State and Impact of the Humanities

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), through its Office of Data and Evaluation, has released the "State and Impact of the Humanities" funding opportunity for fiscal year 2025, under the federal assistance listing number 45.159. This program supports data-grounded research projects that investigate the state, value, and impact of the humanities in the United States. The humanities are broadly defined to include areas such as literature, history, philosophy, archaeology, linguistics, and aspects of the social sciences that employ humanistic methods. Applicants are encouraged to explore topics including public perception, education, infrastructure, labor, digital technology, well-being, and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic as they relate to the humanities. Applicants may apply under two funding levels. Level 1 offers up to $75,000 for projects lasting up to 12 months and is suitable for projects in planning or early stages. Level 2 offers up to $150,000 for projects lasting up to 24 months and is geared toward implementation-stage work. Approximately $600,000 in total funding is anticipated, with an estimated 4 to 8 grants expected. No cost sharing or matching is required, and projects must begin between February 1 and April 1, 2026. Both new and returning applicants are eligible, and projects may be submitted by a single institution or in collaboration with others, though only one institution may serve as the official applicant. Eligible applicants include U.S.-based nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status, accredited public or nonprofit higher education institutions, state and local governments and agencies, and federally recognized Native American tribal governments. For-profit and foreign entities are not eligible. Individuals may serve as personnel but cannot be project directors or co-directors if they are degree candidates. Multiple applications from the same organization are allowed for distinct projects, but a person may not serve as a project director on more than one submission per deadline. Applications are due by April 16, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. An optional draft project summary may be submitted for feedback by February 14, 2025. A live Q&A webinar session will take place on February 4, 2025, at 2 p.m. Eastern Time. Required application components include a six-page narrative, work plan, biographies, and a data management and sustainability plan. Additional optional documents include letters of commitment and appendices. The application must be submitted through Grants.gov (opportunity number 20250416-XO), and all applicants must have active SAM.gov and Grants.gov registrations. Submission instructions include strict formatting and file naming requirements. Applications will be reviewed based on five criteria: humanities significance, data and methods, feasibility, project team qualifications, and outputs and dissemination. Successful applicants will be notified in December 2025. NEH encourages open access to all project outputs, and award recipients must comply with reporting requirements, including annual and final reports. For further information, applicants may contact [email protected] or call the Office of Grant Management at 202-606-8494.