The 2004 deadline for this program has passed. Guidelines for 2005 will be available in the fall. In the interim, the guidelines below can be used for reference, but should NOT be used to prepare an application.

Questions?

Questions about development and production grants for radio projects can be answered by the staff of NEH's Division of Public Programs at 202-606-8269 and via e-mail at publicpgms@neh.gov. Hearing-impaired applicants can contact NEH via TDD at 1-866-372-2930.

Type of Award

Successful applicants will be awarded a grant in outright funds, matching funds, or a combination of the two, depending on the applicant's preference and the availability of funds.

How to obtain a print-version of this application

Application materials can also be obtained by calling 202-606-8446, sending an e-mail to info@neh.gov, or writing NEH, Office of Public Affairs, 1100 Pennsylvania, Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20506

NEH supports radio programs that address significant figures, events, or developments in the humanities and draw their content from humanities scholarship. Grants are made to public radio organizations and stations as well as to independent radio producers affiliated with non-profit institutions.

Development grants enable producers and scholars to develop the content and format and to prepare the programs for production. These grants cover a wide range of activities, including meetings and individual consultation with humanities scholars, field and archival research, preliminary interviews, preparation of program treatments, and, if desired, production of pilots. The product of development grants should be detailed program descriptions or treatments.

Production grants enable producers and scholars to continue their engagement with humanities topics, and they support the production and postproduction of programs. Production grants can also be used to support the creation of companion websites for radio programs.

Note: Consultation grants for radio projects are also available.

Projects should engage diverse public audiences in the ideas, approaches, and resources of the humanities. Producers must collaborate with a team of scholars to ensure that the humanities themes and questions are well conceived and that the project is informed by significant scholarship. These advisers should represent the major areas of scholarship on the subject, have diverse perspectives and approaches, and represent a variety of institutions from across the country.

Radio projects may:

• develop new humanities content to augment existing radio programming or add the larger historical background or humanities analysis to the subjects of existing programs;
• propose new programming models for presenting humanities content on radio or for reaching new audiences;
• target the widest possible audiences in national, regional or local markets with stories that explore topics in a broad regional or national context;
• feature documentary programs or historical dramatizations;
• involve single programs, limited series, or segments to be broadcast within an existing, ongoing program vehicle; and
• develop companion websites and digital projects to provide audiences with additional ways to explore a program's content and enhance the audience's understanding of the subject.

Radio project grants cannot be used for:

• dramatic adaptations of literary works;
• projects that will satisfy requirements for educational degrees or formal professional training;
• general operations, renovation, restoration, rehabilitation, or construction of station or production facilities;
• projects designed to persuade audiences of a particular political, philosophical, religious, or ideological point of view;
• projects that advocate a particular program of social or political action; or
• preservation or cataloging of materials and collections. (Please see the guidelines for Preserving and Creating Access to Humanities Collections.)

Broadcast expectations and rights

Once production is completed, NEH expects that the program or series will be offered for broadcast to the widest possible audience. NEH must approve all broadcast and distribution arrangements before they are finalized.

While the grantee owns the rights to the products of the grant, such as program treatments and radio programs, NEH reserves a non-exclusive and irrevocable right to use materials produced under a grant and to authorize others to use these materials for federal purposes. For more information on NEH's rights to grant products, go to Article 26 of the General Grant Provisions for Organizations.

Grantees are required to report income earned from grant products for seven years following the end of the grant. In addition, a percentage of income earned during this period must be returned to NEH. The percentage is based upon the proportion of NEH support of the total project costs.

We the People Grant Initiative

To help Americans make sense of their history and of the world around them, NEH has launched an initiative: We the People. NEH encourages applications that explore significant events and themes in our nation's history and culture and that advance knowledge of the principles that define America. To learn more about We the People, visit the initiative's website. Grants may be used to develop radio projects related to the initiative, such as the following:

• a series of historical documentary programs chronicling the individual lives, events, or movements that have shaped America;
• a series of segments within an ongoing program vehicle recounting ideas, people, and issues in our history that continue to inform current events;
• a series of programs within a call-in or interview show exploring enduring ideals and traditions in American political, cultural, and social institutions; and
• a series of programs or segments using creative formats to promote interest among Americans in our history and culture.

Successful applicants will be awarded a grant in outright funds, matching funds, or a combination of the two, depending on the applicant's preference and the availability of funds.

Development grants

Awards last from six to twelve months and range from $30,000 to $60,000, depending on the scope and status of the project.

