FEDERAL AGENCY:
NATIONAL ENDOWMENT OF THE HUMANITIES, NATIONAL FOUNDATION ON THE ARTS AND THE
HUMANITIES
AUTHORIZATION:
National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965, as amended, Public Law
89-209, 20 U.S.C. 951 et seq.
OBJECTIVES:
To provide resources for creative humanities programming, education, and preservation
efforts in parts of the country that have not benefited as fully as others from the
programs of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
TYPES OF ASSISTANCE:
Project Grants.
USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS:
Consultation Grants support museums, libraries, historical organizations, community
associations, and media producers in the early stages of project development or
institutional planning. Preservation Assistance Grants help libraries, archives, museums
and historical organizations assess preservation needs and enhance their ability to care
for their humanities collections. Humanities Scholar-in-Residence Grants offer middle and
high schools the chance to collaborate with a humanities scholar over the course of a
year.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
Applicant Eligibility: Nonprofit cultural and educational
organizations in the following 14 States and Puerto Rico may apply for Extending the Reach
Grants to underserved areas in 2000 and 2001: Alabama, Alaska, Florida, Idaho, Louisiana,
Montana, Missouri, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming.
Beneficiary Eligibility: U.S. citizens and residents; State
and local governments; sponsored organizations; public and private nonprofit
institutions/organizations; other public institutions/organizations; Federally recognized
Indian tribal governments; Native American organizations; U.S. Territories; minority
organizations; other specialized groups; and quasi-public nonprofit institutions.
Credentials/Documentation: Costs will be determined in
accordance with OMB Circular No. A-87 for entities of State and local government, OMB
Circular No. A-21 for educational institutions and OMB Circular No. A-122 for nonprofit
organizations.
APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS:
Preapplication Coordination: Informal inquiry with the
headquarters office, followed by submission of a preliminary draft is encouraged.
Endowment staff should be sent preliminary applications at least eight weeks in advance of
final application deadline for eligibility review. The standard application forms as
furnished by the Endowment and required by OMB Circular No. A-102 must be used for this
program. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.
Application Procedure: Direct application to the Division of
Public Programs, Room 426, for Consultation Grants; to the Division of Preservation and
Access Programs, Room 411, for Preservation Assistance Grants; and to the Division of
Education Programs, Room 303, for Humanities Scholar-in-Residence Grants. NEH application
instructions provided upon receipt of initial inquiry outlining eligible project. This
program is subject to the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-110.
Award Procedure: Applications are reviewed by panels of
subject area specialists, humanities scholars, educators, and other appropriate
individuals. Awards are made by the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities
after advice from the National Council on the Humanities.
Deadlines: April 3 for Preservation Assessment Grants and
Humanities Scholar-in-Residence Grants; May 1 for Consultation Grants.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time: Approximately 3 to 4
months.
Appeals: None, but applicant may reapply with a revised
proposal.
Renewals: Renewal grants are processed and awarded in
competition with and in the same manner as new applications.
ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:
Formula and Matching Requirements: This program has no
statutory formula or matching requirements.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance: Funds must be expended
during the grant period. Funds are released as required. Grants are available for projects
for a maximum of 1 year.
POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Reports: A final report is required within 90 days after the
end of the funding period describing the results of the work done during the term of the
award.
Audits: In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No.
A- 133 (Revised, June 24, 1997), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit
Organizations," nonfederal entities that receive financial assistance of $300,000 or
more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that
year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $300,000 a year in Federal awards are
exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No.
A-133. For nongovernmental recipients, audits are to be carried out in accordance with the
provisions set forth in OMB Circular No. A-110, "Grants and Agreements with
Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Nonprofit Organizations Uniform
Administrative Requirements" and with OMB Circular No. A-133. In addition, grants are
subject to inspection and audits by NEH and other Federal officials.
Records: Documentation of expenditures and other fiscal
records must be retained for 3 years following the submission of the final expenditure
report.
FINANCIAL INFORMATION:
Account Identification: 59-0200-0-1-503.
Obligations: (Grants) FY 99 $0; FY 00 est $720,000; and FY 01
est $720,000.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance: Awards will range
from under $5,000 to $10,000.
PROGAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
This is a new program with no history of awards.
REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:
45 CFR 1100 and 1105. Applications and guidelines as well as a publication entitled
"Overview of Endowment Programs" are available upon request from the National
Endowment for the Humanities, Room 409, Washington, DC 20506. Available by subscription
from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC
20402, is the Endowment's official publication, "Humanities" (six issues
annually, $18.00 domestic, $22.50 foreign).
INFORMATION CONTACTS:
Regional or Local Office: Not applicable.
Headquarters Office: For Consultation Grants: Division of
Public Programs, National Endowment for the Humanities, Room 426, Washington, DC 20506.
Telephone: (202) 606-8267. Use the same number for FTS. For Preservation Assistance
Grants: Division of Preservation and Access, National Endowment for the Humanities, Room
411, Washington, DC 20506. Telephone: (202) 606-8570. Use the same number for FTS. For
Humanities Scholar-in-Residence Grants: Education Development and Demonstration Program,
National Endowment for the Humanities, Room 318, Washington, DC 20506. Telephone: (202)
606-8380.
Web Site Address: http://www.neh.gov.
RELATED PROGRAMS:
45.129, Promotion of the
Humanities_Federal/State Partnership
; 45.149, Promotion of the Humanities_Division of
Preservation and Access; 45.162,
Promotion of the Humanities_Education Development and Demonstration; 45.164, Promotion of the Humanities_Public
Programs.
EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS:
This is a new program with no history of awards.
CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:
For Consultation Grants: grounding of the project in the humanities; intellectual
approach to the topic; public appeal; effectiveness of format to the conveyance of project
ideas and themes; conception and justification of activities for advancing the project in
the early stages of development; qualifications of the people involved in the project;
both the outside consultants and the applicant organization's own staff; the plan of work;
and the rationale for the budget. For Preservation Assistance Grants: clarity of
description and feasibility of the proposed activities; importance of the proposed project
to the institution; roles; experience; and qualifications of the consultants; and
appropriateness of the costs for the proposed activities. For Humanities
Scholar-in-Residence Grants: significance of the humanities topic and its importance to
the teachers and the school curriculum; feasibility of activities; involvement of school
administrators; participating teachers; and other stakeholders in the project;
appropriateness of the evaluation plan; anticipated beneficial impact on the school's
curriculum and instruction; ability of the project to establish partnerships with
educational and cultural institutions to support long-term; content-based professional
development for teachers; and plans for the dissemination of the results of the project to
other schools.
