IMLS: Museums for American CFDA 45.301

Museums for America is the Institute’s largest grant program for museums, supporting projects and ongoing activities that build museums’ capacity to serve their communities.Museums for America grants strengthen a museum’s ability to serve the public more effectively by supporting high-priority activities that advance the institution’s mission and strategic goals. Museums for America grants are designed to be flexible: funds can be used for a wide variety of projects, including: ongoing museum work, research and other behind-the-scenes activities, planning, new programs, purchase of equipment or services, and activities that will support the efforts of museums to upgrade and integrate new technologies. Grants are awarded in the following categories:Engaging Communities (Education, Exhibitions, and Interpretation); Building Institutional Capacity (Management, Policy, and Training); and Collections Stewardship. Applications are due November 1, 2010.

Document Type: Grants Notice
Funding Opportunity Number: MFA-FY11
Opportunity Category: Discretionary
Posted Date: Aug 30, 2010
Creation Date: Aug 30, 2010
Original Closing Date for Applications: Nov 01, 2010
Current Closing Date for Applications: Nov 01, 2010
Archive Date: Dec 01, 2010
Funding Instrument Type: Grant

Category of Funding Activity: Arts (see "Cultural Affairs" in CFDA)
Humanities (see "Cultural Affairs" in CFDA)

Category Explanation:
Expected Number of Awards: 150
Estimated Total Program Funding: $17,000,000
Award Ceiling: $150,000
Award Floor: $5,000
CFDA Number(s): 45.301 -- Museums for America
Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: Yes

Eligible Applicants
Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)

Additional Information on Eligibility:
All types of museums, large and small, are eligible for funding. Eligible museums include aquariums, arboretums and botanical gardens, art museums, youth museums, general museums, historic houses and sites, history museums, nature centers, natural history and anthropology museums, planetariums, science and technology centers, specialized museums, and zoological parks. Federally operated and for-profit museums may not apply for IMLS funds.

An eligible applicant must be: either a unit of state or local government or a private not-for-profit organization that has tax-exempt status under the Internal Revenue Code; located in one of the fifty states of the United States of America, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated states of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau; and a museum that, using a professional staff, (1) is organized on a permanent basis for essentially educational or aesthetic purposes; (2) owns or uses tangible objects, either animate or inanimate; (3) cares for these objects; and (4) exhibits these objects to the general public on a regular basis through facilities which it owns or operates. An organization uses a professional staff if it employs at least one professional staff member, or the fulltime equivalent, whether paid or unpaid primarily engaged in the acquisition, care, or exhibition to the public of objects owned or used by the institution. An organization “exhibits objects to the general public” if such exhibition is a primary purpose of the institution. Further, an organization which exhibits objects to the general public for at least 120 days a year shall be deemed to exhibit objects to the general public on a regular basis. An organization which exhibits objects by appointment may meet the requirement to exhibit objects to the general public on a regular basis, if it can establish, in light of the facts under all the relevant circumstances, that this method of exhibition does not unreasonably restrict the accessibility of the institution's exhibits to the general public.

Please note that an organization which does not have as a primary purpose the exhibition of objects to the general public but which can demonstrate that it exhibits objects to the general public on a regular basis as a significant, separate, distinct, and continuing portion of its activities, and that it otherwise meets the museum eligibility requirements, may be determined to be eligible as a museum under these guidelines.

A museum located within a parent organization that is a state or local government or multipurpose non-profit entity, such as a municipality, university, historical society, foundation, or a cultural center, may apply on its own behalf, if the museum: (1) is able to independently fulfill all the eligibility requirements listed above; (2) functions as a discrete unit within the parent organization; (3) has its own fully segregated and itemized operating budget; and (4) has the authority to make the application on its own. When any of the last three conditions cannot be met, a museum may apply through its parent organization.

Prospective applicants that cannot fulfill all of these requirements should contact IMLS to discuss their eligibility before applying. IMLS may require additional supporting documentation from the applicant to determine the museum’s autonomy. Each eligible applicant within a single parent organization should clearly delineate its own programs and operations in the application narrative. A parent organization that controls multiple museums that are not autonomous but which are otherwise eligible may submit only one application per grant program; the application may be submitted by the parent organization on behalf of one or more of the eligible museums.

