An Update on NEH Funding Priorities and the Agency’s Recent Implementation of Trump Administration Executive Orders
In recent weeks the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has taken several internal operational steps to improve efficiency, eliminate offices that are not essential to fulfilling its statutory requirements, and to return to being a responsible steward of taxpayer funds.
NEH has also taken programmatic steps to ensure that all future awards will, among other things, be merit-based, awarded to projects that do not promote extreme ideologies based upon race or gender, and that help to instill an understanding of the founding principles and ideals that make America an exceptional country.
For these reasons, NEH is releasing the following statement of its priorities along with answers that are relevant to questions that the public may have.
Statement on NEH Priorities
Founded in 1965, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is a grant-making agency of the U.S. government dedicated to supporting exemplary humanities research and programming in service of the American people. It does so by investing in the most meritorious proposals for the advancement and dissemination of humanities learning.
As set forth in NEH’s enabling legislation, the humanities include the study of modern and classical languages, linguistics, literature, history, jurisprudence, philosophy, archaeology, comparative religion, ethics, the history of the arts, and those aspects of the social sciences which have humanistic content and use humanistic methods, as well as other areas.
To bring the wisdom of the humanities to all Americans, NEH supports research projects that advance humanistic learning, preservation projects that ensure access to significant humanities resources, education projects that strengthen teaching in the humanities, and public programing that conveys the best of the humanities to all Americans.
Moving forward, NEH is especially interested in projects on the nation’s semiquincentennial and U.S. history more generally. In addition, the agency will be more finely attuned to its statutory responsibility that “funding should contribute to public support and confidence in the use of taxpayer funds.”
As per longstanding agency policy, NEH-supported projects must not promote a particular political, religious, or ideological point of view and must not engage in political or social advocacy. NEH-supported projects should not preference some groups at the expense of others and should ultimately support public purposes.
The principles of intellectual significance, merit, competition, and equal opportunity lie at the heart of NEH’s mission.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why is NEH refocusing its priorities?
At the start of an administration, NEH has always established new initiatives within the policy context set forth by Congress, the Executive Branch, and the head of the agency. Currently, NEH is especially encouraging projects related to the nation’s semiquincentennial and American exceptionalism. In addition, NEH has recommitted itself to ensuring that its funding, as required by statute, contributes to public confidence in how it expends taxpayer funds.
2. Why is NEH cancelling awards?
All federal grantmaking agencies, including NEH, must ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent effectively and are consistent with each agency’s mission. This requires that NEH regularly evaluate its funding priorities within the policy framework established by Congress, the Administration, and the head of NEH. Awards and programming must align with these priorities.
3. What types of awards are being cancelled?
In collaboration with the Administration, NEH has cancelled awards that are at variance with agency priorities, including but not limited to those on diversity, equity, and inclusion (or DEI) and environmental justice, as well as awards that may not inspire public confidence in the use of taxpayer funds.
4. Why has NEH added guidance to its NOFOs on the “promotion of gender ideology,” “environmental justice initiatives or activities,” “discriminatory equity ideology,” and DEI/DEIA?
As a federal agency, NEH is required to comply with all relevant Executive Orders issued by the Administration. NEH updated the Funding Restrictions section of its NOFOs to comply with several recent Executive Orders, including “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing,” “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” and “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling.” You can learn more about these Executive Orders by visiting the White House’s Presidential Actions webpage.
NEH will promptly comply with all relevant Executive Orders and court actions.
5. How will NEH decide whether a proposed project contravenes any of the Administration’s recent Executive Orders, such as “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing” and “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government”?
As per standard practice, NEH peer reviewers evaluate an application based on the program’s published Review Criteria. At a later point in the process, NEH staff and leadership, along with the agency’s General Counsel, will consider, as needed, whether an award of federal funds to a specific application might violate the new guidelines. In accordance with NEH’s authorizing legislation, the NEH Chairman will make all final funding decisions about which applications will receive public support.
6. Does the addition of the new guidance on gender ideology and environmental justice mean that NEH will not fund projects on, for example, the suffragist movement or a history of conservation policies in the United States?
No, not necessarily. The restrictions only apply to the categories mentioned in the relevant Executive Orders. We encourage you to read the relevant Executive Orders and consider whether your project’s topic—jointly with its goals, methodology, activities, and intended audience—seems allowable.
7. Can I still work with or apply from Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs)?
Yes, applications from and collaborations with MSIs are encouraged.
8. Is NEH still accepting applications with a focus on countries, regions, cultures, or literatures other than that of the United States and Europe?
In honor of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, NEH is especially interested in projects with a focus on American history and the nation’s founding. Yet, NEH continues to accept (and fund) applications in all areas of the humanities as defined by NEH’s statute. Please consult the NOFOs for each program regarding specific eligibility criteria and the program’s aims.
National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH): The National Endowment for the Humanities supports research and learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from around the nation. Additional information about the National Endowment for the Humanities and its grant programs is available at neh.gov.