Opportunity Information: Apply for 20231129 RZ
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is offering the Collaborative Research grant (Funding Opportunity Number 20231129 RZ), a discretionary grant program run through NEH's Division of Research Programs. The opportunity is designed to help teams of two or more scholars work together on projects that meaningfully expand humanistic knowledge. Rather than supporting solitary scholarship, it specifically targets collaborative efforts where the group structure is central to the research, interpretation, and final outcomes.
The program supports several common forms of collaboration. Funding can be used to organize scholarly convenings that move research forward, to prepare manuscripts for jointly authored or collaboratively produced publications, to build or enhance scholarly digital projects, or to plan an international research collaboration. Across all of these pathways, NEH emphasizes that projects must be driven by significant research questions and must result in a tangible interpretive product. In practice, that means the project should culminate in something concrete and scholarly that offers interpretation and insight (for example, a co-authored book or article, a curated digital resource with substantial interpretive framing, or another well-defined humanistic research output), not just networking, data gathering, or general capacity-building.
A key feature of the opportunity is its openness to different research designs. Collaborative projects may be rooted firmly within a single humanities field or may cross disciplinary boundaries. NEH explicitly encourages collaborations that include scholars from the natural sciences or social sciences, as long as the heart of the project remains humanistic in content and method. The proposal, therefore, should make clear that the central questions, sources, and analytical approach come from the humanities (such as historical, philosophical, literary, linguistic, religious, cultural, or other interpretive frameworks), even if scientific or social scientific perspectives contribute to the work.
Eligibility is broad and includes multiple types of institutions and organizations. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; and nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (other than higher education institutions). This range signals that NEH expects proposals not only from universities, but also from eligible public entities and mission-driven nonprofits capable of managing research grants and supporting scholarly collaboration.
From a funding standpoint, the award ceiling is $300,000, and NEH anticipated making about 15 awards under this competition cycle. The opportunity falls under the humanities funding activity category and is associated with CFDA number 45.161. For this particular posting, the opportunity was created on August 1, 2023, with an original application deadline of November 29, 2023. Overall, the grant is best suited for well-defined, team-based humanities research projects that can demonstrate why collaboration is essential, what interpretive product will be delivered, and how the work will advance understanding of important humanistic questions.Apply for 20231129 RZ
- The National Endowment for the Humanities in the humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Collaborative Research" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 45.161.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 01, 2023.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 29, 2023. (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 $300,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 15 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the NEH Collaborative Research grant?
The Collaborative Research grant is a discretionary funding program from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), administered through NEH's Division of Research Programs. It is intended to support teams of two or more scholars working together on a humanities research project that meaningfully expands humanistic knowledge.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this program?
The Funding Opportunity Number is 20231129 RZ.
Who is the program designed for?
The program is designed for collaborative teams of two or more scholars. It is specifically geared toward projects where collaboration is central to the research design, interpretation, and final outcomes, rather than projects that could be completed as solitary scholarship.
What kinds of projects does NEH fund under Collaborative Research?
NEH notes several common forms of collaboration that may be supported, including:
- Organizing scholarly convenings that move research forward
- Preparing manuscripts for jointly authored or collaboratively produced publications
- Building or enhancing scholarly digital projects
- Planning an international research collaboration
Does the program support solitary or individual research projects?
No. The opportunity is oriented toward collaborative efforts and emphasizes that the group structure must be central to the project. Projects framed primarily as solitary scholarship are not the focus of this program.
What does NEH mean by a "tangible interpretive product"?
NEH emphasizes that projects must result in a concrete scholarly output that provides interpretation and insight, not just activity or infrastructure. Examples described include a co-authored book or article, a curated digital resource with substantial interpretive framing, or another well-defined humanistic research product.
Are networking, data gathering, or general capacity-building activities supported?
By NEH's stated emphasis, the project must culminate in a tangible interpretive product. The description indicates the program is not intended to fund projects that are only networking, only data gathering, or general capacity-building without a defined interpretive research outcome.
Do projects need to be in a single humanities field, or can they be interdisciplinary?
Both approaches are allowed. Collaborative projects may be rooted within a single humanities field or cross disciplinary boundaries.
Can a project include scholars from the natural sciences or social sciences?
Yes. NEH explicitly encourages collaborations that include scholars from the natural sciences or social sciences, as long as the heart of the project remains humanistic in content and method.
What does it mean for a project to be "humanistic" if it includes other disciplines?
The proposal should make clear that the central questions, sources, and analytical approach come from humanities methods and frameworks (for example, historical, philosophical, literary, linguistic, religious, cultural, or other interpretive approaches), even if scientific or social scientific perspectives contribute to the work.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad. The listed eligible applicants include:
- State governments
- County governments
- City or township governments
- Special district governments
- Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
- Federally recognized Native American tribal governments
- Nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (other than higher education institutions)
Is the program limited to universities?
No. The eligibility list includes multiple types of government entities and 501(c)(3) nonprofits (other than higher education institutions), indicating NEH expects proposals from a range of eligible organizations, not only universities.
What is the maximum award amount?
The award ceiling is $300,000.
How many awards does NEH expect to make?
NEH anticipated making about 15 awards under this competition cycle.
What funding category does this opportunity fall under?
The opportunity falls under the humanities funding activity category.
What is the CFDA number associated with this program?
The associated CFDA number is 45.161.
When was this opportunity created and what was the application deadline listed?
This posting was created on August 1, 2023, with an original application deadline of November 29, 2023.
What are the main things a strong proposal should demonstrate, based on the description?
Based on the program description, a strong proposal should clearly show:
- Why collaboration (a team of two or more scholars) is essential to the project
- The significant research questions driving the work
- The tangible interpretive product that will be delivered
- How the project will advance understanding of important humanistic questions
- If interdisciplinary, how the project remains fundamentally humanistic in questions, sources, and methods
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