Our mission is to provide opportunities for the American public
to explore human history and culture through the humanities. Our
programs take place in museums, historical organizations,
libraries, community centers, and other places where Americans
gather to exchange ideas. We also support programs on public
television and radio.
During the coming year, we will continue to provide planning and
implementation support. However, because of reduced funding, we
will be supporting far fewer grants and will look for those that
can help the NEH maintain a strong national presence for the
humanities.
The Division will continue to give priority to proposals that are
grounded in solid scholarship and present important ideas in an
exciting and accessible way through:
programmatic excellence
national reach
wide access
educational focus
To achieve these goals, the Division will emphasize the following
in evaluating applications:
National significance or impact We will stress national or
regional projects that reach as many Americans as possible. For
example, we encourage applicants to propose traveling exhibitions
rather than those that serve only one site. A project on a topic
that is strictly local or narrow in scope, interest, or impact
would have to be judged a national model, one that is easily
replicable or is highly innovative in its mode of presentation.
New or expanded audiences We especially seek programs that are
intended for groups of Americans not often engaged in public
humanities projects. For example, although the Division will
continue its prohibition against funding in-school programs that
take place during the school day, projects that involve at-risk
youth or other young people in after-school settings will be
eligible. Senior citizens, people in rural communities,
disadvantaged urban residents, and other underserved members of
the public are welcome as participants. It is especially
important that applicants be able to identify who is expected to
take part in the program, how that audience will be recruited,
how the proposed project will be appropriate for them, and what
participants will learn.
Collaboration The Division encourages cultural institutions and
organizations to engage in partnerships with other groups in
order to have the maximum public impact. For example, a group of
historical societies might work with a public library system to
create a project that would be broader in interest, scope, and
audience than any single partner could offer. Likewise, a film
producer might collaborate with a group of museums to organize an
exhibition that would complement a film broadcast.
Community-based organizations such as YMCAs or PTAs would also be
natural partners for projects for the public.
Use of new technologies or multiple formats We support projects
that involve a broad spectrum of the most effective formats,
technologies, and venues for lifelong learning in the humanities.
We welcome projects that combine media, such as reading and
discussion programs, video components, and exhibits. In addition,
we will support the development of multimedia projects involving
such new technological tools as CD- ROMs, teleconferencing, and
the Internet. Applicants will be expected to show that these
media are appropriate in terms of the intellectual content of the
project and the intended audience.
Although every proposal will probably not meet all of the
criteria outlined above, the Division will give priority to those
that further our goals by demonstrating broad appeal, fruitful
collaboration, a real knowledge of and attention to audience, and
maximum impact.
If you have any questions, please contact us at 202/606-8267 or
by e-mail at PUBLICPGMS@NEH.FED.US.
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