The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Division of Public Programs is accepting applications for the Public Humanities Projects program. This program supports projects that bring the ideas and insights of the humanities to life through in-person exhibitions and historic site interpretations. Projects must focus on one of the following areas: American Military History and Valor, The American Dream and Economic Freedom, American Exceptionalism in World Affairs, or the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The program supports projects in two categories exhibitions and interpretive programs at historic sites—and offers two funding levels (planning and implementation).
This grant program supports a variety of forms of audience engagement. Applications should follow the parameters set out below for one of the following three formats:
- Humanities Discussions - This format supports three-month-long to two-year-long series of at least ten in person public programs that engage audiences with significant humanities resources, such as historic artifacts, artworks, literature, musical compositions, or films.
- Exhibitions - This format supports permanent exhibitions that will be on view for at least three years and single-site temporary exhibitions that will be open to the public for at least two months, or traveling exhibitions that will be available to public audiences in at least two venues in the United States (including the originating location).
- Historic Places - This format supports the interpretation of historic sites, houses, neighborhoods, and regions, which might include living history presentations, guided tours, exhibitions, and public programs that are intended to be presented to the public for at least three years.
NEH also encourages applications from small and mid-sized organizations. NEH likewise welcomes humanities projects tailored to specific groups, such as families, youth (including K12 students in informal educational settings), and veterans. Locally focused projects should draw connections to broad themes or historical questions relevant to regional or national audiences.
Humanities projects mean projects that seek to understand and explain the significance of what people have thought, done, and achieved, both in the past and in our time. Humanities fields explore topics like these: the philosophy, literature, art, and music that people create; the battles that they fight; the polities and societies in which they live; the social forces that unite and divide them; the work that they do; and the religions in which they believe.
Public Humanities Projects must:
- focus on the subject areas of American Military History and Valor, The American Dream and Economic Freedom, America's Role on a Global Scale, or the Semiquincentennial
- be grounded in sound humanities scholarship
- analyze the underlying themes and ideas to deepen public understanding
- involve humanities scholars from outside the applicant organization in all phases of the project
- attract a broad public audience or a clearly defined subgroup (such as a state or locality)
- approach engaging content through an appropriate variety of perspectives
- encourage dialogue and the exchange of ideas
Awards may support activities such as:
- meetings with humanities scholars and other content advisers, program partners, audience representatives, and consultants (e.g., education and public program specialists; historic site, interpretive, or cultural tourism experts; writers; media producers; or digital designers)
- research, including travel to archives, collections, sites, or other resources
- development and production of program or discussion guides, exhibition labels, brochures, digital assets, publications, or other interpretive material
- design of the interpretive formats
- planning and presentation of public programs and related publicity
- evaluation of the project's impact
- planning and conducting project-specific training for docents, discussion coordinators, or other interpretive leaders
- development, production, and publication of curriculum guides, catalogs, and other materials for teachers and students
- exhibition design, fabrication, crating, and shipping
- conservation treatments of objects, not to exceed 15% of the award
- development and construction of interactive components
- publicity and outreach expenses
There are two levels of funding for Exhibitions and Historic Places: planning and implementation. For Humanities Discussions, there is only one level of funding: implementation.
Project activities may include:
- refining the project's content, format, and interpretive approach
- meetings and consultation with scholars, interpretive experts, designers, stakeholders, and key partners
- developing the project's preliminary design
- testing project components
- conducting an evaluation of the project's likely impact
- travel related to curatorial research and exhibition loans
Implementation
Implementation awards support projects that are in the final stages of preparation to go live” before the public. Activities may include final scholarly research and consultation, design, production, and installation of a project for presentation to the public. The period of performance must include the required minimum exhibition time.