Production grants

Awards last for one to three years and range from $60,000 to $200,000. In rare circumstances, awards may exceed this amount, depending on the scope, complexity, and reach of the production.

Cost Sharing

Cost sharing includes cash contributions to the project by the applicant and third parties as well as in-kind contributions, such as donated goods and services. Cost sharing also includes gift money raised to release federal matching funds. While the extent of cost sharing will vary depending on the budget, nature, and scope of the project, on average NEH is able to contribute up to 60% of the funding.

Other Award Information

Applicants may apply for only one type of grant--either consultation, development, or production--per project per grant cycle.

A grant from NEH for one stage of a project does not commit the Endowment to continued support. Applications for each stage are evaluated independently.

Any U.S. nonprofit organization may apply for a grant. Organizations must have 501(c)3 tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service to be eligible to receive a grant. State and local governmental agencies are also eligible. Individuals are not eligible to submit an application. Independent producers who wish to apply for NEH funding should consider seeking sponsorship by an eligible organization that would submit the application.

NEH generally does not award grants to other federal entities or to applicants whose projects are so closely intertwined with a federal entity that the project takes on characteristics of the federal entity's own authorized activities. This does not preclude applicants from using grant funds from, or sites and materials controlled by, other federal entities in their projects, as long as these resources are not used as gifts to release NEH matching funds

Preparing an application

Prior to submitting a proposal, applicants are encouraged to contact program officers who can:

• offer advice about preparing the proposal;
• supply samples of funded applications and lists of recently funded projects; and
• review preliminary proposal drafts if they are submitted well before the relevant deadline (usually at least six weeks). Although this preliminary review is not part of the formal process and has no bearing on the final outcome of the proposal, previous applicants have found it helpful in strengthening their applications.

A complete application includes the following:

1. Application cover sheet

   Using the instructions, complete the cover sheet (8-page PDF).

   The cover sheet must be signed by the authorizing official of the applicant organization.

   Beginning October 1, 2003, all institutions applying to federal grant programs are required to provide a DUNS number, which is issued by Dun & Bradstreet, as part of their application. Project directors should contact their institution’s grant administrator or chief financial officer to obtain their institution’s DUNS number. Federal grant applicants can obtain a DUNS number for free by calling 1-866-705-5711. More information about the new requirement is available.

2. Table of Contents

   List all parts of the application with page numbers.

3. Budget Form

   Applicants for development projects should use the NEH budget form. Applicants for production funding may use their own budget form in place of Section A of the NEH budget form. All applicants must complete Section B (Summary Budget and Project Funding) of the NEH budget form.

   • Compensation

     Identify all key project personnel by name. If any of these individuals will perform different and separately budgeted functions, indicate in the budget.

     Please note that the compensation for key project positions, such as the project director, producer, director, and scriptwriter, will be considered as fixed fees for service even though the amount of compensation requested is calculated on the basis of the projected length of the project. The award letter will specify which positions will be considered key for budgeting purposes.

   • Department of Labor Regulations

     Effective July 22, 1988, the U.S. Department of Labor established regulations which require that all professional performers, scriptwriters, and related or supporting professional personnel employed on projects and/or productions supported in whole or in part by NEH be paid not less than the minimum union or guild rates.

     A copy of the applicable regulations, "Labor Standards on Projects or Productions Assisted by Grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities; Final Rule," may be obtained from NEH's Office of Grant Management, Room 311, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20506 (202/606-8494).

   • Equipment

     NEH allows applicants to use their own equipment and to include charges for this use, subject to the following:

     • for equipment and facilities that are not fully depreciated, determine actual costs on the basis of the acquisition costs, divided by the useful life, times the period of use on the project; and
     • for equipment and facilities that have been fully depreciated, charges to operate the asset, including the cost of maintenance, insurance, and other related expenses, are allowable.
   • Administrative Fee in Lieu of Indirect Costs for Umbrella Organizations

     Under certain circumstances, the applicant may be a non-profit organization that is willing to sponsor an independent producer, filmmaker or group who, without tax-exempt status, is not eligible to apply directly for a grant from NEH. The sponsoring organization, also called an "umbrella" organization, may provide the project with accounting services, office and editing facilities, fundraising assistance, and other administrative support, but does not carry out the project activities itself. Under this arrangement the umbrella organization is considered the grantee of record and assumes all attendant responsibilities of a grantee.

