Collections Stewardship

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), through its Division of Collections & Infrastructure, offers the Collections Stewardship grant to support projects that advance the preservation and accessibility of significant physical and digital humanities collections. NEH is a federal agency established under the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965, and its mission includes supporting research, education, and public engagement in the humanities. This specific grant opportunity focuses on strengthening the stewardship of collections held by libraries, archives, museums, colleges, universities, and organizations that offer preservation services or professional education in collection management. The Collections Stewardship program addresses both physical and digital assets, with an overarching goal of improving access and ensuring long-term preservation. The program funds three tiers of projects: Level 1 supports planning efforts with budgets between $50,000 and $100,000; Level 2 funds implementation projects ranging from $100,001 to $350,000; and Level 3 provides funding between $350,001 and $500,000 for implementation projects involving partnerships across organizations. The total available funding for both application cycles is approximately $14 million, with around 50 grants expected. Funding may support conservation assessments, digitization, cataloging, collection description, environmental management, preservation infrastructure, educational initiatives for students and professionals, and the enhancement of long-standing digital resources. Projects must focus on collections that are regularly accessible for research, teaching, or public engagement, and financial support can include stipends and travel, though tuition remission is not allowed. Applications may not include activities such as lobbying, political or religious advocacy, oral history collection, K-12 curriculum development, or DEI-related initiatives. Funding cannot be used for capital improvements, building system upgrades, or acquisition of collections. A detailed list of unallowable activities and costs is provided to ensure compliance. Projects must align with NEH’s definition of the humanities and contribute to the preservation and/or enhanced public and scholarly access to humanities collections. Eligible applicants include U.S.-based nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status, accredited institutions of higher education, state and local governments, and federally recognized Native American tribal governments. The program is not open to individuals, foreign organizations, or for-profit entities. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement, and awards are made using outright funds. Each applicant may submit multiple distinct proposals but cannot have the same individual serve as project director for more than one submission per cycle. Applications are submitted through Grants.gov under opportunity number 20260511-PCS. Required documents include a narrative, outputs document, work plan, personnel list, biographies of key staff, and, where applicable, letters of support, subrecipient budgets, and indirect cost agreements. NEH uses a rigorous peer review process based on five criteria, including significance to the humanities, soundness of activities, sustainability, staff qualifications, and budget reasonableness. Applications must conform to strict formatting and completeness rules, and those that include ineligible activities or are otherwise noncompliant will be rejected without review. Two application deadlines are available in 2026: May 11 and December 15. The performance period for awards may last up to three years, starting between April and July 2027 for the first deadline, and between November 2027 and February 2028 for the second. Award announcements are expected in December 2026 for the May deadline and in July 2027 for the December deadline. The NEH encourages applicants to review the full NOFO and the General Application Guide before preparing proposals. For more information or assistance, applicants can contact the Division of Collections and Infrastructure at [email protected] or 202-606-8570.

Align proposal to five NEH review criteria; avoid restricted activities like DEI or lobbying; ensure all required documents are submitted and formatted correctly.