The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Public Humanities Projects program supports projects that bring the humanities to life for general audiences through in-person, hybrid, or virtual formats. This program encourages the use of humanities scholarship to analyze important themes in disciplines such as history, literature, art history, and ethics. Projects can vary in format, including exhibitions, discussions, and interpretive programs at historic sites, with the goal of making humanities content accessible to a wide and diverse audience.

Funding is available at two levels: Planning and Implementation. Planning grants (up to $60,000) are aimed at projects that are in the early stages of development, and they can last up to 24 months. Implementation grants, for more fully developed projects, range from $50,000 to $400,000 and can be as high as $1,000,000 for exceptionally significant projects under the Chair’s Special Award. Implementation projects can last between 12 and 48 months and must be designed to engage a broad audience with the goal of expanding public understanding of the humanities. Projects at this level should be ready for public presentation and may include the development and final design of exhibitions or public programs.

Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations, accredited higher education institutions, state and local government agencies, and federally recognized Native American Tribal governments. NEH particularly encourages projects that involve underrepresented groups, underserved communities, or institutions serving veterans or youth. NEH also offers additional funding to support the creation of full-time positions for recent graduates with degrees in the humanities under its “Positions in Public Humanities” initiative.

Applicants can submit proposals in several categories: Exhibitions (permanent, temporary, or traveling), interpretive programs at Historic Places, or Humanities Discussions (e.g., lecture series or reading programs). Projects must be grounded in sound humanities scholarship and involve scholars from outside the applicant organization throughout their planning and implementation phases. Humanities Discussions programs must span a minimum of three months and include a series of at least 15 in-person, hybrid, or virtual programs.

Key deadlines for submission are August 14, 2024, and January 8, 2025, and applicants can submit optional draft proposals for review by July 10, 2024, or December 4, 2024, respectively. Applicants are encouraged to submit their materials early to ensure successful completion of the submission process through Grants.gov.

For more information on this funding opportunity, including detailed application instructions and eligibility criteria, applicants are advised to consult the full notice and program resource page on the NEH website【27†source】.