NEH Offers New Awards up to $1 Million for Major Traveling Exhibitions

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has announced a new category of grants that will offer up to $1 million for the implementation of major traveling exhibitions that present significant topics in the humanities. Under the current guidelines for implementation grants to museums and historical organizations, all other awards for public programming are limited to $400,000.

"NEH hopes to encourage our nation's cultural institutions to 'think big' in offering major exhibitions in multiple venues," said NEH Chairman Bruce Cole in making the announcement. "By supporting compelling presentations of significant topics in history, art history, archaeology, and other humanities disciplines, the Chairman's Special Awards will help these exhibitions reach the largest possible audiences."

Grants made through the Chairman's Special Award will support large-scale traveling, exhibitions of national visibility that have exceptional potential for attracting large numbers of visitors. Museums and historical organizations applying for a Chairman's Special Award should propose exhibitions that show unusual promise in terms of disseminating important ideas in the humanities in ways that would be broadly appealing to the public. Proposals should also include a strong companion Web site or other creative digital component that significantly enhances the humanities content of the project or broadens its dissemination to audiences.

Applications for the first Chairman's Special Awards must be submitted via Grants.gov by January 23, 2007. Information on how to apply appears on the NEH Web site (www.neh.gov) with guidelines for Implementation Grants for Museums and Historical Organizations. Institutions considering applying for a Chairman's Special Award may also obtain information by calling NEH's Division of Public Programs at 202-606-8269 or by sending an e-mail to @email.