National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH): Digital Humanities Advancement Grants (DHAG) - FY 2025
| Agency: | U.S. National Endowment for the Humanities |
|---|---|
| CFDA: | 45.169 |
| Federal FON: | 20250109-HAA |
| Office: | Office of Digital Humanities |
| Multipart Grant: | No |
| Next Due: | 01/09/2025 (Application) |
|---|---|
| Solicitation Date: | 09/04/2024 |
| Match Required: | Yes |
| Match Type: | Cash/In-Kind |
| Actual Funds: | $2,200,000 (Estimated) |
Summary:
The purpose of this program is to support work that is innovative and experimental, and that contributes to the critical infrastructure that underpins scholarly research, teaching, and public programming in the humanities. In addition to an emphasis on experimentation and innovation, this program values extensibility, reuse, replicability, and accessibility. Award recipients will be required to analyze their workflow and publish their results in a white paper that the funding agency will share widely.
For the purposes of this program, the term humanities includes the study of language, both modern and classical; linguistics; literature; history; jurisprudence; philosophy; archaeology; comparative religion; ethics; the history, criticism; and theory of the arts; those aspects of the social sciences which have humanistic content and employ humanistic methods; and the study and application of the humanities to the human environment, with particular attention to reflecting the nation's diverse heritage, traditions, and history and to the relevance of the humanities to the current conditions of national life.
The following funding levels are available through this program:
- Level I: funding will support smaller-scale projects or experimental or exploratory stages of larger projects, including activities such as:
- Developing research agendas
- Piloting new methods
- Convening planning sessions with stakeholders or conducting audience and user experience research
- Designing prototypes
- Facilitating convenings to address field-wide questions
- Level II: funding will support projects that can demonstrate completion of an initial planning phase but are not yet ready for level III, and that include plans for extending work beyond the applicant institution, including activities such as:
- Developing beta prototypes of open-source tools or software
- Evaluating and refining methods and workflows
- Conducting workshop or tutorials to disseminate project results
- Level III: funding will support the scaling up and expansion of mature projects with current user statistics and dissemination plans beyond the applicant institution, including activities such as:
- Code review and bug fixing
- Creating training materials and documentation to promote wide use of the grant products
- Preparing data, software, or websites for future preservation
- Conducting accessibility compliance review
Applicants at all levels may use funding for holding meetings with advisory boards and collaborators, conducting user experience testing and evaluations, data curation, and engaging in project-related outreach. Refer to page 5 of the NOFA file for examples of outcomes under each funding level.
The funding agency is especially interested in supporting projects that advance humanities-related work in the following areas:
- American Tapestry: Weaving Together Past, Present, and Future: this initiative encourages humanities projects that elevate the role of civics in schools and public programs, advance knowledge of the country's history and political institutions, and examine threats to its democratic principles
- United We Stand: Connecting Through Culture: this initiative encourages humanities projects that further the understanding of the nation's racial, ethnic, gender, and religious diversity; examine the sources of hate and intolerance in the United States; and explore progress toward greater inclusiveness
- NEH's partnership with the Department of the Interior on the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative: this initiative encourages projects that further public understanding and knowledge of the federal Indian boarding school system
Additional funding may be provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) in support of its efforts to advance national information infrastructures in libraries and archives. These funds may support projects that further the IMLS mission to advance, support, and empower the nation's libraries, archives, museums, and related organizations.
The funding agency posted a notice that this program is not accepting applications for FY 2026. The program officer has been contacted to confirm that the notice applies to the FY 2025 solicitation for projects that will begin in FY 2026. eCivis Grants Network will be updated if new information becomes available.
Last Updated: April 15, 2025
Eligibility Notes:
Eligible applicants are:
- 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations
- Public or nonprofit accredited institutions of higher education
- State and local governments and their agencies
- Federally recognized Native American tribal governments
An eligible applicant may apply on behalf of a consortium of collaborating organizations. If selected for funding, the applicant will be programmatically, legally, and fiscally responsible for the award.
Applicants may apply for funding level I, level II, or level III as appropriate to the scope and maturity of their project. Applicants are not required to obtain a level I award to apply for a level II award, nor are they required to receive a level I or II award to apply for a level III award. In order to apply for a level III award, applicants must document completion of a planning or prototyping phase.
The funding agency encourages projects that include Native American organizations and communities as applicants and project partners.
Applicants may submit multiple applications for separate and distinct projects. Applicants must not include the same project costs in more than one application; however, applicants may submit multiple applications for complementary aspects of the same overall project.
Current award recipients may apply for a new or subsequent stage of their project.
Previous applicants may revise and resubmit previously rejected applications.
