Public Scholars

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), an independent federal agency, offers the Public Scholars grant program to support the creation of nonfiction books in the humanities intended for broad public readership. With a mission to promote excellence in the humanities and convey the lessons of history and culture to Americans, NEH seeks to bridge the gap between academic research and public understanding. This program is specifically designed for individual authors—both academics aiming to reach general readers and non-academic writers seeking to strengthen the scholarly foundations of their work. The 2026 Public Scholars grant opportunity is limited in thematic scope to projects centered on American history and culture or Western civilization. Eligible projects must explore topics within these domains from the Colonial Era to the present for U.S. history, or from antiquity to the present for Western civilization. The agency is particularly interested in work that deepens public engagement with the humanities and contributes to a better understanding of civic life, culture, and historical developments. Fiction, digital archives, translations, scholarly editions, and curricula development are among the explicitly excluded activities. The program offers grants ranging from $30,000 to $60,000, calculated at a rate of $5,000 per month for full-time work. The period of performance must span between six and twelve continuous months, and applicants must commit to working at least half-time on the project during the grant period. The start date for funded projects must fall between April 1, 2027, and September 1, 2028. NEH estimates it will award approximately 15 grants, with total funding for the 2027 fiscal year projected at $900,000. No cost sharing or matching funds are required. Applicants must be individuals who are either U.S. citizens (residing domestically or abroad) or foreign nationals who have maintained residence in the United States or its jurisdictions for at least three years prior to the deadline. A critical eligibility requirement is that applicants must have authored at least one nonfiction book published by a university or trade press, with sole authorship. Co-authored works, edited collections, and self-published books do not meet the requirement. Prior NEH awardees may not receive more than one NEH individual award within the same fiscal year. Applications are due by April 22, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, and must be submitted via Grants.gov following the procedures in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). Required attachments include a narrative, work plan, bibliography, résumé, and writing sample. Optional materials include a publisher’s letter of interest and explanation of delinquent federal debt, if applicable. A recorded webinar is available for guidance. All applications will be reviewed by peer panels using criteria such as intellectual significance, public appeal, project quality, applicant qualifications, and feasibility. Award notifications will be issued in January 2027, with official documents sent via eGMS Reach starting March 2027. For questions about the grant content, applicants may contact the Division of Research at [email protected] or call 202-606-8200. Questions related to administrative or financial matters should be directed to [email protected]. Applicants must also submit letters of reference by May 6, 2026. The program is competitive and structured to support high-quality humanities research destined for public impact.

Clearly articulate appeal to general readers, show humanities depth, and ensure completeness of required components.