Dialogues on the Experience of War

Applicants to NEH for awards with expected issuance dates on or after October 1, 2024, should be aware of revisions to the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (2 CFR Part 200) effective from that date. All NEH awards issued on or after October 1, 2024, will be subject to the revised regulations. You may incorporate these changes into your applications now.

Additional information is available at https://www.neh.gov/grants/manage/2024-Revisions-to-2-CFR-200

The Dialogues on the Experience of War program supports the development of humanities-focused discussion programs that enlarge the understanding of the meaning and experiences of military service and war. Through the training of facilitators for and the offering of these discussion programs, Dialogues projects enable veterans and nonveterans to explore together and in depth such topics as civic engagement, veteran identity, legacies of military service, the human costs of war, and homecoming.  This engagement in reflective and recursive discussions fosters intellectual community and social connections among the participants in Dialogues projects. Project teams should include humanities scholars, military veterans, and individuals with relevant experience.

Dialogues projects may take a wide variety of forms, including:

• Bridge programs for veterans seeking to further or resume their education
• Community discussion series hosted by veterans’ organizations or cultural institutions such as museums or theaters 
• Undergraduate or graduate courses that train students to lead discussions on campus or in the local community
• Seminars for members of the public
• Reading and discussion programs for veterans and others in the justice system or in group housing
• Discussion series focused on local historical collections, memorial sites, film series, or exhibitions.

Dialogues projects must include:

• Discussion programs: The convening (in person or virtual) of at least two discussion groups for a series of dialogues focused on humanities resources that address the experiences of war and military service from a variety of perspectives. The discussion series should focus on themes and questions that enable participants to explore at least two conflicts in depth. Dialogues discussion groups may comprise military veterans only (including subsets of veterans such as students or residents of a group facility); or any mix of veterans, military-affiliated persons, and nonveterans.
• Preparatory programs: Prior to the discussion programs, the creation of an in person or virtual preparatory program to recruit and train a cohort of individuals to serve as discussion facilitators.
• The selection, support, and mentoring of some or all members of this cohort to facilitate the discussion groups for the duration of the series.

Optional Draft Review: Submit a draft of your project or contact us to schedule a conversation at dew@neh.gov by August 1, 2024. Drafts do not need to be near complete applications to be submitted for review and feedback.  

Let’s Chat!: If you do not submit an optional draft but still want to talk about your project ideas, NEH staff are available to help until applications close on September 17, 2024. Please email @email  to schedule a meeting.

This series of three webinars will introduce you to the Dialogues grant program and the application and review process. Part One, in the first video, will describe the purpose of the program and what Dialogues projects do and the forms they might take. Part Two will introduce you to the program requirements and walk you through the Notice of Funding Opportunity or NOFO. In that video, we will also offer tips for preparing a successful application. Part Three will guide you through the application submission process, including such steps as preparing your budget and other key components of the application.