Link to Full Announcement

NEH Collaborative Research Grants CFDA 45.161

Collaborative Research Grants support original research undertaken by a team of two or more scholars or research coordinated by an individual scholar that, because of its scope or complexity, requires additional staff and resources beyond the individual's salary. Eligible projects include: research that significantly adds to knowledge and understanding in the humanities; conferences on topics of major importance in the humanities that will benefit ongoing research; archaeological projects that include the interpretation and communication of results (projects may encompass excavation, materials analysis, laboratory work, field reports, and preparation of interpretive monographs); translations into English of works that provide insight into the history, literature, philosophy, and artistic achievements of other cultures; and research that uses the knowledge, methods, and perspectives of the humanities to enhance understanding of science, technology, medicine, and the social sciences. These grants support full-time or part-time activities for periods of one to three years. Support is available for various combinations of scholars, consultants, and research assistants; project-related travel; field work; applications of information technology; and technical support and services. All grantees are expected to communicate the results of their work to the appropriate scholarly and public audiences. Applications are due by October 29, 2009.

Providing Access to Grant Products As a taxpayer-supported federal agency, the NEH endeavors to make the products of its grants 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 grant products. For the Collaborative Research program, such products may include monographs, excavation reports, multi-authored volumes, Web sites, and the like. For projects that lead to the development of Web sites, all other considerations being equal, the NEH gives preference to those that provide free access to the public.


Document Type: Grants Notice
Funding Opportunity Number: 20091029-RZ
Opportunity Category: Discretionary
Posted Date: Aug 11, 2009
Creation Date: Aug 11, 2009
Original Closing Date for Applications: Oct 29, 2009
Current Closing Date for Applications: Oct 29, 2009
Archive Date: Nov 28, 2009
Funding Instrument Type: Grant
Category of Funding Activity: Humanities (see "Cultural Affairs" in CFDA)
Category Explanation:
Expected Number of Awards: 10
Estimated Total Program Funding:
Award Ceiling: $300,000
Award Floor: $0
CFDA Number(s):45.161 -- Promotion of the Humanities_Research
Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: No

http://www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/Collaborative.html

NEH Summer Stipends CFDA 45.160

Summer Stipends support individuals pursuing advanced research that is of value to scholars and general audiences in the humanities. Recipients usually produce articles, monographs, books, digital materials, archaeological site reports, translations, editions, and other scholarly tools. Summer Stipends support full-time work on a humanities project for a period of two months. Summer Stipends support projects at any stage of development. Summer Stipends are awarded to individual scholars. Organizations are not eligible to apply. Applications are due by October 1, 2009.


Summer Stipends may not be used for: research for doctoral dissertations or theses by students enrolled in a degree program; specific policy studies or educational or technical impact assessments; the preparation or publication of textbooks; studies of teaching methods or theories, surveys of courses and programs, or curriculum development; inventories of collections; works in the creative or performing arts (e.g., painting, writing fiction or poetry, dance performance, etc.); projects that seek to promote a particular political, philosophical, religious, or ideological point of view; or projects that advocate a particular program of social action.

NEH Summer Stipends Full Announcement

Document Type: Grants Notice
Funding Opportunity Number: 20091001-FT
Opportunity Category: Discretionary
Posted Date: Apr 15, 2009
Creation Date: Apr 15, 2009
Original Closing Date for Applications: Oct 01, 2009
Current Closing Date for Applications: Oct 01, 2009
Archive Date: Oct 31, 2009
Funding Instrument Type: Grant
Category of Funding Activity: Humanities (see "Cultural Affairs" in CFDA)
Category Explanation:
Expected Number of Awards: 75
Estimated Total Program Funding:
Award Ceiling: $6,000
Award Floor: $0
CFDA Number(s): 45.160 -- Promotion of the Humanities_Fellowships and Stipends
Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: No

NEH Challenge Grants CFDA 45.130

NEH challenge grants are capacity-building grants, intended to help institutions and organizations secure long-term improvements in and support for their humanities programs and resources. Grants may be used to establish or enhance endowments or spend-down funds (that is, funds that are invested, with both the income and the principal being expended over a defined period of years) that generate expendable earnings to support ongoing program activities. Funds may also be used for one-time capital expenditures (such as construction and renovation, purchase of equipment, and acquisitions) that bring long-term benefits to the institution and to the humanities more broadly. Applications are due by May 5, 2009.


