Interpreting Americas Historic Places Implementation Grants | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the Interpreting America's Historic Places Implementation Grants program?

Interpreting America's Historic Places Implementation Grants is a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) funding opportunity under the We the People program. It supports public humanities projects that interpret historic places that matter to American history, using the immediacy of real locations to help the general public understand major themes, events, people, ideas, and traditions in the American story.

What is the main purpose of this grant?

The program is designed to improve interpretation for visitors and communities by using a historic place itself as a teaching tool. The focus is on helping the public connect nationally significant stories to specific locations they can visit and experience, and on creating or strengthening interpretive programs grounded in humanities scholarship.

Is this grant intended to fund academic research?

No. NEH emphasizes that the program is not meant to fund purely academic research. It is aimed at public interpretation and visitor/community learning experiences that are rooted in historic places and presented in accessible, engaging formats.

What kinds of places can be interpreted through funded projects?

Projects may interpret historic places at many different scales, as long as the place taken as a whole is significant to American history and the project clearly conveys that significance to visitors. Examples include a single historic home or site, a connected series of sites, an entire neighborhood, a town or community, or a larger geographic region.

How important is the physical place to the project design?

The interpretation must be rooted in the place and use its physical and contextual features as essential parts of the storytelling and educational experience. NEH highlights features such as the site, landscape, buildings, and other natural or built elements as core components of strong projects.

Who is the intended audience?

The intended audience is the general public. The program prioritizes accessible, public-facing formats that actively engage people in learning rather than relying on passive presentation.

What are the program's goals?

According to NEH, key goals include strengthening lifelong learning in American history by linking nationally significant stories to places people can visit, encouraging thoughtful interpretation of central events, themes, and issues in American history, and promoting consultation and collaboration with humanities scholars and history organizations, including for credible and meaningful heritage tourism destinations grounded in scholarship.

What does NEH consider a competitive proposal?

NEH describes strong proposals as those that interpret places with a significant role in American history, enrich the visitor experience by connecting the site to broader historical contexts and themes, rely on sound humanities scholarship, and involve humanities scholars throughout development and implementation (not just as token advisors). Competitive projects also take a thematic and analytical approach, present history through multiple appropriate perspectives, encourage interpretation rather than simple commemoration, and use engaging public-facing formats that appeal to broad audiences.

Does the program emphasize commemoration or interpretation?

The program emphasizes interpretation. NEH encourages projects that take a thematic and analytical approach and that help audiences engage with history through multiple appropriate perspectives, rather than simply commemorating events or people.

Is collaboration with humanities scholars required or encouraged?

Collaboration is strongly encouraged. NEH notes that competitive proposals involve humanities scholars throughout development and implementation, and it promotes consultation and collaboration with humanities scholars and history organizations to ensure interpretive work is grounded in scholarship.

How does the program relate to the founding principles of the United States?

The opportunity includes projects that deepen public knowledge of how the founding principles of the United States have influenced American history and culture for more than two centuries, as part of interpreting major themes and traditions in the American story.

What types of interpretive approaches does NEH favor?

NEH favors approaches that situate a site within broader historical contexts and themes, present multiple appropriate perspectives, and encourage active learning through engaging formats. The project should use the place itself (including landscape and built/natural features) as a core interpretive element.

What is the maximum award amount?

The listed maximum award amount is up to $1,000,000.

Is there a minimum award amount?

No minimum award floor is stated in the information provided.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The opportunity states that there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education), private and public institutions of higher education, federally recognized Native American tribal governments, and state and local governments (including city or township governments).

Which federal agency administers this opportunity?

The program is administered by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), Division of Public Programs, as a discretionary grant in the humanities.

What is the CFDA number and program name associated with this grant?

The CFDA number is 45.164, and it is associated with Promotion of the Humanities Public Programs.

What is the funding opportunity number?

The funding opportunity number is 20080827 BR.

When was this opportunity posted and when was the deadline?

The posted date was June 6, 2008. The application deadline was August 27, 2008. The listing was archived on September 26, 2008.

Where can applicants find the full program guidelines?

NEH referenced additional information and full program details at: http://www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/IAHPImplementation.html.

How can someone contact NEH about this opportunity?

Contact the NEH Division of Public Programs at publicpgms@neh.gov or 202-606-8269. Mailing address: NEH Room 426, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20506.