Collaborative Research

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Division of Research has released a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Collaborative Research program (Funding Opportunity Number: 20260916-RZ). This program supports groups of two or more scholars working to advance humanistic knowledge through joint research resulting in an interpretive, collaborative product. For this cycle, eligible projects must focus specifically on American history and culture or Western civilization. The program offers funding across three distinct categories: • Planning International Collaboration: Up to $50,000 for six to twelve months to plan new international collaborations. • Manuscript Preparation: Up to $250,000 for one to three years to write and prepare collaborative manuscripts for print publication. • Scholarly Digital Project: Up to $250,000 for one to three years to develop born-digital publications or highly interpretive digital resources. Eligible applicants include U.S. nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations, accredited institutions of higher education, state and local governments, and federally recognized Native American Tribal governments. Individuals, foreign entities, and sole fiscal agents are ineligible. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov by September 16, 2026. Submissions must include a project team list, a ten-page narrative, a work plan, a bibliography, team résumés, and a detailed budget. Projects are scheduled to start between November 1, 2027, and August 1, 2028. NEH expects to award approximately $2,500,000 across an estimated 15 grants. Funding is subject to congressional appropriations, and peer reviewers will evaluate applications based on significance, methods, collaboration quality, work plan feasibility, and proposed outcomes.

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Division of Research has issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Collaborative Research program (Funding Opportunity Number: 20260916-RZ). This program supports groups of two or more scholars advancing humanistic knowledge through collaborative projects that address significant research questions and yield interpretive products. For this cycle, eligible projects must focus specifically on American history and culture or Western civilization. The program offers three distinct funding categories: 1. Planning International Collaboration: Supports early-stage planning and research with international collaborators (awards up to $50,000 for six to twelve months). 2. Manuscript Preparation: Supports the research and writing of collaborative manuscripts for print publication (awards up to $250,000 for one to three years). 3. Scholarly Digital Project: Supports the creation of interpretive, born-digital publications or public-facing digital resources (awards up to $250,000 for one to three years). Eligible applicants include U.S. nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status, accredited institutions of higher education, state and local government agencies, and federally recognized Native American Tribal governments. Cost sharing is not required unless applicants request federal matching funds. The application deadline is September 16, 2026, with funding decisions anticipated in July 2027 and project start dates between November 1, 2027, and August 1, 2028. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov. Peer reviewers will evaluate proposals based on intellectual significance, methodology, collaboration quality, work plan feasibility, and project outcomes.