, it may be because you do not have permission to install a new program on your computer. Many organizations have rules about installing new programs. If you encounter a problem, contact your system administrator.
Download the 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.
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 all the required forms, you may receive an error message indicating that your application is not valid. 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 four 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. Project/Performance Site Location(s)—this form asks for information about the primary site(s) at which grant activities will take place.
  4. NEH Attachment Form—this form allows you to attach your narrative, budget, and the other parts of your application.
To assist applicants, Grants.gov provides a helpful troubleshooting page.
How to Fill Out the SF-424 Short Form
Select the form from the menu and double click to open it. In items 6, 7, 8, and 9 below, NEH recommends that the project title, brief project description, project director’s name, primary contact/grants administrator’s name, and authorized representative’s name be typed directly onto the form, instead of being pasted in; pasted-in quotation marks, diacriticals, and other symbols are often converted into question marks during transmittal.
  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 grants 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 (no more than 125 characters), descriptive, and substantive. It should also be informative to a nonspecialist audience. Provide a brief (no more than one thousand characters) description of your project. The description should be written for a nonspecialist 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 last four digits of 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 (i.e., 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 Primary Contact/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/applicants/resources.jsp.
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. Before submitting an application for a supplement, applicants should discuss their request with an NEH program officer.
    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.
How to Fill Out the Project/Performance Site Location(s) Form
Select the form from the menu and double click to open it. Please provide the requested information. Instructions for each requested data element may be viewed by positioning your cursor over the blank field.
How to Use the NEH Attachment Form
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, many low-cost and free software packages will do so. To learn more, go to http://www.neh.gov/grants/grantsgov/pdf.html.
When you open the NEH Attachment Form, you will find fifteen attachment buttons, labeled “Attachment 1” through “Attachment 15.” By clicking on a button, you will be able to choose the file from your computer that you wish to attach. 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 narrative. Please name the file “narrative.pdf”.
ATTACHMENT 3: To this button, please attach your special requirements section. Please name the file “special.pdf”.
ATTACHMENT 4: To this button, please attach your résumés. Please name the file “resumes.pdf”.
ATTACHMENT 5: To this button, please attach your letters of commitment. Please name the file “letters.pdf”.
ATTACHMENT 6: To this button, please attach your bibliography. Please name the file “bibliography.pdf”.
ATTACHMENT 7: To this button please attach your documentation of awards and designations. Please name the file “documentation.pdf”.
ATTACHMENT 8: To this button, please attach your description of collections or other resources (if appropriate). Please name the file “description.pdf”.
ATTACHMENT 9: To this button, please attach your budget. Please name the file “budget.pdf”.
Use the remaining buttons to attach any additional materials (if appropriate). Please give these attachments meaningful file names and ensure that they are PDFs.
You may include links via URL in these files, but do not embed any additional PDF files within any of the attachment PDF files.
UPLOADING YOUR APPLICATION TO GRANTS.GOV
When you have completed all four 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 were 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 will appear. This page, which includes a tracking number, indicates 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 message.
NEH suggests that you submit your application no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the day of the deadline. Doing so will leave you time to contact the Grants.gov help desk for support, should you encounter a technical problem of some kind. 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 message to support@grants.gov.
How to Submit Supplementary Materials
In addition to any required digital work samples, applicants may choose to include one additional supplementary item, such as a CD with digital images of art works, photographs, or artifacts; an exhibition catalog; etc., for presentation to reviewers. If you are sending supplementary material that cannot be converted to a PDF and submitted via Grants.gov, please provide eight copies of the item and list it in the application’s table of contents. Each copy of the work sample (both the case and the disk) must be labeled with the name of the project director, the name of the applicant institution, the title of the project, and the title of the work sample.
Send 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
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.
Samples will not be retained by NEH, and they will not be returned to the applicant.
DEADLINES
Applications must be received by Grants.gov on or before January 13, 2010, for projects beginning in September 2010. Grants.gov will date- and time-stamp your application after it is fully uploaded. Applications submitted after that date will not be accepted. Supplementary materials must also arrive at NEH on or before January 13, 2010, to be considered as part of the application.
Application Review
Evaluators are asked to apply the following criteria:
  1. Intellectual content
    The likely contribution of the project to public understanding of the humanities, including the significance of the subject and the humanities ideas; the quality and relevance of the humanities scholarship informing the project; the extent to which the project offers an analytical perspective on the themes and ideas that underlie it.
  2. Audience
    The appeal of the subject to a general audience, the accessibility of the ideas, and the quality of the project’s plan to reach broad audiences.
  3. Format
    The appropriateness, quality, and creativity of the concept for organizing and presenting the material to advance the project’s intellectual goals; and the likelihood that the chosen format will effectively convey the humanities content to the audience. For multiformat projects, the likely complementarity of the various components.
  4. Program resources
    The appropriateness of the materials and resources that support the project’s interpretive themes and ideas.
  5. Justification for higher funding
    If the application requests a Chairman’s Special Award, the strength of the case for the significance of the project topic, the involvement of multiple institutional partners, the combination of several different program formats, and the breadth of the project’s public appeal and reach.
  6. Significance of site and its interpretation (only for Interpreting America’s Historic Places applications)
    The significance of the place to American history; the extent to which the interpretation makes use of the attributes of the place—the site, its location, buildings, landscape, or other natural or built features—in telling its story; the extent to which the interpretation addresses central themes and issues in American history.
  7. Humanities team
    The qualifications and potential contributions of the advising scholars.
  8. Project team
    The experience and demonstrated technical skills of the project team, quality of the team’s previous work, and likelihood of timely and successful completion of the proposed project; evidence that institutional partners will collaborate effectively.
  9. Work plan
    The likelihood that the applicant will achieve the project’s goals in a timely and efficient manner.
  10. Budget
    The appropriateness and reasonability of the project’s costs.
All other considerations being equal, preference will be given to projects that provide free online access to digital materials produced with grant funds.
Review and selection process
Knowledgeable persons outside NEH will read each application and advise the agency about its merits. NEH 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 Administration Information
Award notices
Applicants will be notified by mail in September 2010 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 evaluations of their applications by sending a letter or e-mail message 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.
A final Federal Financial Report (SF-425) will be due within ninety days after the end of the award period.
Points of Contact
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 or publicpgms@neh.gov
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: www.grants.gov/applicants/resources.jsp
Grants.gov support line: 1-800-518-GRANTS (4726)
Grants.gov troubleshooting tips
Other Information
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 that 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.