NEH Seeks Research on the Impact of the Humanities

January 30, 2025

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) announced a new research grant opportunity aimed at understanding the impact and state of the humanities.  The State and Impact of the Humanities opportunity(link is external), which is managed by the NEH Office of Data and Evaluation, aims to broaden understanding of the impact and value of the humanities through data-driven research studies of humanities efforts broadly. Proposed projects should align with one of the following research categories: humanities education, humanities research, public humanities, preservation and access, or humanities infrastructure. 

Project activities may include planning meetings, data collection, digitization, data analysis, and communication and dissemination efforts. There are two funding categories available: Level 1 projects focused on defined research questions in planning or testing stages and Level 2 projects at an implementation stage, which could include data collection and analysis as well as outreach. The related data-analysis work may follow quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-method approaches. Projects can be single investigator driven or multi-investigator or multi-institution teams, including with international collaborators, however a team member must have active humanities expertise.

Award Information: NEH anticipates funding Level 1 awards of up to $75,000 for 12-month projects and Level 2 awards of up to $150,000 for 24-month projects. No cost share or matching is required. Approximately 4-8 grants will be awarded. 

Eligibility: Eligible applicants include non-profit organizations, accredited higher education institutions, and state, local, or Tribal government entities.

Important Dates: A Q&A webinar will be held on February 4, 2025, at 2 pm EST.  Webinar registration information can be found here(link is external) and a pre-recorded webinar is also available here(link is external). Optional draft proposals are due to NEH staff by February 14, 2025.  Applications are due April 16, 2025.

Sources and additional information