Because of the matching requirement, these NEH grants also strengthen the humanities by encouraging nonfederal sources of support. Applications are welcome from colleges and universities, museums, public libraries, research institutions, historical societies and historic sites, scholarly associations, state humanities councils, and other nonprofit entities. Programs that involve collaboration among multiple institutions are eligible as well, but one institution must serve as the lead agent and formal applicant of record. NEH particularly welcomes proposals for programming at America’s historic places (historic sites, neighborhoods, communities, or larger geographical regions).

Activities supported
Challenge grant funds (both federal and nonfederal together) must provide long-term benefits to the humanities. Challenge grant funds should not replace funds already being expended on the humanities, but instead should reflect careful strategic planning to strengthen the institution’s activities in and commitment to the advancement of knowledge and understanding of the humanities.
Institutions may use challenge grant funds to meet both ongoing and one-time humanities-related costs, provided that the long-term benefit of the expenditure can be demonstrated. Federal challenge grant funds, as well as funds raised for matching, might be used for purposes such as the following:
- faculty and staff salaries and benefits;
- acquisitions for collections;
- faculty, teacher, and staff development;
- research fellowships;
- lecture or exhibition series;
- visiting scholars or consultants;
- publishing subventions;
- preservation and conservation programs;
- construction, renovation, and maintenance of facilities;
- purchase of equipment and software; and
- fund-raising costs (totaling no more than 10 percent of challenge grant funds).

Expenditures not eligible for support
- Challenge grant funds, federal or nonfederal, may not be used for one-time or
- operating expenditures with minimal long-term impact;
- recovery of indirect costs;
- support for projects eligible for grants from other NEH programs; or
- scholarships or stipends for students below the graduate level.

Document Type: Modification to Previous Grants Notice
Funding Opportunity Number: 20090505-CH
Opportunity Category: Discretionary
Posted Date: Feb 19, 2009
Creation Date: Feb 19, 2009
Original Closing Date for Applications: May 05, 2009
Current Closing Date for Applications: May 05, 2009
Archive Date: Jun 04, 2009
Funding Instrument Type: Grant
Category of Funding Activity: Humanities (see "Cultural Affairs" in CFDA)
Category Explanation:
Expected Number of Awards: 10
Estimated Total Program Funding:
Award Ceiling: $1,000,000
Award Floor: $0
CFDA Number(s): 45.130 -- Promotion of the Humanities_Challenge Grants
Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: Yes

NEH Challenge Grants Modification Full Announcement

NEH Institutes for Advanced Topics in the Digital Humanities CFDA 45.169

These NEH grants support national or regional (multi-state) training programs for scholars and advanced graduate students to broaden and extend their knowledge of digital humanities. Through these programs, NEH seeks to increase the number of humanities scholars using digital technology in their research and broadly disseminate knowledge about advanced technology tools and methodologies relevant to the humanities. The projects may be a single opportunity or offered multiple times to different audiences, although the duration of a program should allow for full and thorough treatment of the topic. Today, complex data—its form, manipulation, and interpretation—are as important to humanities study as more traditional research materials. Applications are due by February 18, 2009.


Datasets, for example, may represent digitized historical records, high-quality image data, or even multimedia collections, all of which are increasing in number due to the availability and affordability of mass data storage devices and international initiatives to create digital content. Moreover, extensive networking capabilities, sophisticated middleware applications, and new collaboration platforms are simultaneously providing and improving interactive access to and analysis of these data as well as a multitude of other resources. The goals of the Institutes for Advanced Topics in the Digital Humanities program are to bring together humanities scholars and digital technology specialists from different disciplines to share ideas and methods that advance humanities research and teaching through the use of digital technologies; to reflect on, interpret, and analyze new digital media, multimedia, and text-based computing technologies and integrate these into humanities scholarship; to teach current and future generations of humanities scholars to design, develop, and use cyber-based tools and environments for scholarship; to devise new and creative uses for technology that offer valuable models that can be applied specifically to research in the humanities.

