I hope that you are well in these unusual times. I am writing because you are or have been a nominating official or other point of contact for the NEH Summer Stipends program. The program aims to stimulate new research in the humanities and its publication by supporting the work of individual scholars doing research or writing. Anyone can apply, as long as they are not a degree candidate at time of application. The award amount is $6,000, and the application deadline is September 22, 2021. You can find information on the program at https://www.neh.gov/grants/research/summer-stipends

Please share this information with your faculty, especially with junior faculty. Although this is a very competitive program, the relatively short application and the focused time period make it a good way for junior faculty to lay the foundation for future grant applications. We have found that Summer Stipends are an entry point for the NEH. Forty percent of recent Stipends awardees awardees are first-time applicants.

In a few weeks we will be offering a webinar for administrators and prospective applicants, introducing the program, describing the application and nomination process, and offering application-writing suggestions. There will be a chance to ask questions, captions will be available, and the webinar will be recorded so others can watch it later. 

Date: Wednesday, April 14

Time: 2:00-3:00 PM (Eastern time)  

To watch the presentation, click on this link. 

As you may know, this program requires all tenured or tenure-track applicants to be nominated by an official on their campus, and institutions can nominate up to two people. (Non-tenure-track faculty, adjunct faculty, staff, retired faculty, community college faculty, and independent scholars are exempt from nomination). We ask that each institution designate one person—usually an academic vice-president or dean—to coordinate the nomination process for its faculty. Please let me know how I can support your nomination process or publicity with your faculty.

Each institution creates their own nomination process. A few years ago we surveyed nominating officials about their practice. Almost three-quarters of respondents told us that potential nominees are reviewed by a standing or ad hoc committee, made up of faculty or administrators, often drawing on previous grantees or panelists. Those committees usually used the program criteria—found in the application guidelines—to choose the strongest applications. Most encouraged previously unsuccessful applicants to resubmit. Nominating officials told us that this on-campus review encourages cross-department collaboration, makes faculty more aware of outside funding opportunities, provides feedback to colleagues about their work, and gives faculty experience in reading and evaluating grant applications.

We also asked the nominating officials about how they publicized the program. They told us that they publicize grant opportunities through campus-wide email blasts, contact with department chairs, or presentations by deans or grant office administrators. A few institutions offer incentives for submitting an application, including recognition in meetings, inclusion in annual reviews, or token gift cards. Others have offered internal research money for faculty who are nominated but do not receive a NEH award. Some have conducted mock review panels, demonstrating the peer review process, with faculty serving as panelists evaluating sample applications. Let me know if you want a list of previous NEH panelists from your campus.

We can help with publicity, too. Sample applications that might inspire applicants or provide examples are on the web site linked above. There you’ll also find a list of previously funded projects. We prepared a video with grant writing tips that you can share with faculty; you can find that at: https://youtu.be/21WOKZQGH0s

All applicants must submit their own applications through grants.gov. Nominated applicants must include in their applications the name and email address of the appropriate nominating official. After the September 22 deadline, each nominating official will receive an email directly from NEH asking for verification of the selected applicants. This verification must be received by October 15, 2021.

 If applicants have questions, we encourage them to contact a member of the Summer Stipends program staff, at stipends@neh.gov or 202-606-8200.