Individuals may serve as a project director or co-director on no more than one application per deadline; however, individuals may serve as personnel not in a leadership role on more than one application per deadline. Full-time degree candidates may not serve as project directors or co-directors; however, degree candidates may serve in other project roles.
Ineligible entities include:
- For-profit entities
- Those functioning solely as a fiscal agent
- Federal entities
- Those with a project that is so closely intertwined with a federal entity that the project takes on characteristics of the federal entity's own authorized activities
Previous award recipients include:
- University of Virginia
- Regents of the University of California, Santa Cruz
- University of Pittsburgh
- Arizona Board of Regents
- History Center in Tompkins County
Refer to the Award file for additional information regarding previous award recipients.
Eligible Applicants:
Local GovernmentAcademic Institutions
Consortia
Native American Tribe
Non Profits
State Government
Application Notes:
Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. ET on one of the following dates:
- January 9, 2025
- May 22, 2025
The funding agency posted a notice that this program is not accepting applications for FY 2026. The program officer has been contacted to confirm that the notice applies to the FY 2025 solicitation. eCivis Grants Network will be updated if new information becomes available.
Applications must be submitted online at www.ecivis.com/grants.gov.
Applications must include:
- SF 424 - short organizational
- Supplementary cover sheet for the funding agency's grant programs
- Project/performance site location(s) form
- Research and related budget
- Certification regarding lobbying (if applicable)
- SF LLL (if applicable)
- Attachments:
- List of personnel
- Narrative
- Work plan (3 pages max)
- Biographies (1 paragraph per person)
- Data management plan (2 pages max)
- Sustainability plan (3 pages max; if applicable)
- Appendices (10 pages suggested; recommended)
- Letters of commitment (recommended)
- Subrecipient budget(s) (if applicable)
- Federally negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (if applicable)
- Explanation of delinquent federal debt (if applicable)
The narrative is limited to four pages in length for level I projects, six pages for level II projects, and eight pages for level III projects. Applications must be formatted on standard-sized pages with at least one-inch margins on all sides and must use a font size no smaller than 11-point. Applicants are encouraged to use single-spacing, any standard citation style, and a readable font such as Arial, Georgia, Helvetica, or Times New Roman. Attachments must be submitted as .pdf files and titled according to the specifications detailed on pages 12-13 of the NOFA file.
The following are required in order to submit an application:
- Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number
- SAM (System for Award Management) registration
Applicants may obtain a UEI number and verify or renew SAM registration status at www.ecivis.com/sam.
Applicants that would like to receive feedback about the fit of their proposed project may submit optional inquiries via email to the appropriate address provided in the Contact section. Applicants that are confident that their project fits within this program may submit optional draft applications via email to the appropriate address provided in the Contact section by 11:59 p.m. ET on one of the following dates:
- November 13, 2024, for applications that will be submitted by the January 9, 2025, deadline
- March 24, 2025, for applications that will be submitted by the May 22, 2025, deadline
A recording of the webinar for this program can be found online at www.youtube.com.
Applications will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
- The applicant makes a strong case for the significance and impact of the project to the humanities, supported by participants’ relevant humanities expertise; and the proposed goals and activities align with the program’s focus on innovation, experimentation, and critical infrastructure that builds upon or extends existing methods or tools
- The applicant clearly describes why the proposed activities are necessary and how intended audiences or users, including individuals with disabilities, will access and benefit from project outputs
- The project is feasible, as demonstrated by sufficient budget resources, staff qualifications, technical detail, and consideration of risk
- All team members, including contingent staff, students, and interns, have adequate resources, compensation mechanisms, and professional development or mentorship opportunities to succeed
- The applicant has a clear plan to manage, preserve, and share data and final products during and after the period of performance, including those created by contractors or consultants
Level III applications will also be evaluated according to the following additional criteria:
- The applicant makes a convincing case for scaling up or building upon prior work, including the project’s impact and rationale for additional funding
- The project will engage audiences and users beyond the applicant institution, including providing opportunities for community feedback, outreach, dissemination, and training
- The sustainability plan, project design, and other application components indicate the project’s products and outputs will remain useful to intended audiences beyond the period of performance
- For Level III projects requesting federal matching funds, the applicant clearly defines activities that will be supported by matching funds and provides a feasible plan for fundraising
Refer to the NOFA file for additional application information.
| Match Required: | Yes |
|---|---|
| Match Type: | Cash/In-Kind |
| Actual Funds: | $2,200,000 (Estimated) |
Match Notes:
Level III applicants requesting additional federal funds to leverage external funding must raise third-party nonfederal gifts dollar-for-dollar. Additional information regarding eligible gifts can be found online at www.neh.gov/grants/manage/federal-matching-funds-guidelines.
