Division of Preservation and Access Funding Opportunities AASCU GRC Washington, DC 20 February 2015
NEH s Mission Strengthen teaching and learning in the humanities in schools and colleges across the nation Provide opportunities for lifelong learning through public programs Facilitate research and original scholarship Preserve and provide access to cultural resources Support the state humanities councils Strengthen the institutional base of the humanities Advance humanities scholarship, education and programming through technology
What Are the Humanities? The term 'humanities' includes the study of language, both modern and classical, linguistics, literature, history, jurisprudence, philosophy, archaeology, comparative religion, ethics, history, criticism and theory of the arts, social sciences, and the study and application of the humanities to the human environment reflecting our diverse heritage, traditions, and history and the relevance of the humanities to the current conditions of national life. excerpted from the National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities Act of 1965
Our Audience Eligible institutions: cultural institutions, such as museums, archives, public and research libraries, colleges, universities, public television and radio stations, tribal, state and local governments, and individual scholars and educators. Awards are made to institutions and to individuals through fellowships.
Organization and Budget of the NEH Special Initiatives & Programs $3,500 Division of Education $13,265,000 Division of Public Programs $13,684,000 Office of Digital Humanities $4,400,000 NEH 2015 Budget $146,000,000 Division of Research $14,784,000 Federal/State Partnership $42,528,000 Office of Challenge Grants ~$8,500,000 Matching Division of Preservation & Access $15,460,000
Our New Chairman The Common Good: Humanities in the Public Square Public Scholar Grant Program Open Book Initiative Standing Together
Where We Are www.neh.gov Visit the NEH website
Division of Preservation and Access Grant Programs Humanities Collections and Reference Resources (Deadline: July 21, 2015 for projects beginning May 2016) Preservation Assistance Grants for Smaller Institutions (Deadline: May 5, 2015 for projects beginning January 2016)
Humanities Collections and Reference Resources: Activities We Fund arrange, describe, catalog collections digitize collections preserve and improve access to born-digital sources develop databases, virtual collections, or other digital resources create encyclopedias; prepare linguistic tools develop tools for spatial analysis design digital tools to facilitate use of humanities resources
Types of Humanities Collections Books, journals, archives, and manuscripts Prints and photographs Moving images and sound recordings Architectural and cartographic records Decorative and fine art objects Furniture, textiles, and historical objects Archaeological and ethnographic artifacts Digital materials in archives, libraries, special collections, university art museums and galleries, archaeology labs, etc.
Humanities Collections and Reference Resources Deadline: July 21, 2015 Projects begin: May 2016 Two levels of funding: Foundations (planning, assessment, and pilot) up to $40,000, and Implementation, up to $350,000 Cost-sharing is recommended Submission of drafts encouraged
Humanities Collections and Reference Resources California State University, Dominguez Hills (Dominguez Hills, CA), Japanese American Digitization Planning Grant Rutgers University, Camden (Camden, NJ), The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia University of Southern Maine (Portland, ME), Thinking Globally: Conservation of an Historic Globe Collection and Creation of an Online Resource on Geographic Education
Preservation Assistance Grants NEH s outreach program Over 1,800 awards since 2000 Awards up to $6,000, easy to write, no costshare Deadline May 5, 2015 Projects begin January 2016 Encourage applications from institutions that have never applied to NEH Special encouragement for presidentially designated institutions Guidelines are online: www.neh.gov
Preservation Assistance Grants for Smaller Institutions General preservation assessments Consultations with professionals to address a specific preservation need Purchase of storage furniture and preservation supplies Purchase of environmental monitoring equipment Education and Training (attend or sponsor workshops on disaster recovery, collections care, standards and best practices for digitizing collections).
General Preservation Assessments, Long-Range Preservation Plans, and Conservation Treatment Plans
Develop and Implement a Storage Plan
Purchase Storage and Environmental Equipment and Supplies
Develop a Disaster Plan Biloxi Public Library Beauvoir
PAG Awards to State Colleges and Universities University of Alaska, Fairbanks (Fairbanks, AK), Museum of the North Film Collection Preservation Assessment (2013) Weber State University (Ogden, UT ), Preservation Assessment for University Archives and Special Collections (2012) Elizabeth State University (Elizabeth City, NC) Rehousing the Elizabeth City State University Archives (2013) New Mexico Highlands University (Las Vegas, NM), Preservation Supplies and Environmental Monitoring Workshop for the Donnelly Library (2013) Central Michigan University (Mount Pleasant, MI), Disaster Training for Staff and Purchase of Emergency Preparedness Materials to Preserve Museum Collections (2012)
Successful Proposals Make a strong case for humanities significance Describe collections in detail Bring collections to life with discussions of exhibitions, educational programs, research Relate stories to national events and topics Develop a detailed work plan Assemble expert team Consider long-term sustainability Discuss with program officers beforehand Know the review process
Typical Evaluation Criteria the project s significance for supporting research, education, or public programming in the humanities; the soundness of the proposed methodology, including adherence to accepted standards and best practices the viability, efficiency, and productivity of the work plan; appropriate plans for sustaining project outcomes, including digital content; the qualifications of the project s staff and suitability of the staffing arrangements; the quality of the project s plans for disseminating information about and providing access to grant products; and the reasonableness of the proposed budget
Resources NEH Web site www.neh.gov Guidelines Sample Narratives Funded Projects Database Feature Articles Program Officers Submit drafts for comments 6 weeks prior to deadline
Contact info Mary Downs Senior Program Officer Division of Preservation and Access mdowns@neh.gov 202-606-8456 preservation@neh.gov 202-606-8570 www.neh.gov