Opportunity Information: Apply for 20081008 HD
Apply for 20081008 HD
- The National Endowment for the Humanities in the humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Digital Humanities Start Up Grants" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 45.169 Promotion of the HumanitiesOffice of Digital Humanities.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 21, 2008 and posted on Aug 21, 2008.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 8, 2008. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $50,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education City or township governments Private institutions of higher education Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Public and State controlled institutions of higher education State governments Special district governments Individuals.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Digital Humanities Start Up Grants program is a joint funding opportunity from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) aimed at jumpstarting new, innovative work in the digital humanities. The core idea is to provide relatively modest, early-stage funding so teams can explore, plan, and test bold concepts before committing to full-scale development. NEH and IMLS position the program as a way to spark experimentation, encourage new partnerships (especially involving libraries and museums), and strengthen how cultural and scholarly resources are used in online teaching, learning, and research.
The program is focused specifically on the planning and initial development phases of digital humanities initiatives in any humanities area. Supported activities can include research that introduces new approaches or documents best practices in digital humanities work; planning and prototyping of digital tools to preserve, analyze, or increase access to digital resources (including library and museum digital collections); scholarship that studies the philosophical implications and broader impact of emerging technologies; new technology-driven approaches to public programming and education across traditional and new media; and new digital publication models that improve how humanities scholarship is shared in both academic and educational settings at any level. A defining feature of this opportunity is that proposals must be genuinely innovative for the humanities, meaning the application needs to argue that the approach, method, tool, or idea has not been used before in humanities work. The program is intentionally framed as a high risk/high reward category, encouraging applicants to take thoughtful risks in pursuit of meaningful innovation.
Awards are offered in two tiers, and applicants must clearly indicate which level they are requesting. Level I awards are smaller and are meant for early exploratory work such as brainstorming sessions, workshops, initial planning, and early alpha-stage prototypes. Level II awards are larger and are intended for projects that are more developed and ready to begin an initial implementation phase or to produce a more advanced working prototype. NEH indicates it will reserve funding for both levels, with a greater number of awards expected at Level I, and it emphasizes that applicants should choose the tier that realistically matches the maturity and needs of their project.
Projects can be supported for up to 18 months, and funding can cover full-time or part-time work. Allowable costs include combinations of scholars, consultants, and research assistants, as well as project-related travel, technical support, and services. The program also allows up to 20 percent of the total grant budget to be used for purchasing computing hardware and software, which signals that basic infrastructure needs are recognized but not intended to dominate the award budget. There is no cost sharing or matching requirement listed for this opportunity.
A key expectation is that grantees will share outcomes with appropriate scholarly and public audiences, reflecting the program's emphasis on broader impact and knowledge transfer. To maximize reuse and dissemination, applicants are strongly encouraged to build projects on open-source and fully accessible software whenever possible. In addition, recipients are expected to produce a "lessons learned" white paper as a formal work product. This document should describe what was done, what worked, what did not, and what others can take from the experience, and it will be posted on NEH or IMLS websites so the wider community can benefit from the results, even when a project remains in prototype form.
From the published opportunity details, this is a discretionary grant program under NEH (Office of Digital Humanities) with CFDA number 45.169 (Promotion of the Humanities). The funding opportunity number is 20081008-HD. The posted date is August 21, 2008, with an original and current closing date of October 8, 2008, and an archive date of November 7, 2008. The listed award ceiling is $50,000 and the award floor is $0. Eligible applicants include a wide range of entities and individuals: nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education), private and public institutions of higher education, city or township governments, state governments, special district governments, federally recognized tribal governments, and individuals. The primary program contact is the NEH Office of Digital Humanities staff via odh@neh.gov, with guidance that email is the fastest way to reach the dispersed staff and that callers should include a phone number and preferred time if requesting a telephone conversation. The full announcement and guidelines are linked at http://www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/digitalhumanitiesstartup.html.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Digital Humanities Start Up Grants (NEH/IMLS)
What is the Digital Humanities Start Up Grants program?
The Digital Humanities Start Up Grants program is a joint funding opportunity from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). It is designed to jumpstart new, innovative digital humanities work by providing modest, early-stage funding so project teams can explore, plan, and test bold ideas before committing to full-scale development.