     NEH will allow an umbrella organization to recover its costs for administering the NEH award by charging an administrative fee of 5% of total project costs. This administrative fee may be charged instead of negotiating an indirect cost rate with NEH.

     Applicants who are umbrella organizations that wish to budget for the 5% administrative fee should do so in the "indirect costs" section of the NEH budget form.

4. Narrative

   Describe the project in up to fifteen pages. Each page should be single-spaced, use at least 11-point type, and have one-inch margins. The pages should be collated and numbered consecutively throughout.

   The narrative must contain the following:

   • The nature of the request

     Summarize in one or two paragraphs the subject, format, amount of money requested from NEH, and total project budget. Indicate the number, length, and variety of programs planned. State the goals of the project.

   • Overview of the subject
     1. Describe the subject of the project, including the principal figures, events, or issues to be explored.
     2. Discuss the intellectual content and themes, how the project uses humanities scholarship, and what the audience will learn about the subject.
     3. Discuss, if pertinent, how this project is different from other productions on similar or related subjects.
     4. Describe, if applicable, the humanities content planned for the companion website, including the principal figures, events, or issues to be explored and the humanities scholarship to be used.
     5. Explain, if applicable, how the content proposed for the digital project differs from that of the broadcast program and what it will add to the user's understanding of the subject.
   • Description of the project

     The broadcast program
     Applicants proposing support for a radio program should address the following:

     1. Explain the creative approach, how the program will be structured, and how the humanities themes and material will be presented within the format.
     2. Describe the available resources, including audio materials, historical documents, and interviews.
     3. Discuss the work accomplished to date. If you have received a previous NEH grant for this project, briefly summarize your major accomplishments.
     4. Indicate if the proposed programs are for segments within an established series and discuss the relationship between the proposed segments and the host program.

     The companion website
     Applicants requesting support for a companion website should also address the following:

     1. Explain the intellectual goals of the website and how the humanities material will be organized and presented.
     2. Describe the nature and structure of the interactivity proposed and how it will help the user explore the content. Outline the potential pathways that will guide the user through the project and describe how audio, graphics, text, video, and interactivity will enhance the user's understanding of the content. If the audio from the broadcast program will be available on the website, in whole or in part, explain its function in the overall concept of the website and how the broadcast portions will be linked to the interactive elements.
     3. Indicate who controls the rights to the materials to be used. Discuss the potential for obtaining permissions to use materials and the likely costs of clearing the rights.
     4. If the request is for support of a companion website for a radio program that has already been produced, explain how the broadcast program will benefit from the proposed website. Indicate when the program was broadcast and how widely it was carried. Identify the likely audience for the website and strategies for reaching it.

   • History of the project

     Give a brief history of support, indicating in particular the source and amount of outside funding for the broadcast program. Include, if relevant, previous NEH grants as well as grants from state humanities councils.

   • Audience and broadcast prospects

     Discuss the target audience.

     • If programs are targeted toward local audiences, describe that audience and discuss how the subject will transcend geographic boundaries.
     • If support for segments of an ongoing broadcast program is sought, indicate current station carriage for the host program and document the size and characteristics of its audience with Arbitron Ratings data.
     • If the proposal is for a single program or a limited series, discuss distribution plans. Indicate, for example, interest from a radio network or distribution organization or previous experience with independent distribution.
     • If the proposal is for or includes a companion website, discuss the audience or audiences for the project and the strategy for reaching them.

   • Organization history

     Provide a short description and history of the applicant organization and, if different, the production organization. This should consist of a brief profile of the organization, including its mission, origin, size, special characteristics, current activities, and relevant institutional resources. Profiles should be limited to one paragraph per organization.

   • Strategies for fund-raising

     For development applications, discuss possible approaches to raising the money needed to carry the entire project through production to broadcast.

     For production applications, discuss specific plans for raising funds from outside sources to cover the costs that exceed requested NEH support. Please note that NEH will not release its grant funds until funding to complete the budget has been committed.

   • Project staff

     Provide information about the project team, including principal members of the media team, scholarly advisers, consultants, and web developers. Summarize each person's qualifications and proposed contributions to the project. Each summary should not exceed one paragraph.

   • Plan of work

     Provide a detailed, month-by-month schedule that describes the major work to be accomplished, the amount of time it will require, and the specific people involved. Be especially clear about when the media team will meet with the scholarly advisers or other consultants and how the planned activities will contribute to the progress of the project.