For all other applicants, matching funds are not required; however, applicants may contribute voluntary cost share if the total project costs exceed the amount awarded by the funding agency. Voluntary cost share may include:
- Cash contributions made to the project by the applicant or by a third party
- The applicant's unrecovered indirect costs
- In-kind contributions by the applicant or by a third party
Applicants may use funds from, or sites and materials controlled by, other federal entities in their projects; however, such resources may not be used as gifts to release matching funds from the funding agency.
Funding Notes:
Approximately $2.2 million is anticipated to be available to support approximately 10 to 15 awards per application deadline through this program. Award amounts will vary according to funding level, as follows:
- Level I: awards of up to $75,000
- Level II: awards ranging from $75,001 to $150,000
- Level III: awards ranging from $150,001 to $350,000
Level III applicants may request an additional $100,000 per project in federal matching funds to leverage external funding, for a total award of up to $450,000.
Award announcements are anticipated to be made in:
- August 2025 for applications received by the January 9, 2025, deadline
- December 2025 for applications received by the May 22, 2025, deadline
Project periods may have a start date within the following periods:
- September 1, 2025, and November 1, 2025, for applications received by the January 9, 2025, deadline
- January 1, 2026, and March 1, 2026, for applications received by the May 22, 2025, deadline
The length of the project period will vary according to funding level, as follows:
- Level I: up to 24 months
- Level II: up to 24 months
- Level III: up to 36 months
Costs for purchasing equipment and/or commercial licenses are limited to two-thirds of the direct costs.
Program income generated as a result of awarded funds must be used for approved project-related activities.
Funds may not be used for:
- Recurring costs such as day-to-day maintenance operations of existing projects
- Attendance at regularly occurring conferences or professional meetings, unless the purpose of attendance is to disseminate project-related findings
- Miscellaneous and contingency costs
- Alcoholic beverages
- Activities by federal entities or personnel
- Promotion of a particular political, religious, or ideological point of view
- Advocacy of a particular program or social or political action
- Support of specific public policies or legislation
- Lobbying
- Projects that fall outside of the humanities
Refer to pages 33-34 of the NOFA file for additional information regarding unallowable costs.
In 2023, 28 applicants received awards ranging from $46,136 to $399,797 through this program. In 2022, 33 applicants received awards ranging from $39,176 to $350,000. Refer to the Award file for details.
Contacts:
Primary Contact:
Program Staff
odh@neh.gov
Administrative Requirements and Allowable Costs Contact:
Program Staff
(202) 606-8494
grantmanagement@neh.gov
Agency Address
National Endowment for the Humanities
400 7th Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20506
Contact Notes:
Questions should be directed to the appropriate program contact.
Applications must be submitted online at www.ecivis.com/grants.gov.
Optional inquiries and draft applications must be emailed to [email protected].
The agency address provided is for reference purposes only.
Files:
NOFA File: US16376_NOFA_FY2025.pdf (726.5 Kb)Award File: US16376_Award_FY2025.pdf (3.1 Mb)
Other Pre-Award File: US16376_Cancellation_FY2025.pdf (46.3 Kb)
File Notes:
The NOFA file contains the full solicitation for this program. The Cancellation file contains information regarding the cancellation of this program. The Award file contains information on previous award recipients. Sample application narratives are available online at www.neh.gov/grants/odh/digital-humanities-advancement-grants, and may be used for reference purposes only.
April 15, 2025
A notice stating that this program is not accepting applications for FY 2026 has been released and attached as the Cancellation file. It is unclear whether the notice pertains to the FY 2025 solicitation for projects that will begin in FY 2026. The program officer has been contacted, and eCivis Grants Network will be updated if new information becomes available.
November 4, 2024
A recording of the webinar for this program has been released, and a link to the presentation is available in the Application section.
| Project: | Creating Community: A Geographical Approach to Inclusive History at Oakwood Cemetery (2.7 Mb) |
|---|---|
| Applicant: | City of Austin |
| Summary: |
The purpose of this program is to support innovative, experimental, and/or computationally challenging digital projects, leading to work that can scale to enhance scholarly research, teaching, and public programming in the humanities. The City of Austin requested and received $50,000 to construct a digital model of a three-acre segregated section of a historic cemetery. Project activities include increasing paid staff hours, hiring academic advisors as consultants, determining how best to engage the community with a professional community engagement consultant and moderator, interpreting materials and meanings of existing monuments, modeling the potential layouts of unmarked graves over decades of the later 1800s, working with consultants on integrating a 2D digital map and 3D model, and testing publishing the maps and models on various devices. The final product will be an accessible interactive digital history map of the cemetery in 3D with an ongoing call for community contributions. |
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Arts & CultureInformation Technology/Telecommunications
Libraries