NEH strongly encourages applicants to develop proposals for multidisciplinary teams of collaborators that will offer the necessary range of intellectual, technical, and practical expertise. This program is designed to bring together humanities scholars, advanced graduate students, computer scientists, and others to learn new tools, approaches, and technologies and to foster relationships for future collaborations in the humanities. Partners and collaborators may be drawn from the private and public sectors and may include appropriate specialists from within and outside the United States. Institutes for Advanced Topics in the Digital Humanities may be hosted by colleges, universities, learned societies, centers for advanced study, libraries or other repositories, and cultural or professional organizations. The host site(s) must be appropriate for the project, providing facilities for scholarship and collegial interaction. Projects that will be held more than once and at different locations are permissible.

Document Type: Grants Notice
Funding Opportunity Number: 20090218-HT
Opportunity Category: Discretionary
Posted Date: Dec 02, 2008
Creation Date: Dec 02, 2008
Original Closing Date for Applications: Feb 18, 2009
Current Closing Date for Applications: Feb 18, 2009
Archive Date: Mar 20, 2009
Funding Instrument Type: Grant
Category of Funding Activity: Humanities (see "Cultural Affairs" in CFDA)
Category Explanation:
Expected Number of Awards:
Estimated Total Program Funding:
Award Ceiling: $250,000
Award Floor: $0
CFDA Number(s): 45.169 -- Promotion of the Humanities_Digital Humanities Initiative
Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: No

http://www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/IATDH.html

NEH Fellowship Programs at Independent Research Institutions

Grants for Fellowship Programs at Independent Research Institutions (FPIRI) support fellowships at institutions devoted to advanced study and research in the humanities. NEH fellowships provide scholars with research time and access to resources that might not be available at their home institutions. Fellowship programs may be administered by independent centers for advanced study, libraries, and museums in the United States; American overseas research centers; or organizations that have expertise in promoting research on foreign cultures. Applications are due by August 19, 2008.


Individual scholars must apply directly to the institutions themselves. A list of currently funded institutions is available. In evaluating applications from programs at institutions located in the United States, priority is given to those with library holdings, archives, or other special collections—either on-site or nearby—that are available as resources for NEH fellows. American overseas research centers should demonstrate a particular benefit to NEH fellows by virtue of their location and other resources. FPIRI gramts provide funding to programs for humanities fellowships of four to twelve months. Fellowship tenure must be continuous. FPIRI grants support fellowship stipends and standard allowances, as well as a portion of the costs for both publicizing the availability of the fellowships and selecting the fellows. The stipends and allowances for NEH fellows are determined in accordance with an institution's usual practices. However, the maximum amount of NEH funding is $50,400 for a six- to twelve-month fellowship and $25,200 for a four- to five-month fellowship. A grantee institution may supplement the stipends of NEH fellows from its own funds, and fellows may receive additional funds from other sources. NEH fellows must be granted the same benefits, services, and accommodations normally accorded other fellows.

Document Type: Grants Notice
Funding Opportunity Number: 20080819-RA
Opportunity Category: Discretionary
Posted Date: May 29, 2008
Creation Date: May 29, 2008
Original Closing Date for Applications: Aug 19, 2008
Current Closing Date for Applications: Aug 19, 2008
Archive Date: Sep 18, 2008
Funding Instrument Type: Grant
Category of Funding Activity: Humanities (see "Cultural Affairs" in CFDA)

Category Explanation:
Expected Number of Awards:
Estimated Total Program Funding:
Award Ceiling: $500,000
Award Floor: $0
CFDA Number: 45.161 -- Promotion of the Humanities_Research
Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: No


NEH Fellowship Programs Full Annoucement