Public Humanities Projects 2025

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), through its Division of Public Programs, is currently accepting applications for its Public Humanities Projects program. This funding opportunity supports initiatives that bring the ideas and insights of the humanities to general audiences in the United States through in-person exhibitions and historic site interpretations. The program aims to deepen public understanding of American history, values, and identity by engaging humanities scholarship across disciplines such as literature, history, ethics, and art history. Applicants must focus on one of four specified themes: American Military History and Valor, the American Dream and Economic Freedom, America’s Role on a Global Scale, or the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence (the Semiquincentennial). Funded projects may be situated in one of two categories: Exhibitions or Interpretive Programs at Historic Places. These can be permanent, temporary, or traveling exhibitions, or programs like living history presentations and guided tours designed for long-term public engagement. The NEH encourages diverse formats and supplementary components such as websites, apps, and publications to reach broad or targeted audiences, including families, veterans, and K–12 students. The program offers two levels of support—Planning and Implementation. Planning grants of up to $75,000 support conceptual and thematic development activities, such as stakeholder meetings, curatorial research, and testing interpretive techniques, over a period of up to 24 months. Implementation grants, which range from $100,000 to $750,000 depending on the applicant organization’s annual operating budget, support final development and public rollout activities over a 12- to 48-month period. Funding levels are tiered based on an organization’s size: Level I (under $1 million), Level II ($1–10 million), and Level III (over $10 million) in operating budgets. At least 20 hours of free public admission per month must be offered during the project’s public display period. Eligibility is open to a wide range of U.S.-based entities, including nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status, accredited public or nonprofit higher education institutions, state and local governments and their agencies, and federally recognized Native American tribal governments. Individuals and for-profit or foreign entities are not eligible. Applicants may submit multiple applications for distinct projects and may serve as lead for a consortium of collaborating institutions. No cost sharing or match is required, though voluntary contributions can be noted in the budget justification without affecting peer review outcomes. The application package must be submitted through Grants.gov by September 10, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Applicants are advised to ensure that their SAM.gov and Grants.gov registrations are active and current, as NEH does not grant deadline extensions for registration issues. Required application components include a project narrative (maximum 10 pages), work plan, resumes and letters of commitment, bibliography, and in some cases, a walkthrough document, object list, or additional supporting documentation, depending on project type and level. A federally negotiated indirect cost rate agreement may also be required. Applications will be evaluated based on six review criteria: intellectual content and significance, format and use of resources, audience engagement, team and advisor qualifications, project feasibility, and overall quality. Award announcements are expected in April 2026, and funded projects must begin between May 1 and November 1, 2026. For assistance or inquiries, applicants may contact the Division of Public Programs at publicpgms@neh.gov or the NEH Office of Grant Management at grantmanagement@neh.gov or 202-606-8494.

Ensure registrations are current; submit early; follow formatting rules precisely.