5. Appendices

   Please include the following material the application's appendices:

   • Documentation
     • résumés, no longer than two pages each, of all project staff, scholarly advisors, consultants, and web developers
     • letters of commitment from key members of the media team, scholarly advisors, consultants, web developers, and participating organizations
     • a bibliography of humanities sources and work informing the project
     • a list of related radio programs on the subject of the project (if pertinent)
     • a description or list of the collections of materials to be used in the program

   • Program descriptions and treatments

     Describe the humanities content and how it will be presented in the programs or segments.

     Development grants: Provide either program descriptions within the proposal narrative or append separate treatments. In either case, indicate issues to be addressed, the scope of the humanities content, the planned format or approach to the production, and the elements and audio materials to be used.

     Production grants: Provide detailed treatments that show the narrative elements, the intellectual issues, and the creative approach. Discuss how the various elements, such as narrative, interviews, discussion, or archival materials, will be used to present the humanities material and engage the interest of listeners.

   • Work samples

     Work samples are required for all applications.

     For radio programs: Submit ten copies of the sample work on either audiotape or CD. Append a page to the end of the proposal describing the sample or samples, and indicate the roles played by members of the current media team. If the members of the radio production team have not worked together before, submit separate samples for the principal members. If pilot programs exist, they must be submitted.

     For companion websites: Submit a prototype of the website, providing either a URL or ten copies on CD-ROM. Append a page to the end of the proposal describing the prototype, including content, typical images, sounds, text, and modes of interactivity. Describe the roles play by the members of the web development team. If the team has not worked together previously, submit separate samples from each principal member.

Samples will not be retained. Please enclose a self-addressed mailer with sufficient postage if you wish to have your sample(s) returned.

Application Checklist

Include one original proposal and fourteen copies of the following, in this order:

1. application cover sheet signed by authorizing official
2. table of contents
3. budget
4. narrative
5. appendices
   
   • documentation
   • program descriptions or treatments
   • description of work sample

Please identify with an attached note which copy of the proposal has the original signature.

Plus:

1. three additional copies of the signed cover sheet
2. work samples

Send applications to:

Radio Projects: Development and Production Grants
Division of Public Programs
National Endowment for the Humanities
Room 426
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20506
202-606-8269

NEH continues to experience lengthy delays in the delivery of mail by the U. S. Postal Service. To ensure that your application arrives by the receipt deadline, please consider using a commercial delivery service. NEH will acknowledge the receipt of your application by e-mail. Although formal applications cannot be accepted by e-mail or fax, we do recommend the use of such alternatives for other kinds of correspondence, including inquiries, preliminary drafts, recommendations, or reports.

To ensure that your application is processed in a timely fashion, the envelope or package used to send your application materials should prominently display your return address and should not be over-wrapped with tape.

Deadline for Submissions

Applications must be received by March 22, 2004 for projects beginning no earlier than September 1, 2004.

Criteria

Proposals for radio projects are evaluated according to the following criteria:

1. Intellectual Content

   What is the significance of the proposed subject, the role of humanities scholarship, and the project's potential to contribute to public understanding of the humanities?

2. Audience Reach and Impact

   What is the potential of the project for broadcast to a wide audience?

3. Format

   How effectively does the creativity, quality, and effectiveness of the chosen format convey the ideas and themes of the project to its intended audience?

4. Project Staff and Collaboration

   What are the qualifications of the producers and advising scholars? Will they deliver a credible and creative humanities program? Will scholars be effectively involved?

5. Work Plan

   Is the plan of work realistic and efficient?

6. Budget

   Are the project costs reasonable and justified? How successful is the fundraising plan likely to be?

Review and Selection Process

Knowledgeable persons outside NEH who are asked for their judgments about the quality and significance of the proposed projects assess each application. Panelists represent diverse disciplinary, institutional, regional, and cultural backgrounds. In some programs the judgement of panelists is supplemented by individual reviews from specialists who have extensive knowledge of the specific area or technical aspects of the application under review. The advice of evaluators is assembled by NEH's staff, who comment on matters of fact or on significant issues that would otherwise be missing from the review. These materials are then presented to the National Council on the Humanities, which meets throughout the year to advise the chairman. The chairman takes into account the advice provided by the process and, by law, makes the final decision about funding.

Award notices

Applicants can expect to receive notification by letter in late summer of 2004. Awards may begin no earlier than September 1, 2004.

Administrative requirements

Before submitting an application, applicants should review their responsibilities as a grantee, and the Davis-Bacon Act and certification requirements.