What is the main purpose of this grant?
The main purpose is to support the planning and initial development phases of digital humanities initiatives in any humanities area. The program emphasizes experimentation, high risk/high reward innovation, and the formation of new partnerships, especially those involving libraries and museums. It also aims to strengthen how cultural and scholarly resources are used for online teaching, learning, and research.
What kinds of activities and projects can be supported?
Supported activities can include:
- Research introducing new approaches or documenting best practices in digital humanities work
- Planning and prototyping digital tools to preserve, analyze, or increase access to digital resources (including library and museum digital collections)
- Scholarship studying philosophical implications and broader impacts of emerging technologies
- Technology-driven approaches to public programming and education across traditional and new media
- New digital publication models that improve how humanities scholarship is shared in academic and educational settings at any level
What does the program mean by "innovative"?
A defining requirement is that proposals must be genuinely innovative for the humanities. The application needs to argue that the approach, method, tool, or idea has not been used before in humanities work. The program is intentionally framed as high risk/high reward, encouraging thoughtful risks that could lead to meaningful innovation.
Does the program fund full-scale development?
The program is focused on planning and initial development rather than full-scale production. It is intended to help teams explore, plan, and test concepts, including prototypes and early implementation work, depending on the requested award level.
What are the funding levels (Level I and Level II), and how do they differ?
Awards are offered in two tiers, and applicants must clearly indicate which level they are requesting:
- Level I: Smaller awards for early exploratory work such as brainstorming sessions, workshops, initial planning, and early alpha-stage prototypes.
- Level II: Larger awards for projects that are more developed and ready to begin an initial implementation phase or to produce a more advanced working prototype.
NEH expects to make more awards at Level I and reserves funding for both levels. Applicants are expected to choose the tier that realistically matches their project's maturity and needs.
What is the maximum award amount?
The listed award ceiling is $50,000. The listed award floor is $0.
How long can a project be funded?
Projects can be supported for up to 18 months.
Can the grant support full-time or part-time work?
Yes. Funding can cover full-time or part-time work.
What types of costs are allowable under this program?
Allowable costs include combinations of scholars, consultants, and research assistants, as well as project-related travel, technical support, and services.
Can grant funds be used to purchase hardware or software?
Yes. Up to 20 percent of the total grant budget may be used to purchase computing hardware and software. This indicates that infrastructure needs are recognized, but they are not intended to dominate the overall budget.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No cost sharing or matching requirement is listed for this opportunity.
Are there expectations for sharing results with others?
Yes. A key expectation is that grantees will share outcomes with appropriate scholarly and public audiences. This reflects the program's emphasis on broader impact, dissemination, and knowledge transfer.
Are applicants required to use open-source tools or platforms?
Applicants are strongly encouraged to build projects on open-source and fully accessible software whenever possible to maximize reuse and dissemination. This is presented as a strong encouragement rather than a stated absolute requirement.
What is the required "lessons learned" white paper?
Recipients are expected to produce a "lessons learned" white paper as a formal work product. It should describe what was done, what worked, what did not, and what others can learn from the experience. The white paper will be posted on NEH or IMLS websites so the broader community can benefit, even if the project remains at the prototype stage.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants include a wide range of entities and individuals, including:
- Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education)
- Private and public institutions of higher education
- City or township governments
- State governments
- Special district governments
- Federally recognized tribal governments
- Individuals
Which agencies are involved in offering this opportunity?
This is a joint opportunity associated with NEH and IMLS. From the published details, it is listed as a discretionary grant program under NEH (Office of Digital Humanities).
What is the CFDA number for this program?
The CFDA number listed is 45.169 (Promotion of the Humanities).
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is 20081008-HD.
When was the opportunity posted, and what are the key dates?
The posted date is August 21, 2008. The original and current closing date is October 8, 2008. The archive date is November 7, 2008.
Where can applicants find the full announcement and guidelines?
The full announcement and guidelines are linked at: http://www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/digitalhumanitiesstartup.html
How do I contact the program for questions?
The primary program contact is the NEH Office of Digital Humanities staff via email at odh@neh.gov. Email is described as the fastest way to reach the dispersed staff. If requesting a telephone conversation, callers are advised to include a phone number and preferred time.
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